Located in the Northeast of Italy, in the shadow of the Alps, Veneto is best known for Amarone della Valpolicella, a classic full bodied powerful red wine from Corvina, Corvinone, Rondinella, and Molinara. From the same grapes it also produces Valpolicella and Valpolicella Ripasso. The difference is all in the winemaking. Stop by this weekend and taste through the process. But first, we start with a little Prosecco.
 
Vincenzo Toffoli, Prosecco di Conegliano-Valdobbiadene DOCG extra dry $15
100% Prosecco
Vincenzo grew up working the vineyards until 1964 when he was able to buy some of them and start making his own wines. Now most of the work has passed on to his sons. Their Prosecco is clean and fresh with a nice sparkle.
 
2009 Vaona Valpolicella, $14
40% Corvina, 30% Corvinone, 25% Rondinella, 5% Molinara
Vaona is a family farm with ten hectares of vines in Valpolicella. They have a long history of farming and tending these vines, but only recently have started making their own wine from them. Their Valpolicella is aged for 6-7 months before bottling in a blend of stainless and neutral casks. It is fresh and fruit forward with elegant notes of ripe raspberry, cherry and plum accented with hints of vanilla and clove.
 
2009 Cantina di Negrar Valpolicella Classico Superiore Ripasso Le Roselle $15
65% Corvina, 15% Corvinone, 20% Rondinella
Cantina di Negrar started as a winemaking collective in 1933 about the time that the Amarone process was developed. Their Ripasso is made similarly in the beginning to the Valpolicella and ages in stainless steel tanks until February when the skins from the pressed Amarone (it is coming) are added to it for a second fermentation. It is then repressed and ages 2 years in barrel and 6 months in the bottle before it is released. The Le Roselle has complex aromas of red fruits, spices along with a full-bodied, well balanced flavor and smooth, harmonious tannins.
 
2008 Cantina di Negrar, Amarone della Valpolicella Classico $35
70% Corvina Veronese, 15% Corvinone, 15% Rondinella
In Amarone the same grapes as a Valpolicella are dried on racks for 3 months before the wine is made. This appassimento process shrivels the grapes and concentrates sugars, color and flavor. The dried grapes are de-stemmed and crushed in early February. The maceration lasts for 30 days before the wine is pressed. The wine is then aged 18 months in barrel and a further 6 months in bottle before release. The wine is rich, concentrated and truly complex. The bouquet swirls with hints of black cherries and prunes, floral notes and sweet spice aromas. The flavors are full-bodied and rich, backed by structured, yet velvety tannins.
 
2008 Cantina di Negrar, Recioto della Valpolicella DOC Classico $24 /500ml
70% Corvina Veronese, 15% Corvinone, 15% Rondinella
The Recioto is made in the same method as Amarone except that the fermentation is stopped at 12% leaving residual sugar. The wine has an intense fruity and fragrant bouquet, with generous, sweet and with velvety tannins.

Where: Cupcake Royale
When: Thursday, Jan 26^th, 5‐7pm
What: Enjoy samples of Deathcake Royale, Stumptown Coffee and specially selected wines from Madrona Wine Merchants!

2009 Cadence, Coda $25

Red Mountain, 34% Merlot, 31% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Cabernet Franc, 10% Petit Verdot
The 2009 vintage was warm but not hot with a stunning September to finish up ripening. Coda fairly bursts with lip-smacking berry goodness. Plums, blueberries and a touch of Red Mountain spice lead the aromatic profile. The palate is juicy, fresh and just plain delightful. Tannins are definitely present at the level that begs for food with which to play. There is so much intensity and balance that it can defiantly go past the main course and into desert.

Gonzales Byass, Solera 1847 Oloroso Duce $18

75% Palomino, 25% Pedro Ximenez
This rich Spanish Sherry spent an average 8 years in the Solera. It has full concentrated flavors of sweet raisins and figs with a velvety palate and a touch of nuttiness on the finish. It can stand up to but not over power any number of deserts. And best of all you don’t have to finish the whole bottle. Due to the Solera process it keeps open for months.

