We look all over to find delicious wines. This Saturday’s tasting is a prime example.  We’ll be tasting wines from Italy, France, Spain and Columbia Valley.  They come in different colors and styles but somehow together they all fit.  Come find the common denominator.

2013 Casale del Giglio, Satrico  $13
34% Chardonnay, 33% Sauvignon, 33% Trebbiano
From a 100-year-old winery in Lazio comes this uncommon blend of international and local varieties that really works.  Fruity, lightly aromatic with mineral aromas which are confirmed on the palate along with a pleasing crispness and a lengthy finish.

2014 Dupeuble Beaujolais Rose  $15
Gamay Noir
Domaine Dupeuble has been running almost continuously since 1512. The wine according to how Google translates their web site has “Dress salmon with raspberry nuances with many tears.  A fruity nose spawning and reveals aromas of gooseberry and white flowers.  Bouches fresh, drinkable, light and round.”

2009 Torre Oria, Reserva $9
70% Tempranillo, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon
This 100 year old winery in Valencia Spain kicks out some good juice for a very low price.  The wine has aromas of wild fruits with spicy notes and a vanilla background from its time in oak. The palate it is full-bodied with long persistent notes of forest fruits that are accompanied by sweet tannin ripeness that is well integrated into the structure of the wine with a long and pleasing finish.

2012 Matteo Correggia, Roero Nebbiolo.  $17
Matteo Correggia’s one hundred percent Nebbiolo Roero DOC comes from a single vineyard in Canale d’Alba. The Nebbiolo is aged for 12 months in neutral barrique and then eight months in steel vats.  It is very pure, clean, expressive and loaded with varietal cherry fruit, spice and fine tannins.

2013 Owen Roe, Abbots Table $20
41% Zinfandel, 34% Sangiovese, 11% Malbec, 9% Blaufränkisch, 5% Merlot
Reminiscent of the bold Abbot’s Table blends of past vintages, this 2013 bottling is rich and structured. Sweet aromas of baked blueberries, pomegranate, violets, pencil shaving, clove, pepper and Grand Marnier. These sweet aromas give way to a more serious palate brimming with blueberry, white pepper and black tea with lasting tannins.

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.

This Sunday we have two wines from Château Teulon. How can that happen? Cross-border trading. Phillipe Teulon continues the family tradition, as the seventh generation steward of this estate, founded in 1696, in Saint Gilles. The hallmarks are zesty whites, and profound rose’.

2013 Château Teulon Costièrs de Nîmes $10
Roussanne
Mango, creamed pineapple and Cassava melon. Exuberant and perfumed, with notes of marmalade, buttered citrus and orange rind. 13% alcohol by volume. Organic

2014 Château Teulon Nimes Rosé $10
85% Syrah, 15% Grenache
Rich, mouth-filling, medium-bodied, and broad. It speaks of woodland strawberries, but also of garrigue, rosemary and thyme.

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.

It is a toasty Sea Fair weekend in Madrona with planes booming overhead and fast boats doing circles on the water.  The boats have arrived at the wine shop as well.

Saturday we are tasting new wines from Corsica and the Loire.  The container just got unpacked this week with three new wines from Domaine de Granajolo..  The wines from this new Corsican winery are all bio dynamic, organic and delicious.  We’ll also be tasting a new Pinot from the Loire and the ever popular Curot Sancerre.  That’s the kind of spectacle we like.

Sunday we are pouring two wines from Château Teulon.  An organic estate in Nimes.  The white and rosé are perfect for the sunny weather.

2013 Château Teulon, Costièrs de Nîmes Blanc  $10
Roussanne
Mango, creamed pineapple and Cassava melon. Exuberant and perfumed, with notes of marmalade, buttered citrus and orange rind.

2014 Château Teulon, Costièrs de Nimes Rosé  $10
85% Syrah, 15% Grenache
Rich, mouth-filling, medium-bodied, and broad. It speaks of woodland strawberries, but also of garrigue, rosemary and thyme.

Come stock up for your Sea Fair activities.

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.

Sometimes it is just too hard to wait.  Usually when a new wine arrives we like to give it a few weeks to settle down and then try it and then see if we want to put it in our Saturday tastings.  But we are so excited about a new arrival of a Corsican producer that we couldn’t wait.  These wines are just off the boat and we are braving bottle shock to pour them right away.  The Corsican wines come from Domaine de Granajolo a 20 hectares estate of organically farmed vines tended by Gwenaele Boucher.  Their vineyards are found on the stark granite hillsides lying around Sainte Lucie de Porto-Vecchio in the southeastern corner of the island These wine-lands are mostly planted with local varieties Niellucciu (related to Sangiovese), Sciaccarellu and Vermentinu (aka Vermentino or Rolle). Like many simple grape growers in their time, Gwenaele’s parents were members of a co-op, followed by an interim stint where someone else made the wines; and it wasn’t until after she took over the estate in 2003 that they built their own cellar.  We are excited to try the new vintage (the notes are from the last vintage).  We’ll also be showing two new wines from the Loire.  Come and join us.

