We never seem to have enough time in Summer, at least not enough time to show off the great rosés that come pouring into the shop.  So we’ve set this Saturday aside to pour five of our favorites.  We’ll be pouring two from Italy and three from France.  Each is distinctly unique and has a varied character, so if you think that all rosés taste the same it is time to discover the difference.  Also with Bastille Day quickly approaching on July 14th, you just might want to stock up.
 
2013 Cavicchioli,  Vigna del Cristo, Lambrusco di Sorbara.  $16
This 100% Lambrusco di Sorbara is sourced born from a 12.5 acre vineyard in the “Cristo”.  Sorbara is a naturally low yielding grape variety that makes a much lighter wine than it more common darker siblings.  The wine has crushed violet and ripe raspberry aromas, and a creamy, frothy palate with bright sour cherry, wild strawberry, nectarine, and cake spice flavors.
 
2014 Tenuta Sant Antonio, Scaia Rosato  $12
Rondinella
Rondinella is from Veneto and is one of the grapes used in Amarone, the wine that Tenuta Sant Antonio is best known for.  But they have also come up with this beautiful rosé is packed with citrus notes, orange peel and honeysuckle.  It is lively and delicious.
 
2014 Commanderie de la Bargemone, Coteaux d’Aix en Provence  $15
30% Syrah, 30% Grenache, 15% Cinsault, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon
Provence is capital of rosé and Bargemone is one of its most consistent purveyors.  This classic rosé has aromas of wild strawberries and red currants, with a light, floral character and a crisp, bone-dry palate with a complex long finish.
 
2014 Domaine De la Fouquette, Rosée d’Aurore   $18
65% Greanche, 30% Cinsault, 5% Rolle
Domaine De la Fouquette is a family run farm in the Massif des Maures hills of Provence.  They produce this full bodied, organic rosé with fruity and intense aromas followed by flavors of mandarin orange, and with red and black berries that develop in the mouth.
 
2014 Domaine André Neveu, Sancerre Rosé  $25
Pinot Noir
André Neveu is one of our favorite Sancere blanc producers.  Valérie (André Neveu’s daughter), and her husband Thomas, now run the domaine that extends to about 13 hectares of vines of AOC Sancerre red, white and rosé. They harvest, and vinify everything themselves.  Their elegant Pinot Noir rosé fills the mouth with layered strawberry and floral notes & a long 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’s been hot for WEEKS – time to sit on the back deck and relax the weekend away, for tomorrow it will be Monday and back to the salt mines. These two “porch pounders” are perfect for a sunny afternoon in the shade. Come taste.

Las Lilas Vinho Verde    ($9)
Louriero and Treixadura
More than just a pretty label, the Las Lilas has good intensity, white fruits with floral notes. Elegant and fresh. 10% alcohol by volume

2012 Casa Santos Lima Confidencial Tinto    ($9)
A steal of a little Portuguese red that delivers a lot for a little. Nice delicate scents of berries, with underlying tobacco, well integrated acidity with a palate of berries, with a soft 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 a toasty 4th of July weekend in Madrona.  And at Madrona Wine we are OPEN and running the air conditioner all weekend to keep the wine cosy.  We’ll also be tasting some delicious wines to keep ourselves cosy.

Saturday, we have a line up of wines that you may want to take along to the day’s festivities.  And seeing how it is a holiday, we’ll be opening them early.  We’ll be pouring a Northern Italian Sauvignon that bursts with flavor, a crisp Provence Rosé that comes in a booming magnum, a Spanish Mencia that will make your tongue sparkle, a beautiful Burgundy that will bring out the ooohs and aaaahs, and a smooth Zweigelt to brighten a dark night.  All are ready for that Saturday barbeque and go well with chips and hot dogs. 

Sunday is more laid back and we’ll be tasting two Portuguese Porch Pounders meant for summer sipping.

Las Lilas Vinho Verde    $9
Louriero and Treixadura
More than just a pretty label, the Las Lilas has good intensity, white fruits with floral notes. Elegant and fresh.

2012 Casa Santos Lima Confidencial Tinto  $9
A steal of a little Portuguese red that delivers a lot for a little. Nice delicate scents of berries, with underlying tobacco, well integrated acidity with a palate of berries, with a soft finish.

Take a break from the heat and give them a try.

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.

