Ever since Dom Perignon started having his wine ferment again in the bottle, giving it an effervescence, people have loved it. Since then sparkling wine has spread the world over. Stop by the shop this Saturday when we will be trying a great sampling of Bubbly wine. It will be fun and festive.

Adami, Prosecco Garbèl $15
Garbèl, which in ancient local dialect means a dry, crisp, pleasantly tart wine, is produced from hilly vineyards in Veneto in the north of Italy. Garbèl’s 13 grams of residual sugar place it between Brut and Extra Dry. The ample nose releases crisp-edged, complex fruit notes, and the palate is full-flavored with a crisp acidity with scents of green apple, minerals, and glazed almond.

Gruet, Blanc de Noir $15
At 4300 ft. Gruet’s vineyards are some of the highest in the United States, so regardless of how hot the days get in New Mexico the temperature at night can drop as much as thirty degrees, cooling the fruit and slowing down the maturation process. Made from Pinot Noir, the Blanc de Noir is made using the traditional champagne method. It has a rich and toasty character with rich complex flavors. Winemaker’s Note: A fine salmon color, aggressive mousse and a lovely fruity wine with plenty of immediate charm and toasty aromas. There is also an explosive juicy flavor of raspberry.

Scharffenberger, Brut Mendicino $18
2/3 Chardonnay, 1/3 Pinot Noir
This California Brut is made with the traditional methode champenoise. The full malolactic style adds a vanilla cream character, producing a round and full-bodied wine. After approximately two years on the yeast lees, there are notes of freshly baked bread and pastry that enhance the more fruit-forward style of the wine. In bottle the wine develops caramel and hazelnut notes.

Louis Roederer Brut Premier $46
56% Pinot Noir, 34% Chardonnay and 10% Pinot Meunier
Not a small house , Lois Roederer own 450 acres of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in Montagne de Reims, Côtes des Blancs, and Valleé de la Marne. The Brut Premier spends three years ageing on its lees, plus another six months after disgorging. The wine has fine bubbles and a nose of fresh fruit and hawthorn. The smooth and complex palate minges flavors of apple and pear with red berries and notes of toast and almonds. It got 92 points from both The Wine Spectator and The Wine Advocate.

The Holidays are upon us, full of parties, festive dinners and rubbing elbows with family and friends. This Saturday we will be pouring some wines to set off those occasions. These wines are hardly typical, but then so are the holidays. Break out of the everyday winter gloom and come celebrate.

2007 Delmas Blanquette de Limoux ($12)
80% Mauzac & 20% Chardonnay
Organic and Vegan
Blanquette de Limoux may be the world’s first sparkling wine, dating as far back as 1531 when the monks of the Benedictine abbey of Saint-Hilaire, near Limoux, were producing a somewhat unusual white wine in their cellars. Inside its glass flask, with a cork top – very rare for wines at this time – it acquired a natural sparkle. It caught on. The Blanquette de Limoux is made from Mauzac, a traditional variety that gives body and aroma, and Chardonnay that reinforces the bouquet and adds freshness and finesse. The Delmas is a creamy-textured, full-bodied wine with a fine yeasty character, subtly fruity, with toasty green apple and lemon flavors. It’s great for effervescing any party or dinner.

2009 Cave de Vignerons de Buxy,
Montagny 1^er Cru “les Chaniots” ($20)
This Chardonnay comes from Premier Cru Vineyards located in Montagny with soils of brittle limestone and calcareous clay. The nose is dominated by floral hints which gradually give progress to honey and dried fruits. It is a full-bodied, elegant fine wine that can add a touch of class to any occasion.

2006 Prorprietà Sperino, Uvaggio ($20)
65% Nebbiolo, 20% Vespolina, 15% Croatina.
From the north of Piedmont, comes this special Nebbiolo blend made with the same care as a Barolo or a Barbaresco. The grapes are handpicked, and co-fermented for 19 days. The wine then remains sur lie for 9 months before being aged for 18 months in a mix of oak barrels. The wine is complex with aromas of rose, earth, smoked meats and a touch of vanilla followed by full berry flavors with notes of tar and spice. The Uvaggio is an exceptional wine made for any exceptional dinner or gathering.

2007 Montmartel Visan ($15)
50% Grenache and 50% Syrah
Montmartel is a family run estate in Visan, a village in the Côtes du Rhône. The vineyards are certified Organic. The wine has more Syrah than most Southern Rhônes. Full good fruit, lush body, and the right bit of age on it. It is great with food and rich enough for drinking just by itself. It would be the hit at any party.

A Special Tasting with Triage Wines.
Sunday, December 11^th, 5 pm
$20 plus tax.

Champagne is a world ruled by the big houses that buy juice from a lot of different growers and blend it to make consistent wines that vary little from year to year. Grower Champagnes on the other hand are wines made by small estates that grow their own grapes, make the wine themselves and blend out of their own stocks. The wines are more distinct, personal, and surprisingly delicious.

Join us on Sunday afternoon on December 11^th for a special tasting of 4 great grower champagnes from Triage Wines, a local importer and distributor. They will be on hand to tell you all about the wine makers and their land. We’ll also have a nice selection of light appetizers to accompany the wines. It should be a great start to a holiday evening.

Space is limited and on a first come first served basis so please call or email us to save you a spot

We’ll be pouring:

J-L Vergnon Brut Blanc de Blancs Conversation — $46
Le Mesnil sur Oger, Côtes du Blancs
All Chardonnay that is aged over 3 years, this Blanc de Blancs sees no capitalization, undergoes no malolactic fermentation and gets minimal dosage. The wine has focused structure with aromas of citrusy grapefruit, lemon peel, biscuit and classic notes of chalk.