This Sunday we will have a very special tasting demonstrating the varied styles of Port wine. Jennifer O’Neil will be here to discuss the differences between Ruby and Tawny, Vintage and Colheita, Late Bottled and Reserve styles. If you have always wondered what the different names of port meant, this is a tasting not to miss. If you love port already and just want to taste some really fantastic wines, you shouldn’t’ miss it either. The discussion starts at 5, and we’ll have you home in time for dinner.

We’ll be tasting:
Kopke, Special Reserve                            $11/375ml           $18/750ml*
2005 Rocha, Late Bottle Vintage             $14/375ml        $21/750ml*
2007 Rocha, Vintage                                        $30/375ml        $50/750ml*
Kopke, 10 Year Old Tawny                      $15/375ml        $25/750ml*
This Tawny would qualify as a 15 year old if that classification existed.
1988 Kopke, Colheita Tawny                     $28/375ml         $51/750ml*
24 years old, this appealing tawny delivers a rich mouthful of deep caramel backed flavors of ripe cherries, hazelnut, sweet fruit tea and orange zest with an enduring and memorable finish. 
Vintage Colheitas make excellent birth year presents.

*750ml bottles available for all these wines by special order, they will be in the following Thursday.

Buy or order any of these ports during the tasting and get 10% off the purchase.

Eric Solomon made a name for himself ferreting around the corners of Spain, finding little known wineries, emphasizing their distinct terroir and bringing them to the world’s attention.   His wines are known for good quality and good value. This Saturday we’ll have four of them open for tasting. Stop by and sip the Spanish countryside.

 
2010 Rafael Palacios, Sabrego $15
100% Godello
The organic vineyards of this Godello grow on non-irrigated terraced hillsides of the right bank of the Bibei Riverd in the Valdeorras region. Sabrego comes from granite soils known locally by that name where the vines are planted. The wine is fermented and aged in stainless steel. “White fruits, mineral, and spring flowers inform the nose of this spicy, concentrated effort. Nicely proportioned and smooth in the finish.” — WA 88pts
 
2008 Bodegas Castaño, Hécula $12
100% Monestrell
From the ancient Roman name for the region Yecla, the Hécula comes from organic and sustainably farmed vineyards or 35-60 year old vines, aged 50% in tank, and 50% in French oak barrels. “Purple-colored, it offers up a compelling nose of underbrush, pepper, and blueberry.” — WA 89 pts
 
2008 Tomàs Cusiné, Vilosell $17
Costers del Segre
43% Tempranillo, 18% Syrah, 16% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Merlot, 6% Samsó and 3% Garnatxa.
Named after its village, Vilosell is located within Costers del Segre. Their flagship blend comes off as a great balancing act of varietals. The wine has wide aromatics of red fruits, raspberries, blueberries, spices like white pepper and clove, cocoa, and noble wood. Intense and voluminous in the mouth, with sweet round tannins, and notes of matured forest, licorice, and ink. Long and persistent with a final sweet fruit explosion.
 
2006 Bodegas Izadi, Rioja Reserva $20
73%Tempranillo, 15% Graciono and 12% Granacha
Small but not small, Izadi produces its wine out of over 100 different plots of old vine vineyards averaging a hectare each. The Reserva was sourced from 60+-year-old vines and aged 14 months in American oak. “It offers up a lovely perfume of violets, spice box, incense, mineral, and blackberry. Elegant as well as structured on the palate, it has the balance to evolve for another 2-3 years and will deliver prime drinking from 2013 to 2021.”-WA 90pts 

Come Sip Some

New Northwest Wines

2-4 pm

The Washington wineries are sprouting up so fast that it is hard sometimes to keep up, but you got to try. Stop by this Saturday when we’ll be pouring some of our favorite new discoveries from the local viniculture. We’ll be featuring wines from our local South Seattle Community College’s wine making program as well as a new rich and thick Syrah from Woodinville and an excellent desert wine from Airfield Estates in Prosser. Come give them a try. We think you’ll like what we have found.

