France has always made great food wines, so it is natural when we come up to the holiday that is centered around food that some French wines leap to mind. This Saturday we’ll be tasting a few that match a wide range of Thanksgiving treats.  Come try these great food wines and find something to put on the table come Turkey day.

2011 Clos de Nouys, Vouvray, demi-sec  $14
Chenin Blanc
Clos de Nouys is a 25 acre estate in Vouvray in the Loire Valley with 35 years old vines.  The wine has aromas of white flowers and quince, with a full mouthfeel, crisp structure and an aromatic finish.  Its balancing act between fresh acidity and rich flavor is lipsmacking.

2012 Marion Pral Beaujolais Rouge $13
Gamay Noir
Pral is a 50 acre family run, organic estate, located in the heart of Beaujolais. The Rouge is loaded with sweetly-ripe blackberry and peach fruit, its tang and brightness of tart fruit skin and saline mineral notes give this insistency on the palate.  Its vibrancy can wash down even the lumpiest gravy.

2011 Le Hospices, Sancerre Rouge $20
Pinot Noir
Sancerre is known for its Sauvignon Blanc, but the region also grows some fine Pinot Noir as well.  The Hospices is a light bodied, aromatic wine with cherry and berry flavors, fresh acidity and a round finish.  It cuts through the stuffing without stuffing you.

2010 Clos Cristal $22
Cabernet Franc 
Clos Cristal is 10 hectares biodynamical farmed vineyards which contain 2 miles of walls along which, and through which, the Cab Franc vines grow. Close to the walls, the vine takes advantage of the heat accumulated by the stone, which enables a greater ripeness. The Cristal is a concentrated and expressive wine with dark, black fruit aromas held in a firmly tannic grip. It is big enough to slap any menu around, but elegant enough to complement the food while doing it.

2009 Antonine Moueix, Fleur Renaissance Sauternes $33 full bottle  $16 half bottle
70% Semillon, 30% Sauvignon Blanc
During harvest the fog from the Garonne River covers the fields causing the grapes to develop the noble rot, botrytis, which concentrates the sugars and gives the wine its distinct flavors.  The grapes for the Renaissance are hand-picked in five passes selecting for optimal ripeness.  The wine is full and complex fruit flavors of apricot, peach, pear and honey along with a signature botrytis note. The perfect finish for any meal.

Reininger Winery started in the Walla Walla in 1997, crafting elegant and classically structured red wines from hand-harvested, select grapes. Sixteen years later, winemaker Chuck Reiniger will be here this Saturday pouring his wines and talking about their creation.  He’ll be pouring some Helix wines which source fruit from the larger Columbia Valley, allowing for better price and availability, and the core Reinigner wines from Walla Walla which have a more limited production.  Come meet him and try his great wines.

2011 Helix Chardonnay $15
From Stillwater Creek vineyard this unoaked Chardonnay has wonderful acid and a crisp, beautiful sparkle thanks to the stainless steel fermentation. It features Granny Smith apple sweet-tartness and a mellow draw on the finish with fresh pineapple and subtle orange flower. 

2007 Helix Sangiovese $16
Also from Stillwater, this Sangiovese was aged in older neutral barrels giving it the benefits of barrel aging without the oaky flavors. Lively acidity is a hallmark of Sangiovese and this wine has it. Fruit expressions of concentrated sour cherry, plum and pomegranate become accentuated as the wine opens up. The palate finishes with lingering cherry notes and a hug from a medium tannin structure.

2009 Reininger Syrah $31
From Pepper Bridge & Seven Hills Vineyards, the Syrah is aged in older French barrels. The wine has aromas of soy sauce, sesame oil, plum sauce, blueberry pie and lavender!  The palate is silky smooth, medium bodied, with flavors of blueberry, black pepper, cumin, orange peel.

2010 Reininger Cabernet Sauvignon Walla Walla $31
92% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Petit Verdot
From Pepper Bridge & Seven Hills Vineyards the Cab is aged in 84% French & 16% Russian barrels, 52% of which are new. 2010 was a cooler vintage in the Walla Walla Valley providing elegant wines. There are beautiful aromas of black cherry, loam soils and cedar. A medium to full bodied palate accompanies playful acidity and gentle tannins that possess a very soft grip of bright dark cherry, followed with blackberry, sage, a hint of pencil and chocolate mousse.

2009 Reininger Carmenere Seven Hills Vineyard $33
Aged in French Oak, 76% of which is new, the Carmenere from Seven Hills is gaining elegance with every passing vintage. The nose presents a wonderful white pepper that transforms to peppercorn, or sometimes chili pepper, on the palate that beautifully contrasts with its very soft tannins. Almond aromatics evolve to an elegant flavor of candy cherry, pomegranate and plum swirled in a hint of mocha and wood spice.

