Beginning October 18th all French, German and Spanish wine entering the country will have a 25% tariff charged to them. This also applies to olives, virgin olive oil, cherries, oranges and lemons from Spain, pork sausages and roasted coffee from Germany. Italian cheeses like pecorino, Parmesan and provolone. Stilton cheese, sweet biscuits and Scotch whiskies from Britain.  But it does not apply to wine already in the country, or on our shelves.  Come stock your shelves this weekend as we are pouring pre-tariff wine from Spain and France before the prices jump up.  If your cellar is big enough you might want to buy enough to make it to the next administration.  Here’s what we are tasting:
 
Saturday is Spain!  We are featuring five wines from some of the major regions of Spain.  Come belly up to Iberia.
Bohigas, Cava Brut Reserva $13
2016 Sin PalaBRAS, Albareño $18
2016 Protos, Tinto Fino $15
2010 Lan, Rioja Grand Reserva $25
2014 Unio, Licorella Priorat $25
 
Sunday is Basic Bordeaux!  We will be pouring the white and the red of Grand Bateau. Two easy drinking, drinking Bordeaux from Chateau Beychevelle. 
2017 Grand Bateau Bordeaux Blanc  $11
80% Sauvignon Blanc
From well-known Bordeaux producer Château Beychevelle, this Sauvignon Blanc shows citrus and herbal characters with a touch of oak and mineral backbone. Sustainable
2016 Grand Bateau Bordeaux Rouge  $11
80% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon
Ruby color. Nose is delicately toasty and opens towards ripe fruit aromas of cassis and prunes, vanilla and spices. On the palate fleshy, soft, and elegant, sustained by ripe and savory tannins.

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.

Saturday we are featuring five wines from some of the major regions of Spain.  It is a blend of a few old friends and a few new faces. Come join us and belly up to Iberia.
 
Bohigas Cava Brut Reserva $13
Xarel-lo, Macabeo and Parellada
The Bohigas family has been growing grapes on their land since 1290. Their vineyards are in the Anoia River Valley, planted in limestone and clay soils, but further upstream at higher altitudes and cooler climates than the Penedes cava producers.  The wine spends 24 months on its lees before disgorgement. Lemon/lime, crushed rock and white currant notes are present in this crisp, elegant, refreshing, zesty, dry sparkler. Hints of wheat thins and brioche add complexity.
 
2016 Sin PalaBRAS, Albareño $18
An Upper Case Albareño from Rais Baixais from 75-year-old vines.  Classic Albariño aromas of sea brine, tropical fruits, lees and dust precede a minerally lemony palate with tangy flavors of lemon, lime and gooseberry. This is a fresh clean example with a long stony citrusy finish.
 
2016 Protos, Tinto Fino $15
100% Tempranillo
“Ribera del Duero” was literally this winery’s brand name until 1982, when Protos gifted the name to the rest of the region, allowing for the creation of the Ribera del Duero appellation. The Into Fino has black fruit aromas, well balances with the oak, bringing sweet spicy and nice toasty notes.  It is tasty, sweet, well balanced, with pleasant smooth tannins and toasty reminders on the finish.
 
2010 Lan Rioja Grand Reserva $25
Bodegas LAN was founded in 1972 and named after the initials of the 3 provinces in the Rioja Designation of Origin: Logrono (now La Rioja) Alava and Navarra. It is located in the heart of Rioja Alta. Their Grand Reserva has aromas of ripe red fruits combined with spicy notes from the aging in oak (vanilla, cinnamon, fennel, licorice root) and tertiary aromas (leather, cigar box) from its prolonged bottle ageing. Full bodied and round, its mouthfeel is elegant and very well balanced.
 
2014 Unio Licorella Priorat $25
50% Carignan, 25% Garnacha,  15% Merlot
Priorat’s steep slopes of licorella (brown and black slate) and quartzite soils, protection from the cold winds of the Siera de Monstant and a lack of water, leading to incredibly low vine yields, all work together to make the region’s wines unique. The mineral essence and unprecedented concentration of a Priorat wine is unmistakable. Unio’s Classic has drilling aromas of graphite and balsamic dark fruits. Roaring berry, chocolate and pepper flavors get brushed aside by the tannic roughness of the finish.

