Fall has arrived with startling mix of weather changing moment to moment. And with it comes a new container of wine from France carrying fantastic Rhône Reds from the 2012 vintage. We’ll be pouring them Saturday starting at 2pm. Grab the umbrella and come check them out.
Sunday, Mark will be pouring two more wines from the motherland.
2011 Ravier, Chignin Bereran $12 This full bodied Roussanne from the Savoie, is rich with a bit of herbaceousness.
2011 Château Bellegrave, Medoc $13 35% Cabernet Sauvignon, 60% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc & 3% Petit Verdot A new vintage of an old favorite, the Bellegrave has aromas of licorice, coffee, and strawberry and cherry fruit. Medium bodied with smooth tannins and tasty fruit.
The 2012 vintage of Rhône reds are hitting our shores and shelves. It is a big and forward vintage with some of the lesser Village wines flexing as much muscle as Châteaunuef and Gigondas. It is a good year to find big wines at great value. This Saturday we’ll be pouring a few of them. Come taste for yourself.
2013 Le Perles, Vin d’Pays d’Oc Viognier$10 Before we dive in to the Rhône reds we are going to pour this crisp, value Viognier from the Languedoc. Its ripe fruit is balanced by herbal aromatics.
2013 Domaine J. P. Lafond Tavel Rosé $21 Grenache 60%, Cinsault 10%, Syrah 10%, Carigna 5% and with Clairette, Picpoul, Bourboulenc, Mourvèdre. Pascal Lafond’s 65-hectare family-run estate is located in the rosé-only appellation of Tavel. His Rosé is top of its class. “The predominating aromas are complex: red and white fruit associated with floral notes. With time, these fruity aromas will evolve toward more mellow notes with a touch of spice and stone fruits, and the color will take on amber tints. As of its first year, it disposes of all the necessary aromas to be appreciated, but it also has an exceptional ageing potential.”
2012 Domaine Olivier Hillaire Côtes-du-Rhône Vieilles Vignes $18 80% Grenache and 20% Syrah A rock-solid effort, the 2012 Cotes du Rhone Vieilles by Olivier Hillaire screams Southern Rhone on the nose, with plenty of spice, saddle leather and garrigue. It has exceptional polish and grace to complement its bright red fruit flavors. Its length and density belies its lowly appellation. Drink now-2018
2012 Domaine Boisson Côtes-du-Rhône Villages Cairanne $23 70% Grenache, 20% Syrah, 10% Mourvèdre The grapes for Boisson’s Cairanne come from a blend of 20 years old vines and some astonishing 110 years old vines. The result is a complex wine that marries freshness (from the younger, higher-cropping vines) with awesome concentration from the venerable old plants that produce just a tiny volume of extremely high-quality juice. “Warm, inviting aromas combine with a fleshy, unctuous palate of mellow licorice, black pepper, star anise and prune to give a sinfully-good, memorable drinking experience. Luscious and satisfying.”
2012 Domaine Pierre Usseglio & Fils Côtes-du-Rhône $25 70%Grenache, 20% Mourvedre, 10% Cinsault Usseglio’s Châteaunuef scored 95pts in 2012, but so far his Côtes-du-Rhône is under the radar. Not for long we think. The wine has predominate dark cherry notes with dried herbs, charcoal, pepper nose; tasty, dried herbs, charcoal, pepper, mineral palate; and a good finish.
Madrona Wine Merchants offers free wine tastings featuring 4-5 selections on a theme every Saturday from 2 until the bottles run out and on Sunday we offer a mini-tasting of two wines all day from 11-5. No matter what day you stop by we always have something open to sample.
Sunday, Mark will be pouring some lovely fresh Spanish wines all day from 11 to 5. Stop on in.
2013 Honoro Vera ($9) Monastrell Jumilla A full-bodied Spanish Monastrell. Lots of dark fruit. NEW VINTAGE! Same great taste, lower price. Organic
2005 Leza Garcia Rioja Alta Reserva ($20) Tempranillo An incredible price on this quality Reserva. The wine is aged for 24 months in a combination of American and French oak barrels followed by an additional 5 years of bottle. It has a rich and elegant nose. On the palate it is complex with well-rounded ripe red fruit flavors, and has a lingering deeply fruity finish.