It isn’t hard to find cheap Bordeaux, but finding inexpensive ones that taste like the real thing takes a bit of work. This Sunday we’ll have two new arrivals open for tasting that fit the bill.

2011 Camelot la Chapelle Bordeaux        ($10)
65% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cabernet Franc
A young and fresh Bordeaux with leather and mineral aromas and more cassis flavors than you expect for the money.

2007 Chateau Marsau Côtes de Francs   ($11)
Merlot
The 2007 vintage of Marsau is not a ripe as the 2005, but the structure is still there and the fruit is tasty if not massive.  Unbelievable at this price.

This Saturday we are pouring a flight of delicious wine from the north of Italy (ok, we’ll dip down to Tuscany, but let’s not get picky).  These wines are good for drinking anytime, but it just so happens that they are all great pairings for the Thanksgiving meal.  Forget what the pilgrims drank, match up some of these great wines with your good food. 

2012 Cantina Sassarini, Cinque Terre  $20
60%Bosco withAlbarola and Vermentino
Cinque Terre (Five Lands) sits on the northwest coast of Italy with steep mountains covered by bands of vineyards that slope down towards the sea in the Province of La Spezia. To cultivate every 2.5 acres of vines on these dangerous slopes takes about 3,000 working days, but it is worth it.  This distinctive white is dry, with notes of salt, a full fruity mid body and lingering aromatics.   It will beat out the Chardonnay on T day.

2012 Tenuta Col Sandago, Wildbacher Brut Rose  $20
Tenuta ColSandago, nestled among the hills of the Conegliano Valdobbiadene DOCG, in Veneto, is the only vineyard in Italy to grow Wildbacher (wild stream), an Austrian grape that makes great rosé.  The Brut Rosé is an elegant, pale pink sparkling wine with a delicate floral nose, notes of strawberry and raspberry, a fine creamy mousse and refreshing finish. Excellent with the big bird.

2012 Campodelsole, Durano, Sangiovese di Romagna  $10
Campodelsole (field of sun) in Emilia Romagna sits on a hill with the mountains behind and the sea in front.  The area has been farmed and inhabited since before the Roman times. Replanting in the vineyard requires workers to stop numerous times to pick Roman pottery and amphoras out of the field.  The Durano is the winery’s young and fresh Sangiovese, full of fruit and a perfect quaffing wine for an Autumnal banquet.

2011 Terre di Gioia,Marzemino  $15
Marzemino Gentile is an indigenous grape in Trentino in the Alto Adige. Mozart mentions the wine in Don Giovanni.  The Marzemino has medium body, a dark ruby almost purple color but with a delicate and unmistakable nose of violets. The taste is fragrant of wild cherries and bilberries.  The wine is a perfect referee for the cranberry/stuffing smackdown.

2009 Canneto, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano  $23
Canneto’s estate vineyard is 20hectares of vines in the heart of Tuscany with 15 hectares enrolled for their Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, but only the best make the cut.  The wine is aged in a mix of Slavonia oak casks and French oak tonneaux for two years before release. The Nobile is a delicious Sangiovese, combining structure and dry-extract with a fruit forward, and a hedonistic, finely balanced mouthfeel.  Great with gravy.

This Sunday we will be tasting interesting and very different Vermouths – these are not your Mother’s Vermouths. Spain, France, Italy and the United States will be represented. Come learn that you might actually like Vermouth as an aperitif or as a mixer in your favorite cocktail.

Vermouth is a fortified wine, flavored with aromatic herbs and spices (“aromatized” in the trade) such as cardamom, cinnamon, marjoram and chamomile. Some vermouth is sweetened; unsweetened, or “dry” vermouth tends to be bitter. The person credited with inventing the vermouth recipe, Antonio Benedetto Carpano from Turin, Italy, chose to name his concoction “vermouth” in 1786 because he was inspired by a German wine flavored with wormwood, a herb most famously used in distilling absinthe. The modern German word Wermut (Wermuth in the spelling of Carpano’s time) means both wormwood and vermouth. The herbs in vermouth were originally used to mask raw flavors of cheaper wines, imparting a slightly medicinal “tonic” flavor.

Foro Extra Dry Vermouth                                    ($16)
A intriguing dry Vermouth with more citrusy components than most. Creamy enough to drink as an aperitif as well as adding to cocktails. Organic to boot. 1 liter

Perucchi White Vermouth                                    ($20)
A wildly flavorful white vermouth from Spain that is more suited for an aperitif than a Martini, but would be fun to play with in cocktails. Floral notes, so forget the Gin — Vodka is the ticket, with a twist of lemon or as a summer spritzer with mineral water and a twist. 1 liter

Dolan Vermouth Rouge de Chambery                                ($15)
Made of fine wines and botanicals found in the Alpine meadows above Chambery. The particular mixture of plants found near Chambéry give a fresh, restrained and elegant nose, with a subtle, complex bittersweet palate.

