Established in 1982, Montinore Estate is a family owned, 210-acre Demeter Certified Biodynamic and Stellar Certified Organic estate at the northern end of the Willamette Valley along the east-facing slope of the Coastal Range foothills.  They make a wide variety of cooler climate whites and reds.  This Saturday Katy Brown of Montinore will be with us to show off a sampling of their wines.

2012 Muller-Thurgau  $15 
This playful wine has hints of peach, quince, pear, apricot, gardenias and honeysuckle on the nose.  The palate is rich with mouthwatering lime, honeydew melon, apricot and apple. It finishes clean with notes of grapefruit, pineapple and guava.  A refreshing 11% alcohol by volume.

2012 Pinot Gris $14 
This is a blend from seven different vineyard blocks, each giving something special to the final blend. Each block is fermented separately in stainless steel tanks and blended post fermentation to bring out the most amount of aromatics and a distinctive flavor profile.

2012 Almost Dry Riesling $13
The Almost Dry offers a beautiful aroma of lime, fresh flowers and tangerine with hints of lilac.  The palate has a spark of sweetness and elegant, almost silky fresh flavors of citrus accented with green apple.  The finish brings a refreshing, palate-cleansing acidity with accents of lingering grapefruit and mineral flavors. It is only 11.6% alcohol by volume and 1.6% residual sugar.

2012 Pinot Noir $20
This Pinot is Montinore’s standard bearer. The nose is complex with aromas of cherry, blackberry, dried fruit, dried flowers, cedar, lilac, clove, anise and caramel. The palate is ripe with black cherries, black plums, vanilla, tar, smoke, bittersweet chocolate and pie spice which is balanced beautifully by bright acid, all within well-structured tannins. Pair this Pinot Noir with grilled lamb, mushroom risotto, cassoulet, smoked Gouda or Delice de Bourgogne.

2011 Estate Reserve Pinot Noir $25 
This is Montinore’s Flagship wine and the commitment to the quality of this wine should not go unnoticed. More than one night Ben Thomas, the winemaker, hunkered down in the cellar and slept with the Pinots because he didn’t want to be too far away. The 100% French oak barrel program is unmistakable when you smell this wine. It is smoky-sweet, like a BBQ with hints of cola, root beer, stewed fruit, freshly turned chalky soil and blackberry jelly. The palate is reminiscent of a freshly rolled Dominican cigar, plums, forest floor and tobacco. The fine, smooth tannins and long finish round out the wine.

Rain or shine we pour wine. Since Mother Nature can’t make up it’s mind about whether to rain or since we will be doing a bit of a mashup tasting of Old World Meets New World. One from Italy just off the boat and one from Walla Walla just off the truck. Grab your bumbershoot and wander on over.

2010 Vaona Valpolicella    ($11)
40% Corvina, 30% Corvinone, 25% Rondinella, 5% Molinara
Veneto
Vaona is a small family farm with ten hectares of vines in Valpolicella. Their Valpolicella is fresh and fruit forward with elegant notes of ripe raspberry, cherry, plum and clove. Was $14 now $11
12% alcohol by volume

2012 Forgeron Blacksmith Red    ($15)
29% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Sangiovese, 18% Merlot, 18% Syrah, 12% Cabernet Franc
Not your typical Bordeaux, Super Tuscan, Syrah blend! Big body, nice full fruit and a smoth silky finish at a BBQ price.

The French countryside produces an amazing amount of solid quality wines that, with the exception of certain much coveted plots, sell for amazingly reasonable prices.  The flow is like a faucet and Madrona Wine Merchants is happy to tap into it.  Stop by the shop this Saturday as we’ll be playing with the spigot and tasting some great wine.  Come join us.

2012 Chateaux Martinot Bordeaux Blanc.  $14
50% Sauvignon Blanc, 50% Semillon
Martinot is a 4th generation family winery in the town on Lugaignac.  Their Blanc has rich aromas of citrus and green apple.  The flavors are crisp but with good body.  