It’s a sunny Autumn weekend in the Mediterranean, and we are going to be sharing some of that warmth.
Today we’re pouring some wines from Turkey from old varietals from that sun drenched region. That starts at 2PM.
Sunday we’re going to open two wines from Spain. The new 2013 vintage of the Honoro Vera Monastrell is back in at a new price of $9. We’ll also be pouring the 2005 Rioja Reserva from Leza Garcia which is a steal at $20.
If you love trying new varietals of wine (like we do) Saturday will be a Special Treat. We’ll be pouring a new line up of indigenous grapes from the Cappadocia & Anatolia regions of Turkey and a big red blend from Macedonia. Not only are they unique, they are quite tasty as well. Come give them a try and watch us grapple with the pronunciation.
2013 Turasan, Emir (eh-MEER) $15
The Emir grape only grows in one place in the world – Cappadocia, Turkey where it has been grown and made into wine since the Hittite era (1700 BC). Emir thrives in Cappadocia’s volcanic soils and benefits from its unique micro climate: high altitude, hot days and cool nights. The wine has notes of citrus peel and white flowers along with pears and fennel pollen. It is bright and lively with refreshing floral and Meyer lemon flavors ending with a mineral note that is rounded out from the sur-lies aging.
2013 Turasan, Kalecik Karasi, (Kah-le-djic-car-ah-ser) $15
Kalecik Karasi is a blue-black grape indigenous to Turkey that produces fruity wines with low to medium tannins and bright acidity. Red fruit, raspberry, red currant and cherry predominate with vanilla and cocoa undercurrents.. Cappadocia is located on high altitude with limited water supply allowing the grapes to take longer in reaching maturity thereby making the aromas all the more intense and vibrant.
2012 Diren, Öküzgözü (Oh-cooz-goe-zue) $14
85% Öküzgözü, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon
Diren Winery is located in the northern part of Turkey in Anatolia. Their Oküzgözü highlights this native grape. The wine is medium-bodied wines with ripe fruit and spice flavors and plenty of lively acidity. In 2012, a hot summer was followed by a cool, dry harvest allowing for long hang-times producing excellent structure, and aromatics.
2011 Diren Karmena Red $13
20% Öküzgözü, 20% Bogazkere, 20% Syrah, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot
Karmena Red is a blend of 5 grapes (indigenous and international). Okuzgozu grape lays a framework of luscious red fruits in the wine, with Bogazkere providing tannin and backbone. To these are added Cabernet Sauvignon for its body, Syrah for its spiciness and Merlot for its supple character.
2011 Tikves, Barovo $20
50% Vranec, 50% Kratosija
We have loved Tikves 100% Vranac for quite some time, so we’re excited to pour this unique blend from the Macedonian winemaker. The grapes were harvested from 40+ year old vines planted in volcanic soils at 600 meters elevation. The wine was aged for eight months in a mixture of new and used oak. It has rich flavors of black berry and cocoa, and cedar, as well as plenty of extract and a strong structure.
Madrona Wine Merchants offers free wine tastings featuring 4-5 selections on a theme every Saturday from 2 until the bottles run out and on Sunday we offer a mini-tasting of two wines all day from 11-5. No matter what day you stop by we always have something open to sample.
October marks three years since we started pulling corks in Madrona. Saturday we’re pulling a few more to celebrate. We’ve got a lineup of tasty deals that have come our way, several limited to stock on hand. Stop in and see what strikes your palate. We’ll be starting with the Champagne at 2pm.
Sunday — Mark will be opening two new southern French wines that just hit the shelves.
2012 Domaine de Mougin VDP L’ Aude $10 30% Syrah, 30% Merlot, 20% Carignan, 10% Grenache, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon A easy everyday drinking wine with enough going on in it so your tongue never gets bored. What Vin de Pays should always be.