Quady Vya                                                ($15)
Sweet Vermouth
California
The perfect sweet vermouth to pair with that truly fine bourbon for a stunning Manhattan. 375ml

Carpano Antica Formula Vermouth                                 ($16)
Antica Formula is a red vermouth made from an original recipe by Antonio Benedetto Carpano, the man credited with creating modern vermouth in Turin in 1786. Inspired by a German aromatised wine and was a fan of German poetry. As a result, he named his new product after the German word for wormwood, wermut, which was frequently used to flavor wine at the time. Antica Formula is richer and more complex than most red vermouths and will make an excellent Bronx, Manhattan or Negroni. 375ml

Perucchi Gran Reserva Vermouth                                ($20)
A red Vermouth from Spain that comes from a solera. Would work for a Manhattan, but you might want to just drink it straight. Think Christmas spice — cardamon, all spice, mace. 1 liter

This Saturday we are featuring wines from Roussillon and the Rhône Where Grenache and Syrah reign supported by an interesting court of Mourvèdre, Carignan and Cinsault.  It’s a royal combination.  Come tour the Villages.

2012 Chapoutier, Bila Haut, Côtes de Roussillon Blanc   $15
Grenache Blanc, Grenache Gris and Macabeu.
Michael Chapoutier is best known for his Rhône wine, but his second estate in Roussillon makes some distinct, well-crafted wine.  And of course if you know Braille you can read the label by touch.  The Blanc has aromas of lemon and grapefruit with smoky notes.  The palate is round, with good acidity and a fresh finish mixed with salty notes, which express the minerality of the wine.

2008 Château de Jau, Côtes de Roussillon Villages$12
52% Syrah, 30% Mourvèdre, 10% Carignan, 8% Grenache
The Dauré family has been making wine in Roussillonsince 1792.   Château de Jau is located in the southernmost foothills of the Roussillon slopes of the Corbières Mountains in French Catalonia.  The Côtes du Roussillon Villages Rouge has “arômes de garrigue, d’épicesorientales et de fruits rouges bienmûrs.”  It’s a full and supple Syrah dominate blend.

2011 Domaine des Escaravailles, Les Sablieres Côtes du Rhône $15
70% Greanche, 20% Syrah, 10% Carignan
In 1953, Jean-Louis Ferran purchased several well-situated hillside parcels above the southern Rhône villages of Rasteau, Roaix and Cairanne. He dubbed his new domaine “Escaravailles,” the Occitan word for beetles (scarabs). This was a nickname for the black-robed monks of the area’s hill-perched Catholic monasteries in centuries past. The monks knew what they were doing and so does Jean-Louis’ grandson who now runs the winery.  The Les Sablieres is a smooth and silky Rhône red. Full bodied and rounded out.

2009 Château Val-joanis Syrah Tradition.  $13
90% Syrah, 10% Grenache
Châteaux Val-joanis is located in Luberon in the shouthern Rhone.  They turn the balance of Syrah and Grenache upside down with their Syrah heavy Tradition.  It is well structured and balanced with spice notes and supple black and red berry fruit.

2011 Domaine des Escaravailles, Les Côteaux Rasteau  $20
80% Grenache, 20% Syrah
Rasteau was elevated from Village to Cru status in 2010.  The grapes that used to go into Escaravailles CDR Villages now are bottles as Cru Rasteau.  These are 50 to 60 year old vines on hillside slopes, all vinified in cement tanks.  The wine is full, rich and powerful.

We’ve been open in Madrona for TWO YEARS now.  Boy, the time has gone fast.  To celebrate we’re going to open a few special bottles this Saturday.  We’ll also have a wine trivia quiz with swag prizes while they last.  What wines are we pouring you ask?  Well if we told you it wouldn’t be a surprise now would it.  Stop by and find out.
Sunday we’ll have a couple of new to the shop Italian wines open to taste.

2008 I Sassi Aglianico del Vulture        $12

2012 Campodelsole Durano                  $10

This Sunday we’ll be pouring bargain bubbles and a new rich red.  Stop in.

Varichon & Clerc Privilège Blanc de Blanc    ($9)
Made from a mixture of Chardonnay, Chenin, Ugni Blanc and Colombard grapes in the méthode traditionnelle, this brut blanc de blancs has aromas of buttered toast and pears .While the wine is good the lables ae messed up.

Was $14 now $9

12% alcohol by volume

2011 La Celestiere VDP Vaucluse    ($12)
Grenache, Cinsault, Syrah and Alicante.
Blended from over 50-years-old vines on clay/lime stone soil, the surface is peppered with pebbles. Manual harvest . Raised 100% in concrete tanks. A full dark Rhone style wine from a CNDP maker.