This Sunday we’ll have two old world wines open for sampling – a Grüner from Austria, and a Tempranillo from Spain. Come give them a try.

2012 Höpler, Grüner Veltliner    ($13)
A tasty Grüner with notes of grass, roses, apricot and lime. 13% by volume

Was $15 now $13

2012 Valdecampaña
Ribera del Duero Crianza    ($15)
Tempranillo
A dark and chewy Tempranillo
with notes of blackberry, tobacco and roasted vanilla bean.

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.

It is an Eating & Drinking weekend here in Madrona, with Passover today followed by Easter on Sunday, and here at Madrona wine merchants we don’t pass up any occasion for a good meal or a fine bottle.

Saturday, somewhere between the sun and showers, we’ll be pouring a delicious line up of French wines that will inspire awe and bring out ahhs!.  That they go well with food goes without saying.  That starts as 2 and goes as long as the wines last.

Sunday we are OPEN, and Mark will be hunting for eggs around the shop and biting the heads off of chocolate bunnies, while sipping on two old world arrivals that have just rolled into the shop.

2012 Höpler, Grüner Veltliner   $13
From Austria, this tasty Grüner has notes of grass, roses, apricot and lime and is on special. Was $15 now $13

2012 Valdecampaña, Ribera del Duero Crianza    $15
From Spain, this dark and chewy Tempranillo has notes of blackberry, tobacco and roasted vanilla bean.
WE have it on good authority that the Easter Bunny loves Grüner. 

Hop in and check them 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. No matter what day you stop by we always have something open to sample.

From the small producers to the big houses, nothing makes us salivate more than the wines of France. This Saturday we have a succulent line up to quench that thirst and have you gasping with delight. Come say ah!

2013 Domaine de la Chauviniere, Muscadet Sèvre et Maine $11
Mellon de Bourgogne
Chauviniere comes from estate vineyards on the slopes overlooking the Maine River, whose granite soils produce very elegant wines with lovely lemon and mineral freshness. The vines average 45 years which gives this wine its immense concentration of fruit, and it is aged on its lees or ‘sur lie’ over winter to give it even more depth of flavor and a wonderful aromatic intensity. The wine has aromas of fresh pear and citrus along with mineral notes. The palate is bone dry, light with complex notes of citrus fruit and yeast.

2013 Labbé Abymes Vin de Savoie $13
100% Jacquère
Abymes is one of 16 crus of the Savoie nestled in the foothills of the alps on France’s eastern border. The “Abymes” moniker actually refers to the boulders present in the vineyard. It is punctuated by flavors of freshly sliced lemon, green apple, white pear, and a textbook Savoie minerality. The wine is crisp and refreshing and perfect for Fondue.

2012 Maison Sichel, Bordeaux $13
Merlot & Cabernet Sauvignon
Maison Sichel started out in 1883 as a family run négociant which over the years has expanded to become a winemaker as well. Their entry Bordeaux is A fruit forward Bordeaux that drinks better than its price or its plain label. It’s expressive nose displaying aromas of overripe blackberry fruits and violet. It has a generous, velvety palate with rounded, silky tannins.

2013 Domaine Brusset, Laurent B, Cotes du Rhone $15
Grenache, Syrah, Carignane, and Cinsault
In 1947 Andre Brusset founded the vineyard, set among olive and apricot groves, in 1986 his son Daniel bought the abandoned but now famous south-facing Gigondas terrace-vineyards on the Dentelles de Montmirail. Today, Laurent, the third generation of the Brusset family, meticulously crafts wines with charm, depth, and complexity. All grape varieties are hand-harvested separately, de-stemmed, fermented on their natural yeasts, slowly and softly, with maturation on the lees.” The 2013 Côtes du Rhône Laurent B has superb purity and freshness in its dark cherry, graphite, leather and dried spice-driven bouquet. Tasting like a mini-Gigondas, with medium-bodied richness and depth, and a focused, masculine feel on the palate.” Wine Advocate

2010 Chateau Peyrabon, Haut Medoc $32
59% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot and 6%Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot.
This Haut Medoc is a succulent and solid Bordeaux from the great 2010 vintage that is drinking well now so you don’t have to wait. “Some roasted herbs, damp earth, interwoven with red and black currants, cherries and spice box are all present in this classic Bordeaux, which exhibits medium body, good density and plenty of balance and elegance. Drink it over the next 7-8 years.” –Wine Advocate

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.

This Sunday we’ll have two wines from France open for sampling – an Alsace from the Northeast of France, and a Cabernet from the South. Come give them a try.