2011 Moncontour, Jovly Chinon  $14
Cabernet Franc
Moncontour is one of the oldest winery in the Loire Valley –The Château dates from the end of the 15th century. Their Chinon is completely Cabernet Franc, done in a modern style with ample fruit, ripe red fruit aromas and flavors of cassis, cherry, violets and cocoa. 

2010 Chateau du Bernat L’Exception$14
80% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cabernet Franc
Du Bernat is a family owned vineyard with limestone soils.  L’Exception is a full bodied Bordeaux with aromas of red fruit with touches of peppery spices and lightly smoked wood.

2012 Domaine des Homs L’Amandier, Coteaux de Peyriac  $15
1/3 Grenache, 1/3 Cinsault, 1/3 Syrah
L’Amandier is a single vineyard surrounded by Almond trees that is organically farmed. The wine is made with native yeasts and no sulphites are added throughout the entire winemaking process.  It is rich, soft and full of dark fruit flavors.

2010 Andrieux and fils Vaqueras   Vieilles Vignes $22
75% Grencahe, 20% Mourvedre, 5% Syrah
From old vine vineyards and a great year, the Andrieux has beautiful violet scents and purple-plum filled aromas. The mouth has notes of cherry, black currant, hints of light spice, and touches of sandalwood. It is well rounded, smooth, and delivers a long silky finish. 

Now that the snow is over – stop by today from 11-5pm and pick up some good snow day wines to go with that comfort food you are having for dinner.

Today we have open (until they are gone) a couple of more bargains from Italy.

2011 Podere Il Palazzino Rosso    ($11)
Sangiovese
A Tuscan Everyday drinker that has a lot going on in it. Smoky cherry, good body, and a long finish. Was $13 now $11
Organic

2010 Menhir Salento 5passi    ($11)
Negro Amoaro
A clean and modern style, all stainless steel Negro Amaro from Puglia. Nice dark fruits, blueberry, bing cherry. Was $13 now $11
13% alcohol by volume

It’s a little chilly in Seattle, but picture yourself on the Mediterranean, in Summer with the grape ripening in the sun and the breeze floating in off the sea.  No we can’t send you there right now but on Saturday we can pour a little of it into your glass.  Brave the Arctic blast and come taste some great wines form Campania, Sicily, and Sardinia. 

2012 Colosi Bianco Sicillia $10  — Sicily
Inzolia, Catarratto, Grillo 
This 24 acre estate in Salina, a small island in the Eolian Archipelago, has volcanic soils ideal for vine cultivation.  Their Bianco has aromas of flowers and vibrant fruit, round and generous fruit flavor and excellent length.

2009 Terredora di Paolo, Lacryma di Christi del Vesuvio, Rosso DOC $15  — Campania
Lacryma Christi
Terredora di Paolo focuses on rediscovering and restoring Campania’s ancient and native varietals such as Lacryma Christi. Legend is that Lucifer when cast from Heaven, desperately grabbed a piece of it with his fingernails as he fell and placed it on earth near the Gulf of Naples. Noticing the loss, the Lord wept, and where each of his tears fell the first vines grew on Earth. Whether or not that is its true origin, the wine has intense fruit aromas of cherry, raspberry, black currant and spicy overtones with hints of minerals and cloves.  The flavor is soft and elegant, with pleasant tones of mature red fruits, plums and hints of tobacco, coffee and ground pepper.

2010 Feudo di Santa Tresa Frappato $15  — Sicily
Lying close to the Mediterranean, Feudo di Santa Tresa’s vineyards benefit from cooling sea breezes.  Frappato is a native Sicilian varietal that has a thin skin and large berries. It is a lively, fruit-forward wine when vinified on its own. The wine has fresh aromas with lots of red berries and delicate sweet spices, a smooth lively acidity, with a spicy, long-lasting after taste.