2012 Domaine Roque Sestière, A L’Orée des Pins $13 60% Syrah, 40% Carignan From Corbieres, this hearty red blend show a lot of muscle for the money.
It has been three years since we opened our doors in Madrona. That calls for a bit of a celebration! So this Saturday we’re going to be pouring some Very Tasty deals that we have in stock. We like finding deals and we like sharing them with you. There are some exceptional values here, and most are limited to stock on hand. Come tip a glass with us.
Delahaie, Champagne, Brut Prestige $35 50% Pinot Noir, 50% Chardonnay The top wine from a small family Champagne house, the Delahaie has crisp and layered flavors of buttered toast, baking spices and baked apple. Was $50 now $35
2011 Domaine Ragot, Givry $20 Pinot Noir This wine comes from a total of 1.25 hectares of Pinot Noir vines that average 50 years of age, growing on clay and limestone soils. The wine is aged in oak barrels, (20% new) for 12 months. The Givry has notes of black fruits, cassis, blackberry, and raspberry along with some vanilla and spice. It is a great deal on a solid Burgundy. Was $23 now $20
2011 Guimaro Ribera Sacra $17 Mencia Ribeira Sacra’s steep terraced vineyards are some of the most picturesque and treacherous to work in the world of wine. From 40-year-old organic vines, this mencia all about immediate pleasure with pure, lush, red fruits, spices, and slate-laden minerality. Was $20 Now $17
2010 Roccafiore Prova d’Autore $20 30% Sagrantino, 30% Sangiovese 40% Montepulciano From Umbria this big reserve red is stored for two years in new barriques and left to stand for a year in bottle. It is a rich complex wine with layers of tobacco, dark smoky fruit and lingering tannins. Was $30 now $20
2010 Renwood, Gold Coast Zinfandel $25 A very complex and slightly feminine example of Zinfandel, Gold Crest offers up a nose that at first is peppery, but finishes with lingering notes of violet and ginger. Holiday spice and vibrant red fruits on the palate are followed by interesting notes of citrus, green pepper and eucalyptus with a mild tobacco leaf finish. Was $40 now $25
2010 Le Pradey, St Croix du Mont $15 90% Semillon, 10% Sauvignon Blanc This is a crazy deal on a Sauternes satellite. St Croix is just across the river from Sauternes and usually goes for less than its neighbor but to find it at this price is remarkable. Drink it regularly now or put it away and watch it get better. The Pradey has botrytised fruit with notes of pear, apricot and honey.
Orange Wines get their name from the darker, slightly orange that the white wines receive due to their contact with the coloring pigments of the grape skins. The skins contain color pigment, phenols and tannins (typically considered undesirable for white wines) that gives Orange wine its color, flavor, and texture.
The practice has a long history dating back thousands of years to the Eurasian wine producing countries of Armenia and Georgia. In recent years the practice has been adopted by Italian winemakers, while there is also production in Slovenia, Croatia, France, Germany and a bit in the New World.
Orange wines were not uncommon in Italy in the 1950s and 1960s, but gradually became obscure as technically correct and fresh white wines came to dominate the market.
Come try these terrific and uncommon wines today at 2pm.
Sunday, Mark will be pouring some more common but no less delicious wines all day from 11 to 5.
2012 Kalem’s Downs, Cabernet Sauvignon $10 The new incarnation of the popular Lorelle Cabernet. New label but still a great deal. Full dark fruit with green pepper and Jalapeno notes. Medium tannins and a smooth finish. Was $15 now $10
And we’ll be comparing it to a Cab blend from the Lanquedoc.
Showing new wines at our Saturday tastings is always a pleasurable experience, but every so often we get a chance to do something REALLY FUN!! This Saturday we’ll be showing some very special wines from two different wineries using some very old fashioned techniques with amazing results. These wines spurn the use of sulfites and other additives instead letting the grapes develop their own character and preservative qualities. Their amazing color character has earned them the nickname Orange Wines. These are totally unique wines.
The Movia estate dates back to 1700 and extends over 22 hectares of of the best vineyards in the borderland between Slovenia and Italy. Aleš Kristancic has put Movia’s wines on the map with his radically biodynamic winemaking.