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.

As Fall fills the air, wine fills our glasses.  It is Mark’s birthday today here at Madrona Wine.  Stop by and wish him “many returns”.  And of course, there are some interesting wines to try.

Saturday come taste some terroir of the Loire, Provence and the Côtes-du-Rhône. 
2018 Patient Cottat, Le Grande Caillou  $12
Sauvignon Blanc
2018 Miraval, Rosé  $20
Cinsault, Grenache, Syrah, Rolle
2017 Famille Perrin, Nature Organic Red  $13
Grenache, Syrah
2016 Famile Perrin, Vinsobres Les Cornuds $20
50% Grenache, 50% Syrah
2016 Domaine Les Adrets, Bandol Rouge $21
95% Mourvèdre, 5% Carignan

Sunday we have new wines from Lebanon. Over 4000 years ago, the Phoenicians sold Lebanese wine through-out the Mediterranean region, and they were credited with having introduced the flavorful nectar into the Spanish and Italian markets. Today we taste two new ones that have made their way into the shop.
2017 Château Ksara Merwah  $15
100% Merwah
Crystalline bright lemon yellow color, aromatic nose of fresh lemon zest, white peach blossoms and dusty dried baking herbs with just a hint of crushed gravel minerality. The palate is medium-bodied, relatively taut but deliciously vibrant and fresh. There is textural weight and a sleek, seamless mouthfeel with layers of lemon biscuit, Japanese green tea, lemon bon bons, white peach pastille finishing with a juicy green apple crunch. 12.5% alcohol by volume
2016 Château Ksara Reserve Du Couvent  $15
40% Syrah, 30% Cabernet France, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon
Founded by the Jesuits Fathers in 1857, the grapes are grown on the slopes of the Bekka Valley. This wine with its dark ruby-red color is a fusion of finesse and elegance; with notes of beautifully integrated oak and vanilla enveloped in supple, pure and round tannins and a wonderful persistence on the palate. Hand Harvested

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.

Fall is in the air, and French wines are filling our glasses.  So grab your beret and come taste some terroir of the Loire, Provence and the Côtes-du-Rhône.

2018 Patient Cottat, Le Grande Caillou  $12
Sauvignon Blanc
The Fournier family have been farming and producing wines in Sancerre for generations. Le Grande Caillou “the big rock” doesn’t make the cut to be labeled Sancerre, but at this price we won’t quibble.  Clean, bright and refreshing, this is a perfect Loire Sauvignon Blanc for all occasions.

2018 Miraval, Rosé  $20
Cinsault, Grenache, Syrah, Rolle
Owned by the Jollie Pit “family”  but made by a real life Provencal wine maker, the Miraval rosé is a wonderful blend of fruits aromas and freshness, made on an exceptional terroir in Provence.  Special Fall price.

2017 Famille Perrin, Nature Organic Red  $13
Grencahe, Syrah
Certified organic, Perrin Nature is not only an organic Côtes-du-Rhône but also good wine. Using their experience in organic farming at Beaucastel (one of the first big estates to turn to organic farming 40 years ago), this wine is a beautiful expression of fruit with delicate and soft tannins.  Rich in the mouth, it offers a nice complexity with aromas of spices, garrigue, blackcurrant and white pepper.

2016 Famile Perrin, Vinsobres Les Cornuds $20
50% Grenache, 50% Syrah
Vinsobres, a beautiful village located north of Châteauneuf du Pape  is cultivated primarily on terraces particularly suitable for Syrah. It develops notes of violet, smoked meat and blackberries. The Grenache is also suited to this terroir, full bodied and not heavy, with notes of black chocolate, cherry and typical Garrigue aromas.  Well balanced and complex in the mouth, it offers a nice acidity, freshness and a hint of bitterness reminiscent of limestone.

