It isn’t hard to find cheap Bordeaux, but finding inexpensive ones that taste like the real thing takes a bit of work. This Sunday we’ll have two new arrivals open for tasting that fit the bill.

2011 Camelot la Chapelle Bordeaux        ($10)
65% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cabernet Franc
A young and fresh Bordeaux with leather and mineral aromas and more cassis flavors than you expect for the money.

2007 Chateau Marsau Côtes de Francs   ($11)
Merlot
The 2007 vintage of Marsau is not a ripe as the 2005, but the structure is still there and the fruit is tasty if not massive.  Unbelievable at this price.

This Saturday we are pouring a flight of delicious wine from the north of Italy (ok, we’ll dip down to Tuscany, but let’s not get picky).  These wines are good for drinking anytime, but it just so happens that they are all great pairings for the Thanksgiving meal.  Forget what the pilgrims drank, match up some of these great wines with your good food. 

2012 Cantina Sassarini, Cinque Terre  $20
60%Bosco withAlbarola and Vermentino
Cinque Terre (Five Lands) sits on the northwest coast of Italy with steep mountains covered by bands of vineyards that slope down towards the sea in the Province of La Spezia. To cultivate every 2.5 acres of vines on these dangerous slopes takes about 3,000 working days, but it is worth it.  This distinctive white is dry, with notes of salt, a full fruity mid body and lingering aromatics.   It will beat out the Chardonnay on T day.

2012 Tenuta Col Sandago, Wildbacher Brut Rose  $20
Tenuta ColSandago, nestled among the hills of the Conegliano Valdobbiadene DOCG, in Veneto, is the only vineyard in Italy to grow Wildbacher (wild stream), an Austrian grape that makes great rosé.  The Brut Rosé is an elegant, pale pink sparkling wine with a delicate floral nose, notes of strawberry and raspberry, a fine creamy mousse and refreshing finish. Excellent with the big bird.

2012 Campodelsole, Durano, Sangiovese di Romagna  $10
Campodelsole (field of sun) in Emilia Romagna sits on a hill with the mountains behind and the sea in front.  The area has been farmed and inhabited since before the Roman times. Replanting in the vineyard requires workers to stop numerous times to pick Roman pottery and amphoras out of the field.  The Durano is the winery’s young and fresh Sangiovese, full of fruit and a perfect quaffing wine for an Autumnal banquet.

2011 Terre di Gioia,Marzemino  $15
Marzemino Gentile is an indigenous grape in Trentino in the Alto Adige. Mozart mentions the wine in Don Giovanni.  The Marzemino has medium body, a dark ruby almost purple color but with a delicate and unmistakable nose of violets. The taste is fragrant of wild cherries and bilberries.  The wine is a perfect referee for the cranberry/stuffing smackdown.

2009 Canneto, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano  $23
Canneto’s estate vineyard is 20hectares of vines in the heart of Tuscany with 15 hectares enrolled for their Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, but only the best make the cut.  The wine is aged in a mix of Slavonia oak casks and French oak tonneaux for two years before release. The Nobile is a delicious Sangiovese, combining structure and dry-extract with a fruit forward, and a hedonistic, finely balanced mouthfeel.  Great with gravy.

This Sunday we will be tasting interesting and very different Vermouths – these are not your Mother’s Vermouths. Spain, France, Italy and the United States will be represented. Come learn that you might actually like Vermouth as an aperitif or as a mixer in your favorite cocktail.

Vermouth is a fortified wine, flavored with aromatic herbs and spices (“aromatized” in the trade) such as cardamom, cinnamon, marjoram and chamomile. Some vermouth is sweetened; unsweetened, or “dry” vermouth tends to be bitter. The person credited with inventing the vermouth recipe, Antonio Benedetto Carpano from Turin, Italy, chose to name his concoction “vermouth” in 1786 because he was inspired by a German wine flavored with wormwood, a herb most famously used in distilling absinthe. The modern German word Wermut (Wermuth in the spelling of Carpano’s time) means both wormwood and vermouth. The herbs in vermouth were originally used to mask raw flavors of cheaper wines, imparting a slightly medicinal “tonic” flavor.