2010 Northwest Wine Academy Riesling            $12
The NW Wine academy wines are made by the Wine Technology Program is on the campus of South Seattle Community College but you’d never know it. It is a good dry concentrated Riesling that would put many local Rieslings to shame. The grapes come from Den Hoed Vineyard in Yakama Valley.

2009 Northwest Wine Academy Zinfandel            $12
This is a little leaner style of Zin compared to California cousins, but the NWA has nice spice notes as well as good clean fruit flavors. The fruit comes from Alderwood vineyard in the Horse Heaven Hills.

2009 Northwest Wine Academy Cabernet Sauvignon    $12
A blend of three vineyards — Den Hoed, Pontin, and Red Haven Vineyard (on Red Mountain) the NWA Cab Sauv comes in at a hard working price.

2009 Robert Ramsay, McKinley Springs Syrah         $25
92% Syrah, 5% Viognier, 3% Mourvedre
From his winery in Woodinville, Bob Ramsay produces this rich and deep Northern Rhone inspired Syrah. All from McKinley Springs fruit the wine has notes of anise, cherry and smoky notes wrapped in a soft blanket of French Oak.

2010 Airfield Estates Late Harvest Riesling 375ml.     $13
It’s a hit. The 2010 Runway Late Harvest Riesling was made with 50-60% botrytis infected fruit and finished with 15% residual sugar. Peaches, tropical fruits, honey, and botrytis aromas lead to a viscous, vibrant wine with superb natural acidity that frames the fruit brilliantly. This wine is all about pleasure — 92 pts Wine Advocate.

Ever since Dom Perignon started having his wine ferment again in the bottle, giving it an effervescence, people have loved it. Since then sparkling wine has spread the world over. Stop by the shop this Saturday when we will be trying a great sampling of Bubbly wine. It will be fun and festive.

Adami, Prosecco Garbèl $15
Garbèl, which in ancient local dialect means a dry, crisp, pleasantly tart wine, is produced from hilly vineyards in Veneto in the north of Italy. Garbèl’s 13 grams of residual sugar place it between Brut and Extra Dry. The ample nose releases crisp-edged, complex fruit notes, and the palate is full-flavored with a crisp acidity with scents of green apple, minerals, and glazed almond.

Gruet, Blanc de Noir $15
At 4300 ft. Gruet’s vineyards are some of the highest in the United States, so regardless of how hot the days get in New Mexico the temperature at night can drop as much as thirty degrees, cooling the fruit and slowing down the maturation process. Made from Pinot Noir, the Blanc de Noir is made using the traditional champagne method. It has a rich and toasty character with rich complex flavors. Winemaker’s Note: A fine salmon color, aggressive mousse and a lovely fruity wine with plenty of immediate charm and toasty aromas. There is also an explosive juicy flavor of raspberry.

Scharffenberger, Brut Mendicino $18
2/3 Chardonnay, 1/3 Pinot Noir
This California Brut is made with the traditional methode champenoise. The full malolactic style adds a vanilla cream character, producing a round and full-bodied wine. After approximately two years on the yeast lees, there are notes of freshly baked bread and pastry that enhance the more fruit-forward style of the wine. In bottle the wine develops caramel and hazelnut notes.

Louis Roederer Brut Premier $46
56% Pinot Noir, 34% Chardonnay and 10% Pinot Meunier
Not a small house , Lois Roederer own 450 acres of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in Montagne de Reims, Côtes des Blancs, and Valleé de la Marne. The Brut Premier spends three years ageing on its lees, plus another six months after disgorging. The wine has fine bubbles and a nose of fresh fruit and hawthorn. The smooth and complex palate minges flavors of apple and pear with red berries and notes of toast and almonds. It got 92 points from both The Wine Spectator and The Wine Advocate.