Saturday is the 4th!  And we have lined up a firecracker of a tasting to light things up.  We have a Northern Italian Sauvignon that bursts with flavor, a crisp Provence Rosé that comes in a booming magnum, a Spanish Mencia that will make your tongue sparkle, a beautiful Burgundy that will bring out the ooohs and aaaahs, and a smooth Zweigelt to brighten a dark night.  All the wines are great summer sippers, ready for that Saturday barbeque.  All go well with chips and hot dogs.  Come by and give them a try.
 
2011 Primosic Sauvignon  $12
A crisp Northern Italian white with notes of white peach with hints of elder flower, licorice brittle, Mediterranean herbs and yellow peppers.  Was $15 now $12
 
2013 Château Routas Provence Rosé  $20 — 1.5 liters
45% Cinsault, 35% Grenache, 20% Syrah
A big bottle of great rosé with mint aromas, bright red fruit, and watermelon rind.
 
2010 Felsner, Zweigelt  $14
A single vineyard hand harvested Austrian Red –plum & berry fruit with a plush silkiness.  Was $18 now $14

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 organically grown vines, this wine is all about immediate pleasure with pure, lush, red fruits, spices, and slate-laden mineriality.  Was $20 Now $17

2011 Olivier Merlin, Bourgogne Rouge, Les Cras  $25
Pinot Noir
More than a typical entry red Burgundy, the Les Cras had a full richness & evokes red-fruit, well-ripened cherries, and supple tannins perfect for that barbequed salmon.  The wine is drinking well now but will improve with aging if you can manage to lay some down. Organic.

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 Languedoc AOC of France is a treasure trove of delicious value. Join us on Sunday as we pour three examples from the region and show off the area’s charm.

2014 Bertrand Picpoul de Pinet    ($10)
The crisp white of southern Fance, lots of citrus, peach and lipsmacking acidity. 12.5% alcohol by volume

2011 Domaine de Venes Minervois    ($12)
80% Syrah, 20% Cinsault
Lot of dark plum, smoke and garrique float off this juicy Southern French red. Organic

2013 Château Rivière Minervois Rosé    ($12)
Syrah, Grenache
A tasty little rosé with aromas of strawberry and raspberry and flavors of red currant & cherry. 13% 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.

It is a toasty weekend in Madrona with highs in the upper 80’s, very strange weather for us cloud accustomed Seattlites.  But don’t sweat it, we have several wines to help keep you cool.  We’ll also have the Air Conditioner running to keep the wine cosy.

Saturday at 2pm we’ll be pouring wins from our local neighbors Locus Wines.  There is a chilly Semillon and a crisp Rosé to help fend off the weather as well as a couple of reds to go with the barbeque.

Sunday, we continue with part two of L’Aventure Languedoc, a special Sunday Sipper featuring three Languedoc wines.

2014 Bertrand Picpoul de Pinet    $10
The crisp white of southern France, lots of citrus, peach and lipsmacking acidity.

2013 Château Rivière Minervois Rosé   $12
Syrah, Grenache
A tasty little rosé with aromas of strawberry and raspberry and flavors of red currant & cherry.

2011 Domaine de Venes Minervois   $12
80% Syrah, 20% Cinsault
Lot of dark plum, smoke and garrique float off this juicy Southern French red. Organic

Come and chill out.

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.

locus noun, [loh-kuhs]. 1. a place; locality. 2. a center or source, of activities or power.
 
locus wines: Producing wines from varietals that best showcase their native climate and soil & the newest winery in Madrona.
 
Locus is run by Rich Burton & Ton Yazici, two Madrona residents (their tasting room in an unmarked garage on Madrona Drive.)  Together they search out distinctive fruit from both touted and obscure vineyards in Eastern Washington.  While they are still new at the business, the results are more than promising.  Come try their new releases this Saturday. 
 
2014 Locus, Dineen Vineyard Sémillon  $15
A single vineyard Semillon with full and lush fruit with a suede texture and notes of nutmeg and citrus. This year’s release has a smokiness that hangs around at the finish of the wine. 

2014 Locus, Rosé  $15
35% Mourvedre, 33% Cinsault, 32% Grenache
A very delicate dry rose that pulls off a balancing act between the classic Provence varietals.  Nice floating notes of lemon peel, rose petals, tangerine and rhubarb.

2013 Locus, Yakima Valley Rhone Blend Red $23
68% Syrah, 32% Grenache
A Rhone style blend with a big garrigue bouquet of sage & lavender and deep forest.  The palate has juicy fruit notes of blood orange and maraschino cherry, white pepper and a cardamom spicy finish.