R. H Coutier Brut Tradition Grand Cru — $43
Ambonnay, Montagne de
Reims
60% Pinot Noir, 40% Chardonnay
Organic
Produced entirely from Grand Cru grapes the Brut Tradition shows rich, leesy fruit obtained through extended bottle aging prior to disgorging. Quite vinous in texture, it is full and long with crisp apple fruit notes on the finish and showing some toasty notes in the nose.

José Michel & Fils Brut Tradition — $40
Moussy, Côtes des Blancs
60% Pinot Meunier, 40% Chardonnay
The Brut is composed of reserve wines that are 5 or 6 years old. The wine has great toast on the nose, along with ripe but crisp lemon and some orange zest followed by a full bodied mouth feel and a long finish.

Laherte Frères Brut Tradition — $43
Chavot, Vallee de la Marne
60% Pinot Meunier, 30% Chardonnay, 10% Pinot Noir
Laherte’s 10 hectares of vineyards are spread in 75 different parcels in 10 different villages, giving them a large palette to work with. All of them are farmed either biodynamically or organically. This Brut has aromas of citrus zest, lemon blossom and pear leading to a yeasty, toasty, creamy rich mouthfeel with a full good finish.

For more information before Sunday you can check out:

http://www.triagewines.com/images/triage%20champagne%20catalog.pdf

http://triagewines.com/producers/Coutier%20Page.pdf

http://triagewines.com/producers/Vergnon%20Page.pdf

http://triagewines.com/producers/Jose%20Michel%20Page.pdf

http://triagewines.com/producers/Laherte%20Page.pdf

http://thevinecollective.com/wine_site/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/tvc_champagne_tasting.pdf

ANIMALE is a very small winery hidden away in the outskirts of pastoral Ballard with a total production of just around 200 cases. There Matt Gubitosa, winemaker, cellar master and head bottle washer produces his hand-crafted, full-flavored red wines from some of Washington’s lesser known grapes. His preference for aging in neutral oak barrels accents each varietal’s unique characteristics and lets the wines speak for themselves. Matt will be at the shop Saturday showing off his newly released 2009 vintage. We’ll have his Petite Sirah, Dolchetto, Petit Verdot and Mouvedre open for tasting. Come join us and be merry in Madrona.

2009 Petite Sirah         $25

From McIntire Vineyard in Sunnyside, the Petite Sirah has explosive aromas of fresh blackberries, and a hint of menthol. The wine is medium bodied with flavors of ripe plum, berries, and dark chocolate. 57 cases made.

2009 Dolcetto         $24

From Gilbert’s 24 K vineyard in Mattawa, this Dolchetto has aromas of blueberries and cherries, with appealing floral accents. It is an incredibly well made example of a domestic Dolchetto. 24 cases made.

2009 Mourvedre         $26

95% Mourvedre, 5% Syrah

From Kiona Vineyard in Red Mountain the Mourvedre has aromas of black currants and blackberries, with hints of exotic spices and tangerines. 24 cases made.

2009 Petit Verdot         $28

From Gilbert’s “Doc Stewart” Vineyard in Mattawa, the Verdot has complex aromas of cherries and plum with hints of roasted peppers, kumquat, and ginger. 24 cases made.

2009 Barbera     $18
From Gilbert’s 24 K vineyard in Mattawa. This is not your typical Barbera. 

This Saturday we’ll be featuring some great red wines from the Southern Rhone where Grenache finds its best expression. Southern Rhones are great food wine, balanced and versatile and the best ones have an elegance that is hard to match. They are just the thing to bring you out of Thursday’s food hangover. Shake it off and come try some excellent wines.

2010 Les Perles Piquepoul                                                        $8

Pays de L’Herault

Picpoul is the grape, known as “the Muscadet of the South” in France. The Les Perles, made by Jérôme Calmes in the Languedoc, is a Lip Stinger! Pale yellow color with green tints the picpoul has fresh and fine aromas of grapefruit, exotic fruit and lime flavors. It is slightly south of the Rhone, but a fresh way to wake up your mouth.

2010 Domaine Lafond, Roc-Epine, Côtes du Rhone                 $14

70% Grenache, 30% Syrah

This family run vineyard started in 1880 consists of 8 hectares of rocky, sandy soil with a mix of pebbles and lime and clay.  The grapes are all handpicked, destemmed and let to macerate for 14-20 days before pressing.  It is aged in cement and stainless tanks then racked into new oak for 3-4 months before bottling. The Lafond has aromas of ripe fruit, cherries, black currants and undergrowth followed by deep red fruits and dark berry flavors.

Clos du Papes, Le Petit Vin d’ Avril Rouge                               $15

Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvedre

From Clos des Papes, Le Petit Vin d’Avril Rouge is a non-vintage “house blend” meant for everyday drinking while their Châteauneufs age gracefully in the cellar. The Petit is made from declassified Chateauneuf du Pape vines usually blended from two vintages. The wine is full of cherry fruit with notes of pepper, spice and herbal brush.

2009 Clos des Brusquières, Châteauneuf-du-Pape                 $40

85% Grenache, 9% Syrah, 6% Mourvèdre

With only eight hectares of vines (40 year old on average) this miniscule, ultra-traditional estate produces tiny quantities of just one wine: no luxury cuvee, no specialty blend, just a stunningly pure and complex Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Owner Claude Courtil is the godson of none other than Henri Bonneau, one of the most legendary and revered producers in the region, and he learned everything he knows about winemaking from his godfather. Henri and Claude share a deeply held commitment to natural winemaking: manual vineyard work, traditional aging in large foudres, and bottling without intrusive fining and filtration. The 2009 is loaded with dark fruit and spice. It is drinking great right now and will age nicely.