The days are short, the nights are long and the Solstice is upon us.  It is a good time for rich, full bodied wines that will keep the dark at bay.  This Saturday we’re pouring a full line up of Big Bold Wines to help survive the dark and celebrate the return of the light.  Join us.

Gruet, Blanc de Noir  $16
Pinot Noir
From the town of Truth or Consequence, New Mexico comes this American classic.  The Blanc de Noir is made Méthode Champenoise & aged for a minimum of two-years.  It has berry aromas with toasty notes, a creamy texture and an explosive juicy flavor of raspberry.

2013 Baer Shard  $20
Chardonnay
Baer makes full bodied Washington wines from their Woodinville winery including their Shard from the Stillwater Creek vineyard.  The 2013 was whole-cluster pressed and fermented and aged in 75-gallon stainless steel barrels, sur lie, with no oak contact and no malolactic fermentation. The result is refreshing and bright with notes of crisp Golden Delicious apple and Bosc pear, punctuated by zesty lemon rind.

2011 Bodegas Caro, Amancaya Gran Reserva $20
70% Malbec, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon
From Domaines Barons de Rothschild and Catena family, Amancaya presents a harmonious balance between the Argentine and Bordeaux styles.  The word Amacaya is the native Indian name of a flower found at high altitudes in the Andes in the Mendoza area.  The wine ages 12 months in oak barrels (20% new).  It shows inviting aromas of dark berry, and cassis with a streak of eucalyptus and sweet spices. The wine is full-bodied with a mouth-filling richness with enough acidity to support the ripeness.

2012 Underground Wine Project, Devil’s Playground.  $33
90% Cabernet Sauvignon 10% Syrah
A collaboration between Mark Ryan Winery and Sleight of Hand Cellars, the Devil’s Playground is big and bold, with full bodied, chewy tannins, while still retaining a silky smoothness. A hedonistic, pure pleasure style with 100% new oak & 24 months aging.

2008 Real Companhia Velha, Royal Oporto Late Bottle Vintage  $21
On the 10th September 1756, The Real Companhia Velha was founded by Royal Charter of The King D. José I.  Formed by the most important farmers of the Upper Douro and the Good Men of the City of Oporto, the Company was entrusted with the task of “sustaining the cultivation of vines, conserving the production of them in their natural pureness, in benefit of Agriculture, Trade and Public Health.. In 1781 the Company presented its Portos to the Imperial lips of Catherine of Russia, through large shipments freighted for the purpose.  Today, 233 years later, their LVB can grace your lips.  Sweet black compote spiked with shavings of black peppercorn make this a complex Late Bottled Port with approachable tannins and an herbal, eucalyptus edge.

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 we are looking ahead to the holidays and sampling a Spanish Verdego (great with the salad course) and a bold California Zinfandel from Amador County that would pair well with that standing rib roast.

2011 Ermita Veracruz Verdejo ($10)
A quality Verdejo at a petite price. Aromas of basil & passion fruit preceed waves of tangerine, grapefruit and star fruit complemented by refreshing grassy, herbal notes and zesty acidity. Was $14 now $10
13% alcohol by volume

2010 Renwood Grandpere Zinfandel ($25)
An Estate Zin (maybe THE Estate Zin from Renwood) with their copyrighted old-vine clone Zin. “A rich mix of black current, cedar, exotic spices, tobacco, plum, and cherry pie typified by its’ juicy freshness with excellent structure, and longevity that will age well.”

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.

During the winter, people all over hunker down, gather together and celebrate the past year and anticipate the next with feasting and conviviality.  Saturday we have pulled together a selection of festive wines that you’ll want to include in you hunker down.  Some come from the old world, some from close by but all will warm you through the dark and damp holidays.
 
Cave de Bissey, Cremant de Bourgogne Brut $18
Chardonnay
Close to Givry and Buxy, Bissey is on the cool side of the Côte Chalonnaise, giving its sparkling wines that extra freshness. This Brut is bright, crisp, laced with apples and tangy lemon zest, soft fruit flavors of green apples, peach & apricot along with warm notes of toasted bread. Lovely delicate bubbles linger through the finish.
 
2012 Bodegas Arzabro, Txakoli  Luzia de Ripa  $20
90% Hondarrabi Zuri (aka Petit Corbu), 10% Izpiriotza Txikia (aka Petit Manseng)
Bodegas Arzabro is a family-owned winery producing Txakolí from a 15 acres of vineyard located in Basque Country of Spain. The vineyard is named Larrimbe, meaning “my mother’s vineyard,” a fitting name for a parcel that has been handed down from mother to daughter for over four generations.  The Hondarrabi Zuri and Izpiriotza Txikia vines were planted at the beginning of the century.  The wine is aged on its lees for about 6 months giving a richness to the crisp fruit.  Luizia is a succulent and still Txakoli with lots of rich pear and citrus notes.
 