2011 Quattro Mani Tokai $10 Quattro Mani’s [toh-kai] is grown in Movia’s organically farmed Exto Gredic vineyard and made in accordance with the biodynamic principles. It is a brief introduction to his wine making style. Light but complex aromas of spice, herbs and flowers lead to a body that is full and crisp at once with a bit of nutty depth.
2010 Movia Rebula $32 100% Ribolla from 66 years old vines The name Ribolla stems from “ribollire”, meaning to re-boil. The Bora wind in the littoral cooled the cellars stopping fermentation, only for the wine to then “re-boil” in the spring. Movia uses hand-picked harvesting with a short period between the picking and fermentation – 2 hours maximum — with natural yeast picked out from the same grapes harvested during pre-harvesting (5 %). Quiet fermentation is completed in wooden barriques where wine matures on its own lees without decanting. Until it is bottled no sulphur or any other conservation additive is used. Thus the wine has gone through all natural processes and becomes sound and stable naturally, ready to last lifetime. The wine has aromas of fresh fruit, spice notes and a brilliant balanced acidity.
2008 Movia lunar $47 100% Ribolla Movia’s Lunar take their winemaking to the next level The grapes are destemmed by hand and placed in new oak barrels with custom caps. Fermentation begins in the berries themselves, which gradually release the wine. After 8 months of maturing, at full moon, the wine is gravity racked into bottles, no added sulphur, no filtration, no pressing. This is as close as it gets to the wine ancient man found in nature. Nature, with a helping hand from the moon, does most of what is usually done by man. “Our most healthy and pure wine. Pure nature in your wineglass.” The wine shows unexpected complexity — notes of nectarine, anise, spice, and lemon curd conspire to make this seductive, fresh wine with plenty of character and a fine, long aftertaste.
Azienda Agricola COS was founded in Sicily by three friends who wanted to recreate the work of their ancestors. In 2007 they completed their new cellar with the old oak barrels were replaced by terracotta amphoras of 400 and 250 liters capacity , one of the largest collections in the world, and they began making their Pithos wines – “absolutely lacking in external substances.” We’ll be trying both Pithos wines.
2012 COS, Pithos Bianco Bianco $44 100% Grecanico form 22 year old vines.
Madrona Wine Merchants offers free wine tastings featuring 4-5 selections on a theme every Saturday from 2 until the bottles run out and on Sunday we offer a mini-tasting of two wines all day from 11-5. No matter what day you stop by we always have something open to sample.
This Sunday we have a special treat – we will be pouring FOUR vermouths from Woodinville’s broVo. They are Washington’s FIRST Appellation Vermouth producer. Their marketing phrase is “Lady-Made Liquors”. Mac Kenney of broVo will be answering questions from 2-4PM, but we will be pouring these four unique vermouths all day. Drop in and savor in the flavors.
broVo Pink: Rosé Vermouth $18 ABV: 19.9%, 6% sugar Wahluke Slope Rosé from Pinot Noir Orange peel, hibiscus, chamomile, anise, sage, tarragon, pink peppercorn, grains of paradise, juniper berry, rose geranium Well balanced, nuanced, sippable.
broVo Jammy: Sweet Red Vermouth $18 ABV: 19.9%, 10% Sugar Wahluke Slope Merlot The inspiration for this is a nod to Washington inspired ingredients – cherries, hibiscus, ginger, tellicherry peppers, coriander seed, orange peel, lemon peel, cacao nibs, coffee bean, vanilla bean, sweetened with agave nectar. Spicy and bold – holds up to a Rye.
Madrona Wine Merchants offers free wine tastings featuring 4-5 selections on a theme every Saturday from 2 until the bottles run out and on Sunday we offer a mini-tasting of two wines all day from 11-5.
To ensure that we can provide you with the specific wine that you are looking for, please call or email us with your request. It’s important to note that the vintage and availability of wines can vary from year to year.
2005 Leza Garcia Rioja Alta Reserva ($20)