2016 Domaine Les Adrets, Bandol Rouge $21
95% Mourvèdre, 5% Carignan
Les Adrets means “Sunny Side” in French and in practical use refers to a slope soaked by the sunshine. The vineyards that produce Les Adrets sit upon hillsides facing south east, steep enough to require the growers to plant the vines in stone wall terraces called “restanques”. The grapes are from younger vines planted in the five diverse Bandol soil types: rudist limestone, Triassac pebbles, black marl, sandy marl, and red sand.  The wine is unmistakably rich, almost burly with deep, ripe fruit and playful, peppery 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.

Fall is in the air, and French wines are filling our glasses.  So grab your beret and come taste some terroir of the Loire, Provence and the Côtes-du-Rhône. 
 
2018 Patient Cottat, Le Grande Caillou  $12
Sauvignon Blanc
The Fournier family have been farming and producing wines in Sancerre for generations. Le Grande Caillou “the big rock” doesn’t make the cut to be labeled Sancerre, but at this price we won’t quibble.  Clean, bright and refreshing, this is a perfect Loire Sauvignon Blanc for all occasions.

2018 Miraval, Rosé  $20
Cinsault, Grenache, Syrah, Rolle
Owned by the Jollie Pit “family”  but made by a real life Provencal wine maker, the Miraval rosé is a wonderful blend of fruits aromas and freshness, made on an exceptional terroir in Provence.  Special Fall price.
 
2017 Famille Perrin, Nature Organic Red  $13
Grencahe, Syarh
Certified organic, Perrin Nature is not only an organic Côtes-du-Rhône but also good wine. Using their experience in organic farming at Beaucastel (one of the first big estates to turn to organic farming 40 years ago), this wine is a beautiful expression of fruit with delicate and soft tannins.  Rich in the mouth, it offers a nice complexity with aromas of spices, garrigue, blackcurrant and white pepper.
 
2016 Famile Perrin, Vinsobres Les Cornuds $20
50% Grenache, 50% Syrah
Vinsobres, a beautiful village located north of Châteauneuf du Pape  is cultivated primarily on terraces particularly suitable for Syrah. It develops notes of violet, smoked meat and blackberries. The Grenache is also suited to this terroir, full bodied and not heavy, with notes of black chocolate, cherry and typical Garrigue aromas.  Well balanced and complex in the mouth, it offers a nice acidity, freshness and a hint of bitterness reminiscent of limestone.
 
2016 Domaine Les Adrets, Bandol Rouge $21
95% Mourvèdre, 5% Carignan
Les Adrets means “Sunny Side” in French and in practical use refers to a slope soaked by the sunshine. The vineyards that produce Les Adrets sit upon hillsides facing south east, steep enough to require the growers to plant the vines in stone wall terraces called “restanques”. The grapes are from younger vines planted in the five diverse Bandol soil types: rudist limestone, Triassac pebbles, black marl, sandy marl, and red sand.  The wine is unmistakably rich, almost burly with deep, ripe fruit and playful, peppery 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.

It is the equinox this weekend, which in Madrona means finding a balance between sun & showers.  Fall seems to have settled in, but as we adjust to the new season we have some great wine tastings this weekend to help with our equilibrium.  We’ll start at the end and work our way back.

Sunday Evening we’ll be tasting the well-aged wines of López de Heredia.  This starts at 5:30 pm after we close the shop and costs $20.We have a few spots left if you’d like to join us.
2009 Viña Tondonia Rosé Gran Reserva $28
2010 Viña Gravonia Blanco Crianza $27
2005 Viña Tondonia Blanco Reserva $45
2010 Lopez de Heredia Viña Cubillo Crianza $24
2006 Viña Tondonia Reserva $44

Sunday from 11 to 5 we’ll be featuring two wines from the Sant’ Elena Winery of Friuli/Venezia in Northeastern Italy. This winery also likes to age its wines a bit before sending them to market.
2011 Sant’ Elena Chardonnay  $12
Bright acidity frames this lively Chardonnay. It offers flavors of stone fruit, Gala apple, almond and citrus zest.
2001 Sant’ Elena Merlot  $17
A 17-year-old Merlot from Friuli that is far from giving up the ghost.  Smooth developed flavors and soft tannin.