Foro Extra Dry Vermouth                                    ($16)
A intriguing dry Vermouth with more citrusy components than most. Creamy enough to drink as an aperitif as well as adding to cocktails. Organic to boot. 1 liter

Perucchi White Vermouth                                    ($20)
A wildly flavorful white vermouth from Spain that is more suited for an aperitif than a Martini, but would be fun to play with in cocktails. Floral notes, so forget the Gin — Vodka is the ticket, with a twist of lemon or as a summer spritzer with mineral water and a twist. 1 liter

Dolan Vermouth Rouge de Chambery                                ($15)
Made of fine wines and botanicals found in the Alpine meadows above Chambery. The particular mixture of plants found near Chambéry give a fresh, restrained and elegant nose, with a subtle, complex bittersweet palate.

Quady Vya                                                ($15)
Sweet Vermouth
California
The perfect sweet vermouth to pair with that truly fine bourbon for a stunning Manhattan. 375ml

Carpano Antica Formula Vermouth                                 ($16)
Antica Formula is a red vermouth made from an original recipe by Antonio Benedetto Carpano, the man credited with creating modern vermouth in Turin in 1786. Inspired by a German aromatised wine and was a fan of German poetry. As a result, he named his new product after the German word for wormwood, wermut, which was frequently used to flavor wine at the time. Antica Formula is richer and more complex than most red vermouths and will make an excellent Bronx, Manhattan or Negroni. 375ml

Perucchi Gran Reserva Vermouth                                ($20)
A red Vermouth from Spain that comes from a solera. Would work for a Manhattan, but you might want to just drink it straight. Think Christmas spice — cardamon, all spice, mace. 1 liter

This Saturday we are featuring wines from Roussillon and the Rhône Where Grenache and Syrah reign supported by an interesting court of Mourvèdre, Carignan and Cinsault.  It’s a royal combination.  Come tour the Villages.

2012 Chapoutier, Bila Haut, Côtes de Roussillon Blanc   $15
Grenache Blanc, Grenache Gris and Macabeu.
Michael Chapoutier is best known for his Rhône wine, but his second estate in Roussillon makes some distinct, well-crafted wine.  And of course if you know Braille you can read the label by touch.  The Blanc has aromas of lemon and grapefruit with smoky notes.  The palate is round, with good acidity and a fresh finish mixed with salty notes, which express the minerality of the wine.

2008 Château de Jau, Côtes de Roussillon Villages$12
52% Syrah, 30% Mourvèdre, 10% Carignan, 8% Grenache
The Dauré family has been making wine in Roussillonsince 1792.   Château de Jau is located in the southernmost foothills of the Roussillon slopes of the Corbières Mountains in French Catalonia.  The Côtes du Roussillon Villages Rouge has “arômes de garrigue, d’épicesorientales et de fruits rouges bienmûrs.”  It’s a full and supple Syrah dominate blend.

2011 Domaine des Escaravailles, Les Sablieres Côtes du Rhône $15
70% Greanche, 20% Syrah, 10% Carignan
In 1953, Jean-Louis Ferran purchased several well-situated hillside parcels above the southern Rhône villages of Rasteau, Roaix and Cairanne. He dubbed his new domaine “Escaravailles,” the Occitan word for beetles (scarabs). This was a nickname for the black-robed monks of the area’s hill-perched Catholic monasteries in centuries past. The monks knew what they were doing and so does Jean-Louis’ grandson who now runs the winery.  The Les Sablieres is a smooth and silky Rhône red. Full bodied and rounded out.

2009 Château Val-joanis Syrah Tradition.  $13
90% Syrah, 10% Grenache
Châteaux Val-joanis is located in Luberon in the shouthern Rhone.  They turn the balance of Syrah and Grenache upside down with their Syrah heavy Tradition.  It is well structured and balanced with spice notes and supple black and red berry fruit.

2011 Domaine des Escaravailles, Les Côteaux Rasteau  $20
80% Grenache, 20% Syrah
Rasteau was elevated from Village to Cru status in 2010.  The grapes that used to go into Escaravailles CDR Villages now are bottles as Cru Rasteau.  These are 50 to 60 year old vines on hillside slopes, all vinified in cement tanks.  The wine is full, rich and powerful.

We’ve been open in Madrona for TWO YEARS now.  Boy, the time has gone fast.  To celebrate we’re going to open a few special bottles this Saturday.  We’ll also have a wine trivia quiz with swag prizes while they last.  What wines are we pouring you ask?  Well if we told you it wouldn’t be a surprise now would it.  Stop by and find out.
Sunday we’ll have a couple of new to the shop Italian wines open to taste.