2011 Nuraghe Crabioni Cannonau  $19 — Sardinia
Nuraghe Crabioni is an 85-acre property is located in Sorso, Sardegna where Cannonau is the local variety of Grenche.. The wine has sweet notes of ripe red fruit reminiscent of Maraschino cherries under spirits; lightly spiced persistent aromas; balanced with developed structure and nuanced layers that can be attributed to its rich terroir.

2009 Azienda Agricola Cos, Cerasuolo di Vittoria  DOCG $32  — Sicily
Frappato 40%, Nero d’Avola 60%
A group of friends Giambattista Cilia (C), Giusto Occhipinti (O) and Pinuccia Strano (S) began making wine together renting their parents’ lands and harvesting, pressing the grapes, and making innovative wine and their reputations started to grow.  Their Cerasuolo di Vittoria has aromas of dried cherry, chocolate, smoke, herb and  licorice It has dried cherry, truffle and smoky flavors in the mouth and a long finish.

Veneto, the land of Romeo & Juliet, is the land of lovely wines; and there is nothing star crossed about these lovers.  This Saturday we’ll be pouring a range of wines from that part of Northeast Italy that you’ll fall for.  Come compare the three styles of Valpolicella and see what amorous feelings they can arouse.  Valentine’s Day is just around the corner.

Sassello Prosecco $11
Made from the grape Gerla, Prosecco is probably the friendliest sparkling wine in the world.  The Sassello has delicate bubbles with citrus fruit and flowery aromas and pear and apple fruit.   It might be the perfect wine to toast the Seahawks win on Sunday.

2012 Gambellara, I Basalti Soave  $9
85% Garganega, 15% Trebbiano Veronese 
Cantina di Gambellara started in 1947 by 26 vine growers as the first cooperative winery in the Vicenza Province.  Their Soave has fresh fruit perfumes, especially apple and pear, along with a mineral presence from the volcanic soils.

2010 Campagnola Valpolicella Classico Le Bine  $11
70% Corvinone Veronese, 30% Rondinella
Carlo Campagnola founded the winery in 1886.  Carlo’s wife Caterina was recently widowed and had ten children. She bravely began to run the winery. Giuseppe one of the sons with his sons Luigi and Giancarlo run the winery today. Their young Valpolicella is fresh and has a spicy bouquet with dry, soft flavors of cherry and plum.

2011 Campagnola Valpolicella Classico Ripasso  $15
55% Corvina Veronese and Corvina, 40% Rondinella, 5% Molinara 
In February the fresh pomace from the Amarone is added to the Valpolicella giving the wine richer flavors and complexity. Their Ripasso has aromas of ripe fruit, soft, rich flavors lengthening into a pleasantly bitterish finish. 

2009 Secoli Amarone della Valpolicella $34
A blend of Corvina, Rondinella, Molinara grapes that are dried on mats before fermentation to increase its structure and intensity. The wine is aged for 3 years oak casks and six months in bottle before it is released.  The Secoli has a silky, sexy texture with a mouthful of deep dark fruit and raisiny notes followed by a long, dry finish of chocolate and dried cherries.

The sun is out and we are pouring some sunny reds from Spain today from 11-5pm. Stop on by.

2009 Beronia Rioja Crianza    ($11)
84% Tempranillo, 13% Garnacha, 3% Graciano
Beronia’s Crianza is aged for 12 months in mixed oak barrels and one year in bottle. The wine has aromas of tobacco, vanilla and dark fruit flavors, smooth tannins with a spicy toasted finish. Was $15 now $11

2012 Rio Madre Rioja    ($10)
Graciano
Graciano has long been used in Rioja to add floral bouquet and complexity to their wine. Rarely is it used on its own. This estate grown Graciano make you wonder why. The exuberant aromas and luscious flavors of blackberries and cherries out shines most Tempranillo at this price level.

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.