2014 Domaine de Granajolo, Corse Porto-Vecchio Blanc $15
Vermentino
The Corsican white shows juicy banana-scented fruit, a concentrated & crisp palate with aromatic fruit and a rounded texture.

2014 Domaine Curot, Sancerre Blanc  $21
Sauvignon Blanc
This 23 acre family estate started in 1860.  150 years later they are still making classic Sancerre and a great price.  The Curot is crisp and complex with gooseberry fruit and a good mineral backbone surrounded by crisp dry notes of salt and a limey finish.

2014 Domaine de Granajolo, Corse Porto-Vecchio Rosé$14
Sciaccarellu
This indiginious rosé has lovely juicy fruit and mouth-feel with elegant touches.  It is a tasty quaffing rosé yet serious enough to go with a variety of foods.

2014 Domaine de la Rablais, Val du Loire Pinot Noir $13
Domaine de la Rablais is located in Touraine, not far away from the Sancerre region of France.  This VDP Pinot comes in at half the price of Sancerre rouge, so we are excited to try it.

2013 Domaine de Granajolo, Corse Porto-Vecchio Rouge $16
Niellucciu
Granajolo’s red shops great contrasts of delicious licorice & savory notes, very ripe with ‘tar’ like tones too with  wild herb edges It is an enticing sweet/savory combo to finish.

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.

Georgia On My Mind –but not that one down south. These two whites are from the country of Georgia where they have been making wine since 7,000 BC. Come see history in action.

Marani Mtsvane    ($10)
From Kakheti in Georgia, this dry white is made from Mtsvane, a grape that has very floral notes and flavors of tropical fruits, green apple, lingering to the crisp and zesty finish.
12.5% alcohol by volume

Marani Rkatsiteli    ($10)
From Georgia, this old grape dates back to at least 3000 BC. The wine is dry with light floral notes and flavors of white peach, honeysuckle.
12% alcohol by volume

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.

We get a break from the heat this weekend in Madrona, and we are tasting some cool wines to go with the cool weather.

Saturday we have a great line up of French wines from Bordeaux, Champagne, and Provence.  They are all solid values and a few have been pre-cellared for us.  It’s a chance to taste some wines with some age on them without putting them down yourself.  You don’t want to miss the 2007 La Fleur Milon from Pauillac, a quality Bordeaux at a great price.  We’ll be popping the cork on the Champagne at 2pm.

Sunday we’ll be pouring two white wines for Marani a winery in the Republic of Georgia where wine making has gone on since 7000 BC. 

Marani, Rkatsiteli $10
From Georgia, this old grape dates back to at least 3000 BC.  The wine is dry with light floral notes and flavors of white peach, honeysuckle.

Marani, Mtsvane $10
From Kakheti in Georgia, this dry white is made from Mtsvane, a grape that has very floral notes and flavors of tropical fruits, green apple,  lingering to the crisp and zesty finish.

It doesn’t get any cooler than that.

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.

Value is hard to pin down.  It isn’t the cheapest price, but more of what you get for your money.  Across the board, France offers great value to wine drinkers.  Our shelves are packed with it.  This Saturday we’ve assembled some especially great values for tasting.  Some are on “Special” and some special for what they are.  It’s quality all around.  The bubbles start at two.
 
Alain Bailly, Grande Reserve Brut  $30
60% Pinot Miunier, 25% Pinot Noir, 15% Chardonnay
Alain Bailly is a small producer from the Montaigne de Reims district of Champagne.  Sixth generation growers, Bailly’s estate consists of 12 hectares composed of eighty vineyard plots. The Grande Reserve has pleasant notes of limey zest, toasty vanilla and fresh baguette, along with subtle tropical fruit and a touch of apricot on the palate, and a fine mousse.  It is a solid Grower Champagne with an entry level price.
 
2013 Chateau De Brigue, Provence Rosé  $10
40% Grenache, 40% Syrah, 10% Cinsault
What difference does a year makes?  In rosé it is often only in price.  The De Brique is a great deal on a Provence Rosé with a classic lemon, pear, grapefruit and mineral combination of aromas and flavors.  Was $13 now $10
 
2006 La Garde, Pessac Léognan  $14
Sauvignon Blanc & Sauvignon Gris
From a small gravely vineyard, planted 50% to Sauvignon Blanc and 50% to Sauvignon Gris Show how well Bordeaux blanc can age.  It still has its fruity notes of grapefruit, and tangerine but has developed some nutty flavors as well and a very supple mouthfeel.  It is truly fun to have an older white Bordeaux this old to pour.  We are pleased with its development.  The wine is on glass pour at Purple and other restaurants but why bother when you can try it here on Saturday.  Was $27 now $14
 
2006 Château Gigault,  Côtes de Blaye,Cuvee Viva  $12
85% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon
A great value Bordeaux, the Cuvee Viva is lush, seductive, ripe, dark and full-bodied – scented with black olive and dried herbs, notes of coffee and cacao; silky soft with an iron and mineral finish. We’ve been selling the 2007 for a while, but his Saturday we get to turn the clock back another year.  Was $25 now $12
 
2007 La Fleur Milon, Pauillac  $28
65% Cabernet, 25 % Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot & Cabernet Franc
La Fleur Milon is one of the Rothschild properties.  It is a Fifth Growth Estate and the 2007 is drinking well right now with red fruit aromas along with some more spicy notes. Well-structured on the palate, it builds on nicely balanced tannins, revealing licorice, coffee and blackcurrant flavors. 