2012 Locus, Stonetree Syrah $25 
Born and bred in the Wahluke Slope AVA near Mattawa, Washington, these grapes come from the Stonetree Vineyard. Stonetree’s name comes from the large number of petrified tree fossils found in the surrounding hills. The climate and the soil produce a singular fruit-forward Syrah, full of kirsch and blackberry jam along with notes of underbrush, eucalyptus, a touch of spice and a rich velvety 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 a beautiful and busy weekend here in Madrona.  It is Garage Sale day in the hood. (If you like browsing through your neighbors cast offs you can get a map of the sales at Verite.)  The US Open is in full swing in Tacoma and Sunday is Father’s Day.  Remember that Dad loves wine (and if he is a golf fanatic we has a special gift packed magnum of Jack Nicklaus Napa Cab to surprise him with.)  As we enjoy the longest days of the year, we won’t be thirsty because we have two days of great tastings lined up for the weekend.

Saturday, we have some Summery French wines to take the heat off.  We’ll be pouring a crisp Gascogne Blanc, a tongue coating Côtes de Thongue Rosé, an Alsacian Edelwicker (which is as much fun to drink as it is to say) as well as an elegant Chinon and lively Châteauneuf that comes from horse plowed fields. That starts at two and goes for as long as the bottles last.

Sunday, we’ll be tasting two wines from Vallevò.  Vallevò
is a small co-operative winery in the Abruzzo region, near Chieti.  We have recently tried two of their wines and think they are terrific for the money, and make a great pair for any party.  

2014 Vallevò Trebbiano d’Abruzzo $10
This Trebbiano has aromas of almond, citrus and a hint of herbs. It is bone dry and finishes with a very attractive hint of apple-skin. This is a good everyday bottle of white, flavorful enough to stand up to a range of dishes but bright enough to make a good dry aperitif.

2013 Vallevò Montepulciano d’Abruzzo $10
Aromas and flavors of black plum, black cherry, herbs, and black olives surround a wonderful meaty texture, with enough chewiness to make the wine stand up to food but supple enough to drink on its own.

Come 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.

The Solstice is upon us and we’ve lined up some Summery wines from the French countryside to help us celebrate.  We’ll be pouring a crisp Gascogne Blanc, a tongue coating Côtes de Thongue Rosé, an Alsacian Edelwicker (which is as much fun to drink as it is to say) as well as an elegant Chinon and lively Châteauneuf that comes from horse plowed fields.  Come soak up some summer.

2013 Domaine Chiroulet, Terres Blanches $12
50% Gros Manseng, 40% Sauvignon Blanc, 10% Ugni Blanc
Domaine Chiroulet has been in the family for over the last 150 years and six generations.   Situated on the highest slopes in Gascony, the Chiroulet estate faces due south towards the Pyrenees.  The Terres Blanches is a lees aged Blanc with “a taste of the soil”–floral and mineral characteristics and more body than you’d expect.

2014 Domaine Montrose, Côtes de Thongue Rosé $12
65% Grenache, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Syrah.
Montrose is located in the Languedoc region of Southern France, 15 km away from the Mediterranean coast.  The name refers to its geographic location on a volcano (Mont) and to the pink (Rose) flowers almond tress surrounding the vineyard.  The domaine was founded in 1701 and is still in the family.  The Rosé has notes of red berries and peach flavors with spicy overtones making an elegant wine combining roundness and freshness.

Léon Boesch Edelwicker  $18 1ltr 
Sylanver, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, Gewürztraminer, Muscat, Riesling, Chasselas, Auxerrois
From Alsace, this 11th generation biodynamic estate ages their wines in old foudre. This eight grape blend is dry yet full of ripe fruit and round texture.  The wine has floral, mineral, juicy orange, papaya, mango, and star fruit notes and spicy undertones.

2011 Angélique Léon, Chinon Rouge  $18
Cabernet Franc
Léon’s 6.20 ha vineyards are planted to all Cab Franc.  The average age of the vines for bottled wines is 30 to 40 years.  The excellent 2011 is rich and fragrant with notes of cherry and plum a dry minerality and a good length in mouth.

2012 Domaine de la Biscarelle, Châteauneuf du Pape  $38
Domaine de la Biscarelle is produced from a blend of 90% Grenache and assorted other varietals Cinsault, Mourvedre, Syrah, and Terret Noir. The Grenache vines are old, with some more than 100 years of age. The wine is vinified in traditional cement vats and aged in used, French oak barrels for 12 months. The wine has a nose of red stone fruit and ripe black fruit along with licorice and tapenade and a peppery core.

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.