2013 Hugel Gentil            ($14)
This wine revives an ancient Alsace tradition that wines assembled from noble grape varieties were called “Gentil”. Gentil “Hugel” allies the suave, spicy flavor of Gewurztraminer, the body of Pinot Gris, the finesse of Riesling, the grapiness of Muscat and the refreshing character of Sylvaner. Very yummy.
12.5% by volume

2012 Fortant Coast Select    ($10)
Cabernet Sauvignon
A Languedoc Cabernet that for some reason they want to look like it came from California. The wine features an intense nose with notes of blueberry and violet. Round and juicy on the palate with lovely flavors of freshly picked black fruit.

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 clouds have come back to mix in with our beautiful weather.  But it is a great weekend to get your chores done, like a little Spring Cleaning. 

Saturday we’re pouring some great wines at special prices that our distributors have cleaned out of their warehouse.  Now it’s your turn to clean up.  Get your chores done and have come have a taste.

Sunday we’ll be sampling some new arrivals.  We’ve got two new French wines lined up to try.

2013 Hugel, Gentil  $14
This wine revives an ancient Alsace tradition that wines assembled from noble grape varieties were called “Gentil”.  Hugel’s Gentil allies the suave, spicy flavor of Gewurztraminer, the body of Pinot Gris, the finesse of Riesling, the grapiness of Muscat and the refreshing character of Sylvaner.  A very yummy combo.

2012 Fortant, Coast Select  $10
Cabernet Sauvignon
A Languedoc Cabernet that for some reason they want to look like it came from California.  The wine features an intense nose with notes of blueberry and violet. Round and juicy on the palate with lovely flavors of freshly picked black fruit.

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.

Spring is our favorite time of year.  Not only does it bring the blossoms and flowers, but it is also the time when our distributors stroll through their warehouses and decide what wine they need to move to make room for their coming shipments.  They want to clean out and we like to clean up.  This Saturday we’ll be pouring a selection of these tidy offerings.  Come by and sweep some up for yourself.

2011 Domaine de Pignan, Château Neuf Blanc  $22
40% Grenache Blanc, 20% Clairette, 20% Rousanne, 10% Bourboulenc, 5% Picpoul, 5% Picardan
A full and layered CNDP Blanc with complex herbal and honeydew melon notes.  Often eclipsed by their rouge counterpart, Château Neuf blancs should not be overlooked.  Was $37 now $22

2013 Pélaquié Tavel Rosé  $15
60% Grenache, 40% Cinsault
From an old family winery, (16th century) this blend of Grenache and Cinsault is full, generous with aromas of “scrubland” read herbal and fruity with a touch of tannin. But the next shipment is coming. . .Was $20 now $15

2009 Ronchi Terle, Barbera D’Alba  $20
Sweet perfumes of a just-baked cherry pie; abundant spices that remind of a lively Moroccan market. “Terlé” grows on similar soils as does the family’s Barbaresco, and is raised with equal care. 100% barrel aged, with 30% new wood. Outstanding vigor and silky balance, with penetrating, limpid flavors of black cherry and cranberry. Excellent length, with a peppery finish that keeps on giving.  Was $24 now $20

2007 Château Gigault, Cuvee Viva  $12
85% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon
Côtes de Blaye
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. 2007 was a cooler vintage, but the wine is tasting great right now.  Was $25 now $12 

2011 Notre Dame des Pallières, Les Ribes Rasteau  $13
75% Grenache, 15% Mourvedre, 10% Cinsault.
Fuller-bodied, dry. This wine has a youthful purple color and a complex nose of clove and earthy tobacco. The palate is full of dark plum, mocha, and licorice followed by a very long finish of fine tannins. Was $17 now $13

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.

Who says you can’t find Washington wines are reasonable prices. Sunday we’ll be pouring two Washington wines that have gone mostly unnoticed. Stop by and take note.

2011 Upland Estates, Gewurztraminer $10
“Upland Winery,” was Eastern Washington’s first winery and cultivated its first plantings on Snipes Mountain in 1917. In 1934, they started commercially making wine unfortified wine out of European grape varieties. Some things have changed since then but the Upland Estates still farms some of those original vineyards. Their Gewurztraminer is dry and nicely complex with a pleasant mix of herbs and spice notes.

2012 Airfield Estates, Dauntless $15
72% Merlot, 13% Malbec, 11% Petit Verdot, 4% Cabernet FrancAirfield Estates is located on an old air base (founded Pre World War II by the Olympic Transport Company) at the foothills of the Rattlesnake Mountains, near Sunnyside, WA. Seeing the agricultural promise of the location, H. Lloyd Miller purchased the air base at auction and for four generations the Miller family has farmed the surrounding area, planting its first vines in 1968 (most of that being sold to Chateau St. Michelle until recently.) An estate grown red blend, the Dauntless has aromas of plum & spice, the palate is full bodied with smooth tannins, soft oak and flavors of black cherry and spice.

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.

It’s official.  After the warmest winter in memory, Spring is here.  And it looks like a mix of everything for the first weekend of Spring, with blossoms blowing everywhere, intermittent sowers and breaks of sunshine.  At Madrona Wine Merchants we are mixing it up as usual.