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.

The same grape can express itself in very different fashions. This Sunday we’re going to be pouring two wines made primarily from Pinot Noir. One a Burgundian rosé sparkling wine and the other Willamette Valley red. Come see if can find the similarities.

Veuve Ambal Cuvée Rosé Brut $12
Pinot Noir, Gamay
This sparkling rosé comes from grapes inside and outside of Burgundy. The inside gives it a bit of class, and the outside gets us a better price. It is a good fun everyday bottle of bubbles. 11.5% alcohol by volume

2011 Freja, Willamette Valley Pinot Noir $17
A Oregon Pinot form a lighter vintage, The Freja has blueberry and wet stone aromas on the nose with just a hint of oak. It displays wild strawberry and pomegranate on the palate with a slightly tannic 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.

It is another GORGEOUS weekend in Madrona and we are going to kick back and enjoy it.  For us kicking back always includes sipping some interesting wines and this weekend we have a lineup of goodies.

Saturday we’ll be tasting some Summery wines from Italy, all fresh and lively and perfectly suited to our nice weather. We have a Falanghina, a Dry Moscato, a Verdicchio for the whites and an Aleatico and a very rare Susumaniello for reds starting at 2pm.

Sunday we are pairing two Pinots, one a Burgundian Rosé and the other Willamette Valley red.  Come compare and contrast.

Veuve Ambal Cuvée Rosé Brut $12
Pinot Noir, Gamay
This sparkling rosé comes from grapes inside and outside of Burgundy.   The inside gives it a bit of class, and the outside gets us a better price.  It is a good fun everyday bottle of bubbles.

2011 Freja, Willamette Valley Pinot Noir  $17
A Oregon Pinot form a lighter vintage, The Freja has blueberry and wet stone aromas on the nose with just a hint of oak.  It displays wild strawberry and pomegranate on the palate with a slightly tannic finish.

That is all day or at least until the bubbles go flat.  Stroll on in and join us.

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.

A good wine is greater than the sum of its parts.  The enjoyment in drinking it adds up to more than its notes and flavors.  Let’s call them Summary Wines.  This Saturday we’re pouring five wines from Italy that exceed their addition.  They are all fresh and lively and jump from the glass.  They also just happen to be perfectly suited to our nice weather.  So they are both Summary and Summery.  Come join us and do the math.
 
2014 Vini Iovine, Falanghina Pompeliano  $12
The Iovine family owns vineyards in the Penisola Sorrentina, Irpinia and Benevento areas of Campania . Their snappy and bright Falanghina spends some time in barrel giving it an added texture.  The wine has aromas of citrus, tangerine skin, green melon and peach backed by just a shy touch of vanilla and bitter almond.
 
2013 Pupillo, Cyane, Dry Moscato $16
This ancient Sicilian estate dates back to the 12th century and has been in the Pupillo family for four generations.  The “Cyane” is their bone dry version of a grape often used for sweet wines.  The Sicilian sun ripens these grapes quickly and they are picked as early as the first week of August in order to maintain their acidity.  The wine is full of lemon curd, lime zest, minerals, crab apples, white flowers and orange pith greet the nose and the palate.
 
2013 Bisci, Verdicchio di Matelica  $16
From the Marche, Bisci practices organic agriculture, but is not certified organic. The vineyards of Verdicchio di Matelica were totally replanted starting from the seventies and are located at an altitude of 300-350 mts on sea level with southern exposure. The alternation of sunny days and of fresh and dry nights gives the grapes character and an extremely fine fragrance with aromas of white flowers, and green apple.  The flavor is intense, quite warm, and well balanced, with a slightly bitter ending.  “Verdicchio is one of the joys of Italian oenology that rarely gets the respect it deserves, and few producers do it better than Bisci.” – The Wine Advocate

2013 Tenuta Rubino, Oltremè  $14 
Susumaniello
Found only in  Salento in Puglia Sisumaniello is an ancient grape variety that is regaining its popularity.  This unique wine has fragrantly fresh notes of red fruit: cherries, pomegranate, raspberries and mature plums. Sapid, mineral and round, with pleasantly soft tannins.  A balanced and velvety wine, with an elegant and persistent texture; its harmony, persistence and elegance are truly enchanting. Its varietal notes stand out clearly.
 
2012 Villa Ligi, Grifogletto $22
Aleatico
From the Marche, Grifogletto is made from Aleatico, a distinct red grape that was introduced to the area in 1234.   The grapes come from a single vineyard of 50 years old vines. The wine has an expressive nose of rose blossoms, wild strawberries and raspberries; on the palate it leaves a dry and fresh sensation with mild tannins, round and distinct character. “Grifoglietto” is traditionally served with prosciutto and cold meat or dishes with white meat, truffles or mushrooms and with fish soups. It is a perfect match with the local “Lumache in Porchetta”, a spicy marine snail stew.

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.