It has been quite a week here in Madrona with talk of Corona overshadowing the Super Tuesday results.  But we made it to the weekend.  Sunday, we set the clocks ahead an hour, and there are signs of Spring in the garden.  It is time to have a glass of wine and we have some good ones lined up to sample. We also have a new art by Paul Lockhart up on Sunday — more details below.  Here’s what’s going on.

Saturday, we have wine from one of our favorite Piedmont producers, Podere Ruggeri Corsini.  They are all great values.
2017 Langhe Bianco  $16
Arneis, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay
2016 Langhe Rosso Matot $13
60% Dolcetto, 30% Barbera, 10% Nebbiolo
2017 Barbera d’Alba    $16
2017 Langhe Nebbiolo    $19
2015 Barolo  $30

Sunday we’ll be pouring a couple of discounted wines from France.
2018 Hecht & Bannier Côtes de Provence Rosé                                     $13
60% Grenache, 35% Cinsault, 5% Vermintino
Well-balanced wine with great acidity and a refined finish. It has tasty rose water and chalk notes, with flavors of white cherry, peach, strawberry and cantaloupe. Fruity, crisp, fresh and ready to drink! 
Was $18, Now $13
2014 Léon Perdigal Réserve des Capucins                                               $10
Grenache, Mourvedre, Syrah
Côtes de RhôneIntense ruby red color and bouquet of red fruits, spices, and brushwood. Well-balanced on the palate with rich, supple tannins.
Was $15, Now $10

Sunday 3 to 5 is also the Artist Reception for our new show Paradigm Shift –from Realistic to Impressionist by Paul Lockhart.  Come see the show and talk to Paul about his work. 

The Ruggeri Corsini estate is a family-run winery in the province of Cuneo, the heart of the Langhe hills: Monforte d’Alba.  The winery was founded in 1995, by who had Loredana Addari and Nicola Argamante both graduated with specialized degrees in wine-growing and enology. They left their city jobs to buy a small 10 heactares vineyard (which at the time only produced and sold its grapes). It’s a family run business, owned by the two agronomists and Loredana’s brother, Lorenzo. Stop by on Saturday and try their wines.
 
2017 Langhe Bianco Arneis, $16
Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay
This unique white blend from the Langhe immediately impresses with an engaging array of apple, pear and gooseberry aromas and a bright palate of layered fruit and crisp acidity.  Over delivers.

2016 Langhe Rosso Matot $13
60% Dolcetto, 30% Barbera, 10% Nebbiolo
The Rosso Matot is Piedmonte in a glass. Dolcetto, Barbera and Nebbiolo harmoniously blend together to result in a rustic wine that offers notes of bark, earth, currants and tobacco. Fresh acidity with a component of dill joining on the finish.
 
2017 Barbera d’Alba    $16
From thier estate vineyards Corsini’s Barbera d’Alba is a typical Piedmontese barbera with fresh cherry fruit and a striking underlying acidity.
 
2017 Langhe Nebbiolo    $19
from two different vineyard sites—one is within the Barolo appellation and the other is just outside the appellation limits. This wine has red fruits, pretty florals and spicy aromatics dominate the nose while the palate is well-structured with a nice fruitiness through the middle. The palate has a light hit of blood orange in addition to minerals and a forest floor note.
 
2015 Barolo  $30
Corsini is known for their single-vineyard Barolos, but this blended example has all the right notes of rose, tea, tar and rich cherry fruit.  We have a very limited supply at this price.

Madrona Wine Merchants offers free wine tastings featuring 3-5 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.

Last night’s winds blew an extra day onto the February calendar.  It’s LeapEnd here in Madrona and we have a couple of great events lined up to celebrate.

Saturday, February 29th, we are tasting some fine examples from California’s Counterculture.  We have wines from three young Cali winemakers who are bucking the norm. 
2015 Keep Wines, Lost Slough Albariño   $30
2018 Keep Wines, Delta White Cortese Falanghina  $24
2018 Keep Wines, Counoise  $28
2018 Martha Stoumen Wines, Venturi Vineyard Carignan  $36
2018 Inconnu Wine, Papa Jaja Cabernet Sauvignon  $20