2008 I Sassi Aglianico del Vulture        $12

2012 Campodelsole Durano                  $10

This Sunday we’ll be pouring bargain bubbles and a new rich red.  Stop in.

Varichon & Clerc Privilège Blanc de Blanc    ($9)
Made from a mixture of Chardonnay, Chenin, Ugni Blanc and Colombard grapes in the méthode traditionnelle, this brut blanc de blancs has aromas of buttered toast and pears .While the wine is good the lables ae messed up.

Was $14 now $9

12% alcohol by volume

2011 La Celestiere VDP Vaucluse    ($12)
Grenache, Cinsault, Syrah and Alicante.
Blended from over 50-years-old vines on clay/lime stone soil, the surface is peppered with pebbles. Manual harvest . Raised 100% in concrete tanks. A full dark Rhone style wine from a CNDP maker.

Today at 2 we’re tasting perfection with a lineup of wines that come from their ideal locations.

Sunday we’ll be pouring bargain bubbles and a new rich red.  Stop in.

Varichon & Clerc Privilège Blanc de Blanc    ($9)
Made from a mixture of Chardonnay, Chenin, Ugni Blanc and Colombard grapes in the méthode traditionnelle, this brut blanc de blancs has aromas of buttered toast and pears .While the wine is good the lables are messed up. Was $14 now $9
12% alcohol by volume

2011 La Celestiere VDP Vaucluse    ($12)
Grenache, Cinsault, Syrah and Alicante.
Blended from over 50-years-old vines on clay/lime stone soil, the surface is peppered with pebbles. Manual harvest . Raised 100% in concrete tanks. A full dark Rhone style wine from a CNDP maker.

Folks have generation looking for the best place to grow different grapes.  Sangiovese does better in Tuscany that anywhere else.  Merlot is a unique character in Bordeaux.  Tempranillo reaches it’s peak in Rioja.  This Saturday we’re pouring some less usual wines that have also found their perfect place in the world.  We’ll be showing Jaquèrre, Siegerrebe, Carmenere, Cabernet Franc and Mourvedre from the places that those grapes grow best.  Come see what you think.

2011 Jean Perrier Apremont Jacquère $13
Jacquère is a white grape that is widely planted in the Savoy region of Eastern France along the Swiss border.  The Savoy landscape is distinctly alpine. Between lakes and mountains, the Savoy vineyards hang from slopes or clutch at hillsides in little islands that produce their special growth.  Perrier’s Apremont is a nice dry herbal wine with a full round body.  It matches perfectly with cheese fondue and other food of the region.

2011 Ansellmann, Siegerrebe Spätlese $16
Siegerrebe is a hybred cross between Madeleine Angevine and Gewürztraminer. The vine is suited to colder climates as bud-burst is late and fruit ripening is very early  It easily reaches a high must weight which is unusual in cooler climates.  Ansellmann’s Spätlese shows how well the grape does in the Paltz.  The wine is very aromatic with elegant, floral and fruity fragrances reminiscent of roses, mango, passion fruit and apricot. The taste is round, rich with a mild acidity and a long finish.

2011 Tabalí Reserve Carménère  $14
Carménère was originally planted in Bordeaux and used as a blending grape to help balance out the Merlot and Cabernet.  But it wasn’t until it was transplanted to Chile that it came into its own right.  Tabalí’s Reserva has a complex nose with spices, black fruit and chocolate, and a mouthful of smooth tannins.

2011 Les Villaises Saumur Champigny $13
Cabernet Franc
Cabernet Franc is one of the common Bordeaux blending grapes, but it didn’t find its own limelight until sometime in the 17th century when Cardinal Richeliueu transported cuttings of the vine to the Loire Valley. The Les Villaises has notes of ripe cherry with a hint of violets, caramel and an earthy mineralness.

2010 Domaine Sorin, Bandol Rouge $25
Mourvèdre 85%, Syrah 10%, Carignan 5% 
Mourvèdre is the backup grape in the Rhone Valley, rarely exceeding 20% of the blend.  It also grows in Spain under the name of Monastrell.  But in Provence the grape comes alive finding a balance between full tannins, wild game and earthy notes and soft red fruit.