Saturday we’re tasting some organic wines of Terre Rouge and Easton Cellars.  Even though it has two names this is one winery that grows organic grapes in Amador county in the Sierra Foothills of California.  Bill Easton’s wines are worth checking out.  We start at 2.

Sunday, all day, we’re pouring two under the radar wines from Washington State. These low flying wines deliver big taste and good value.

2011 Upland Estates, Gewurztraminer $10
“Upland Winery,” was Eastern Washington’s first winery and  cultivated its first plantings on Snipes Mountain in 1917.  In 1934, they started commercially making wine unfortified wine out of European grape varieties.  Some things have changed since then but the Upland Estates still farms some of those original vineyards.  Their Gewurztraminer is dry and nicely complex with a  pleasant mix of herbs and spice notes.

2012 Airfield Estates, Dauntless $15
72% Merlot, 13% Malbec, 11% Petit Verdot, 4% Cabernet Franc
Airfield Estates is located on an old air base (founded Pre World War II by the Olympic Transport Company) at the foothills of the Rattlesnake Mountains, near Sunnyside, WA. Seeing the agricultural promise of the location, H. Lloyd Miller purchased the air base at auction and for four generations the Miller family has farmed the surrounding area, planting its first vines in 1968 (most of that being sold to Chateau St. Michelle until recently.) An estate grown red blend, the Dauntless has aromas of plum & spice, the palate is full bodied with smooth tannins, soft oak and flavors of black cherry and spice.

Breeze on in and have a sip.

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.

Bill Easton started his winery in 1986 on the West Slope of the Sierra Nevada in Amador County’s Shenandoah Valley.  His Terre Rouge wines focuses on classic Rhône varieties while Easton Cellars he uses for traditional California varietals.  “Terre Rouge” means red soil, which can be found in the volcanic and granitic soils of the vineyard.  The Estate is sustainably & organically farmed, the winery is solar powered and the uses recycled glass.  They also have estate owls on the property for rodent control.  Bill prefers organic farming. “With organic farming you are growing the soil and not just growing the plants.”  Stop in on Saturday and try these original wines from Amador.

2012 Easton Sauvignon Blanc Monarch Mine Vineyard  $17
Monarch Mine Vineyard is planted on a rocky site at 2500’with two clones of Sauvignon Blanc, Clone One (brisk) and Musque (floral, viscous).  The wine is co-fermented then aged for nine months in neutral French oak barrels on lees before bottling.  It does not undergo malolactic fermentation and therefore retains its delicious crispness. Its brisk mineral and key lime notes are rounded out by casaba melon and papaya flavors.

2011 Terre Rouge, Tete a Tete $19
The Tete a Tete is blended from more forward lots of Mourvèdre, Syrah and Grenache, with meaty, smoky, spicy complex characteristics.  “This easy drinking Rhône blend is the perfect wine to have a head to head, or heart to heart conversation with your best friend.

2011 Terre Rouge Cotes L’Ouest Syrah $18
The Cotes L’Ouest is Blended from 60 % lower elevation sites with 40% high elevation vineyards.  The wine has a clean purity of Syrah fruit that is reminiscent of a St. Joseph in the Northern Rhône. It is lush and supple with key notes of raspberry, smoke, pepper, and cinnamon.

2012 Easton Zinfandel  $18
The Easton Zin is blended from 25, 40, 60 and 80 year old vines, then aged in new and aged French oak for 10 months.  It is easy drinking and soul satisfying.  The 2012 has full black cherry and blackberry fruit aromas with a beautiful balance and a big, sumptuous, and juicy mouth feel. It also presents complex spicy aromas, with a nice creamy texture.

2011 Terre Rouge Mourvèdre Mourvedre $28
The Terre Rouge Mourvèdre is made with long lees contact to help broaden and fill the middle palate with great textural sensations. It’s like a true Bandol without the funk. The classic game, meat, smoke, blackberry characteristics of Mourvèdre is the perfect match for wild game, leg of lamb with olives, and smoked sausages. The 2011 was voted Mourvèdre of the Year by Wine and Spirits Magazine.

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.

Jim will be pouring some of his favorite French wines while Mark is at the Hōnen Matsuri Festival in Komaki, Japan. These two just arrived in shop and we are excited to share them with you.

2011 Dubois & Fils Hautes Côtes de Nuits   ($)
Pinot Noir
This Haute Côte has a bouquet of flowers and red fruits. The fruit aromas are well balanced with a few “animal” flavors. It will develop with a few years in the cellar. 12.5% by volume

2007 Château Gigault Cuvee Viva
85% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon
Côtes de Blaye
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. 2007 was a cooler vintage. 13% 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. No matter what day you stop by we always have something open to sample.