Sunday, March 1st,we have a special visit from Bodegas Frontaura.  The Frontaura estate has 120 hectares of vines producing the native variety Tempranillo Tinta de Toro and in the D.O. of Toro. Nexus is their property in Ribera del Duero where they make Tempranillo with a different flair.  Loreto Herrero from the winery will be in the shop from 2 to 4 pm to elaborate about the wines. 
2015 Nexus One Ribera del Duero $15
Tempranillo
The Nexus has intensity and freshness. At first floral touches appear followed by subtle aromas of red fruit with dairy notes and hints of caramel.
2014 Frontaura Domino de Valdelacasa Cosecha $15
Tempranillo
From Toro the Domino is very intense on the nose, red fruit aromas, strawberry, raspberry, and blackberry are predominate with dairy and well-integrated wood. Touches of eucalyptus, velvety licorice and mineral notes come out. It is smooth, balsamic and very long. It is a structured and complex wine.

Madrona Wine Merchants offers free wine tastings featuring 3-5 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.

California Wine are known for big Napa Cabs, and buttery Chards, but in the shadows there are small wineries that focus more on subtlety and finesse.  This Saturday we feature three of these producers. 
 
Keep Wines — Based in Napa, winemakers Jack Roberts and Johanna Jensen create wines influenced by the old world with less ripe fruit, minimal manipulation and great ageability. In the vigneron tradition, they do much of the work themselves from vineyard to bottling.  The wines are typically 12-mid 13% alcohol, have healthy acidities and minimal sulphur additions.

Martha Stoumen, based in Sebastopol, leases and farms around half of the vineyards herself. The other half is farmed by multi-generation farmers who understand their land, and who share the same philosophy–composting rather than adding synthetic fertilizers, allowing predatory insects the ability to outcompete pests rather than spraying insecticides, and doing proper handwork, such as pruning for vine longevity rather than high yields.  In the cellar she uses a minimalist winemaking approach.   

INCONNU based out of Napa, is a meditation on simplicity; believing that less is more. They make their wines with spontaneous ferments, low sulfur, low intervention, and ethically farmed grapes.  
 
2015 Keep Wines, Lost Slough Albariño   $30
From the Lost Slough Vineyard, the cooler air and loamy soil of the Delta gives this wine a rare minerality not seen in most California white grapes. Delicious acid with a slight saline umami quality. Aged in neutral oak for 18th months
 
2018 Keep Wines, Delta White Cortese Falanghina  $24
From the Lost Slough Vineyard, right next to the Sacramento River Delta, hence the name.  The wine is sur lie aged for 6 months before bottling and has a high level of minerality and complexity. Stone fruit pit and Lychee on the nose, river rocks on the palate.
 
2018 Keep Wines, Counoise  $28
These grapes sourced from David Gerard Vineyard in the Sierra Nevada foothills. Keep made this wine using the carbonic method (whole grapes slowly break apart as they ferment). Spiced strawberries, red earth, wild herbs, pomegranate, white pepper, very low tannins and medium acidity.

2018 Martha Stoumen Wines, Venturi Vineyard Carignan  $36
From Venturi Vineyard is in Mendocino County which was planted in 1948; dry farmed; organic.  The Carignan has aromas of dried herbs, rose petals and cherry fruit leather happily greet you on the nose. Bright cherry notes on the palate with a lovely light body and dusty tannins.
 
2018 Inconnu Wine, Papa Jaja Cabernet Sauvignon  $20
Papa Jaja comes from the Clarksburg vineyard is located next to the Sacramento River, and has combination soils of loam and alluvial material with clay and silt. It’s farmed organically, deficit irrigated in drought years, but dry farmed otherwise. The wine is matured in neutral oak for about a year.  It is a great early drinking Cabernet with cassis and blue fruit flavors.

Madrona Wine Merchants offers free wine tastings featuring 3-5 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.

We have Mardi Gras on our minds this weekend at Madrona Wine. Fat Tuesday is just around the corner and we have lined up a full weekend of French wines to get your gris gris going.  Stop by and pick up something to go with the gumbo. 

Saturday we’re sampling Organic wines from Bordeaux and the South of France.
Château Sicot Crémant de Bordeaux Rosé Brut .$19
2017 Château de Caraguilhes Blanc AOC Corbières   $17
2014 Château de Caraguilhes Rouge  AOC Corbières  $16
2016 Chàteau Sicot Bordeaux Supérior  $15
2016 Château les Croisille “Silice” AOC Cahors  $20

Sunday we’ll be sashaying in the second line with two more French quaffers.
2018 Les Deux Moulins Sauvignon Blanc   $13
Les Deux Moulins is located between Anjou and Tours, with vineyards made up of gravel and schist soils, which instill the wine with a vibrant and long-lasting mineral finish. The fruit is very bright and lively as well.Notes of lime, gooseberry, and a subtle grassiness. Organic. 12% alcohol by volume
2014 Château Les Marechaux Blaye   $15
Merlot, Cabernet Franc
A dusty and leathery Bordeaux from Blaye. A good match for rich meats. Was $18 now $15.