2012 Notre Dame de Laval des Vignerons of Agly, Côtes de Roussillon  $10
45% Carignan, 40% Grenache, 15% Syrah
From Roussillon in the South of France “Our Lady” is made from very old vines Carignan and Grenache.  The wine is distinguished by garrigue and laurel notes as well as its soft smooth fruit.
 
2012 Robert Ramsay Mason’s Red   $18
Ramsay is a small craft winery in Woodinville that specializes in Mourvedre, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, and Red blends built on fruit from Horse Heaven Hills, Snipes Mountain and Boushey Vineyards. Mason’s Red is a Syrah-based blend that changes every year-picking up the flavors and the personality of the winemaker and the vintage.  It is created as a “food friendly” wine with generous acidity to complement all foods-except maybe breakfast cereal
 
2012 Darby, Dark Side Syrah  $30
Darby English makes some of our favorite Washington wines.  His Chaos, Le Deuce, and Purple haze regularly have a spot on our shelves.  Rumored to be Darth Vader’s favorite wine, the Dark Side resides there as well. It has ripe flavors of sweet spice, blackberry, sage and a layer of smoky minerality seem to last forever. Very complex, this Syrah is big but has a velvety texture and will age nicely over the next 5 years.

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 we are looking ahead to the holidays and sampling our White Port Winter Holiday cocktail. The perfect pre-dinner drink. You know you’ll want one (or maybe two).

The Madrona

•    2 parts White Port

•    1 part Pomegranate Juice

•    1 part Sparkling Water

•    1 big twist of lime (use a potato peeler)

•    2 dashes Regan’s Orange Bitters

•    Garnish with a Bordeaux Cherry and a little of the syrup

And we will have a recipe booklet for you to take home.

Alves des Sousa Caldas White Port    ($10)
White port is one of those things most people don’t know what to do with. But try it on the rocks with citrus peel, or play around and make up a new cocktail.
Was $20 now $10

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.

The holidays and effervescence somehow just go together.  So this Saturday we are pouring 4 frothy delights for your palate.  They are all pleasantly refreshing and a great way to toast any holiday get together.  The corks come out at 2 and we’ll be pouring the wine for as long as the bubbles last.

Andreala Dirupo, Brut Prosecco DCOG $14
90% Glera, 5% Bianchetta, 5% Perera
Andreola situated on the green hills of Treviso in the Venetian hills. 28 hectares of vineyards are farmed almost exclusively to the Glera (Prosecco) grape, with a small amount of other native grapes that have been used in small percentages since ancient times to give an authentic flavor. The fermentation temperature is kept low so that the fermentation is slower and therefore the bubbles formed are smaller and of higher character. Aromas of peach and passion fruit along with good mineral notes frame the lively effervescence.

Dr Loosen Sparkling Riesling $14
Dr. L Sparkling Riesling is 100% pure made using the Charmat method, where the second fermentation is done in a pressurized tank to keep the bubbles in the wine. This produces bright, clean sparkling wines in a more affordable way.  The wine is clean, crisp and fruity and of course bubbly.

Jallance, Cremant de Bourgogne  $18
The other way Burgundians use Chardonnay, the Jaillance has a fine and abundant effervescence, the nose is bold with an alluring scent of wild rose. Citrus fruit, apple and pear flavors mingle with the fresh buttery taste characteristic of Chardonnay, and fullness and persistency are provided by honey overtones. This wine shows a richer, smoother mouthfeel than others of its ilk. The nose is nicely toasty, with tropical fruit aromas and mint. Flavors are similar, dealing out nicely oaked fruit that goes down easily.

Joel Falmet Brut Tradition  $43
70% Pinot Noir, 20% Pinot Meunier, 10% Chardonnay
Joël Falmet’s vineyards are located in the Aube within the Côtes des Bar region of Champagne. The domaine consists of a small family vineyard of only 6.5 hectares (approx. 15.5 acres) that has been passed down through the family for several generations. Joël who took over the winery in the early 1990s was the first in the family to produce an estate bottled wine. The style is clean, and full bodied, fresh, lively and elegant with flavors of flowers, minerals, citrus and anise.

2010 Domaine des Bernardins, Muscat de Beaumes de Venise  $14 –375ml
75% Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains, 25% Muscat Noir à Petits Grains
After the bubbles we’ll be finishing with the classic dessert wine of the Rhône.  The Bernadins has classic notes of mandarin, apricot, molasses, figs and quince to beguile and a subtle gingery backdrop. Domaine des Bernardins’ Muscat does age well, turning copper-colored, richer and rounder with a very long finish. It will mature well for 20 years or more.

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.