Madrona Wine Merchants offers free wine tastings featuring 3-5 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.

This Saturday we will be sampling a quintet of organic French wines from Bordeaux and the Southwest of France.  A representative from the distributor will be pouring from 2-4pm to explain all the intricacies of the organic/biologic wine making method.

Château Sicot Crémant de Bordeaux Rosé Brut $19
60% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon
Abundance of fine bubbles. The nose has a nice sharpness with aromas of flowers, pears, and brioche notes (fermentary notes). The mouth is both lively and well rounded. 4 hour skin contact. 7g/liter dosage. Aged a minimum of 12 months. Very low SO2. Hand-harvested. Organic and biodynamic.

2017 Château de Caraguilhes Blanc AOC Corbières   $17
65% Roussanne, 20% Marsanne, 15% Grenache Blanc
Lovely white fruit flavors with a good mineral splash. Aromas of almond flowers, white peaches and apricot are underpinned by hints of citrus fruits, characteristic of our terroir. Silky, rounded and beautifully delicate. Citrus fruits with hints of acacia and fennel – plants indigenous to this area. Balanced with great length. Minimal SO2 and filtration. Organic.

2014 Château de Caraguilhes Rouge  AOC Corbières  $16
60% Syrah, 30% Carignan, 10% Grenache Noir 
Deep and dense ruby red color displaying a nice concentration with glints of violet at the edge of the glass. Silky attack, with notes of pepper and cherry, which underlines the robust quality of the wine. The tannins contribute a good structure which strengthens the balance. Wild yeast , minimal SO2 and filtration. No additives. Organic

2016 Chàteau Sicot Bordeaux Supérior  $15
70% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Cabernet Franc, 4% Malbec
Deep garnet color. The nose is intense, black fruits (blackcurrant, blackberry), hint of violet, English candy, spices (vanilla, pepper) and toast notes. In the mouth, a lot of roundness with a certain freshness and elegant tannins. The finish is long. Wild yeast, very minimal SO2 and filtration. No additives. Organic

2016 Château les Croisille “Silice” AOC Cahors  $20
100% Malbec
The grapes used to create this wine were sourced from a very rare terroir, making up less than 10% of the Cahors appellation. This terroir creates wines that are fine and easy to digest. This well-balanced wine is brimming with mouth-watering acidity. Extended skin contact. 100% neutral. Hand-harvested. Wild yeast. Mminimal SO2 and filtration. No additives. Organic

Madrona Wine Merchants offers free wine tastings featuring 3-5 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.

Saturday starting at 2PM (unitl the bottles run out), we are tasting some of the sassy wines of Spain, finishing up with a little sherry. Time to get out of the house and think of warmer climes.

2017 Bodegas Ontañon “Akemi” Rioja Blanco  $15
Viura
2016 Campos de Risca Jumilla  $13
100% Monastrell (aka Mourvédre
2016 Domino de la Abadesa Ribera del Duero Crianza  $19
90% Tempranillo, 10% Garnacha
2016 Costers del Priorat “Petit Pissarres”  $22
60% Garnacha Tinta, 40% Samsó (Carignan or Mazuelo)
Bodegas Grant Oloroso “La Garrocha” 375 ml $14

Come Sunday we are off to France and Spain, showcasing these two:

2014 Abonnat La Gardonne   $11
60% Gamay, 40% Pinot Noir
This wine comes from the town of Boudes to the south of the Auvergne vineyard in the Loire. On the nose, smoky and peppery notes accompany a sustained fruitiness (blackcurrant, redcurrant) with support of a fine acidity. Organic. 12% alcohol by volume
 
2015 Viña Século Mencia   $11
25-year-old vines from Bierzo in Northwestern Spain. Medium-body, cherry red, with aromas of of ripe fruit, vanilla, and spices. Ideal paired with chicken, grilled meats, or pasta.

Madrona Wine Merchants offers free wine tastings featuring 3-5 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.

Spanish wine history dates back to around 1100 BC when the Phoenicians founded the trading post of Cádiz in southwestern Spain, though many archaeologists believe that grapes were first cultivated sometime between 4000 and 3000 BC, much before the wine-growing culture of the Phoenicians. Come taste this history with us!

2017 Bodegas Ontañon “Akemi” Rioja Blanco $15
Viura
A collaboration between Michelin-starred Kiro Sushi Restaurant in Lagroño and Bodegas Ontañon. Akemi means “beauty of dawn” in Japanese and Viura is an indigenous white grape varietal from Rioja – known in other parts of Spain as Macabeo. The wine is dry with an attractive warm richness with lots of Asian Pear flavors and a saline note. What a surprise — this would go great with sushi! 12.5% alcohol by volume

2016 Campos de Risca Jumilla $13
From the sunny arid part of SE Spain known in Spanish as the ‘Levante’ this tasty red is 100% Monastrell (aka Mourvédre). Intense and a deep red Bordeaux color. The nose shows aromas of dried and some fresh fruits, red berries but also dried figs and prunes. The palate is explosive but full of soft fruit and tannins.

2016 Domino de la Abadesa Ribera del Duero Crianza  $19
90% Tempranillo, 10% Garnacha
From high-elevation vineyards on the northern plateau just north of Madrid. Ontañon gives the Crianza a long maceration with 12 months in American Oak (60%) and French Oak (40%) barrels, both used and new, followed by 12 months in bottle prior to release. Fresh and firm, with dusty cocoa, underbrush and licorice notes framing the black cherry and red currant fruit. Keen acidity and well-integrated tannins give this red nice focus. Sustainable

2016 Costers del Priorat “Petit Pissarres”  $22
60% Garnacha Tinta, 40% Samsó (Carignan or Mazuelo)
Petit Pissarres is derived from the word “Pizarra” which is “slate” in Spanish, and this delicious Priorat is almost revelatory in that it’s not nearly as massive as most reds from this fast-rising region. Intense red with purple tones. It has a very fresh aroma, full of flowers and red fruits sensations that are confirmed in the palate and finishes cheerful and lively!

Bodegas Grant Oloroso “La Garrocha” 375 ml $14
Situated in El Puerto de Santa Maria and popularly known as Bodegas Las 7 Esquinas (7 Corners Winery). Its origins go back to 1841 when it was founded by Edmundo Grant Falconell. Their label, La Garrocha, refers to a famous dance performed with a stick while on horseback. This Oloroso which spent nine years aging through the Solera system is dry and rich with a dark color and a penetrating hazelnut bouquet.

Madrona Wine Merchants offers free wine tastings featuring 3-5 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.

It has been a soggy week here in Madrona.  But last night’s winds might have blown some of the rain away, at least for a couple of days.  While we dry out and get ready for the Oscars we’ll be tasting some highly nominated wines here at the wine shop.  Stop in and pick your favorites.

Saturday we have some big wines from small producers in France and Italy.  They are all organic and that is just the start.
2017 Domaine Montrose Côtes de Thongue Rosé  $10
2018 Château Brézé Clos de Midi  $20
Chenin Blanc
2018 La Montagnette Côtes du Rhone Villages  $14
70% Grenache, 20% Syrah, 5% Mourvédre, 5% Carrignan
2018 Mélaric “le Tandem”  $19
60% Grolleau, 40% Cabernet Franc
2017 Reale Cardamone  Tramonti Costa d’Amalfi $25
80% Piedirosso, 20% Tintore. 

Sunday we have two Washington wines that compete for the category of Best Value.
2016 Sparkman Apparition  $13
75% Roussanne, 12% Grenache Blanc, 13% Marsanne
This wine is mostly Roussanne, with the balance equal parts Marsanne and Grenache Blanc, with the fruit coming from Olsen and Boushey vineyards. Lemon verbena, grape-nut, peach and apple aromas lead to broad stone-fruit flavors.
2017 Freehand Cellars Syrah  $13
Aromatics of blackberry jam, plums and black currents followed by layers of smoked meats with a touch of anise and white pepper.  The entry is smooth with lush tannins and a perfect balance of oak and dark fruits that envelopes the palate with rich layers of exotic spices, followed by a lush finish that showcases the gorgeous French oak.

Madrona Wine Merchants offers free wine tastings featuring 3-5 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.