And Saturday, we are going back to nature with Organic & Biodynamic Wines from Italy, France & Portugal. Come celebrate the equinox with these balanced natural wines. This starts at 2pm.
2018 La Staffa, “Mai Sentito” Verdicchio Frizzante $19
2018 Le Fraghe, Garganega Veneto $15
2017 Le Fraghe “L’escluso” Bardolino $16
2017 Les Amethystes, Chiroubles $20
2015 Casa de Mouraz, Dao Tinto $18

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.

Join us this Saturday as we taste a new line up of organic wines from local distributor Owen Kottler.  Come celebrate the equinox with these balanced natural wines.
 
2018 La Staffa, “Mai Sentito” Verdicchio Frizzante $19
Young winemaker Riccardo Baldi is behind La Staffa in the town of Staffolo in the Marche. He has 10 HA of vineyards he farms.  In the cellar, only native yeast is utilized. Just as in the vineyard, with all winemaking, Riccardo acts with total respect for the grape and for the viticultural traditions of the area. The family produces wine exclusively from grapes grown on estate vineyards. “Mai Sentito”means “never heard”, as in I’ve never heard of a sparking Verdicchi.
 
2018 Le Fraghe, Garganega Veneto $16
Nestled between the eastern shores of Lake Garda, the hills of Valpolicella and the ancient city of Verona is where we find Matilde Poggi’s vineyards. Her winery is outside of the town of Affi. She makes her wine naturally (no additives, native yeast, no enzymes). From Matilde: “I love this earth, every square metre of it somehow different, brought here by the glaciers that carved out, in remotest times, the the bed of the lake and the valley of the Adige river. Everything that I do in the vineyard is aimed at respecting and preserving those unique and literally incomparable qualities that I find only in my wines.”
 
2017 Le Fraghe “L’escluso” Bardolino $16
Like her Garganega, L’escluso is organically grown,  harvested by hand, and vinified with native yeast. The fermentation at a cool-temperature, the cap is managed daily – délestage in the morning &  pumpover in the evening. Malolactic fermentation and maturation is in stainless-steel until bottling the following spring
 
2017 Les Amethystes, Chiroubles $20
Located in the AOC Morgon, Michel Guignier prefers a natural approach to winemaking and believes a wine should above all be the fruit of the earth.  “Too many chemicals prevent the terroir from coming through in the wine”.  His wines are steeped in terroir, the yields are low and the harvest is done by hand. The grapes are pressed in a wooden press and matured in oak barrels on their lees.
 
2015 Casa de Mouraz,  Dao Tinto  $18
Tinta-Roriz, Touriga-Nacional, Jaen, Alfrocheiro
In the DÃO region of Portugal these vineyards of 30-40 year old vines in Granitic soils are worked using biodynamic practices and are certified ECOCERT since 1997.  The wine is a field blend using natural vinificatio, then matured in old, inert French oak barrels for 8 months.  Cherry and strawberries, intense bouquet of red fruits, plum and rosemary with notes of dark chocolate.

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.

One of South Africa’s oldest wineries with roots tracing back to 1711, Morgenster has been owned since 1992 by the now-late Giulio Bertrand and his family, who significantly upgraded facilities and enlisted the expertise of Pierre Lurton (Cheval Blanc) along with minimalist-approach winemaker Henry Kotze to produce exceptional, age-worthy blends from and alongside their mostly estate-grown single varieties. One of the Southernmost properties in Stellenbosh, Morgenster enjoys relatively cooler maritime climate keeping the wines fresh and delicious.
 
2019 Morgenster Sauvignon Blanc (unwooded) Stellenbosch $14
A hand-harvested, unwooded Sauvignon Blanc sourced from some of the top white vineyards in the Helderberg ward. The 2018 vintage was superb for white grapes, with a dry growing season featuring significant day/night temperature variations.
 
2016 Morgenster Cabernet Franc Stellenbosch $16
Grown in mixed soils with vines averaging 5-18 years of age.  The grapes are hand-harvested, and the wine aged 12 months (6 months on lees) in used French oak barrels followed by six months of bottle ageing prior to release.  This 100% Cabernet Franc possesses classic characteristics including a nose of lush cassis fruit with notes of cinnamon and clove.
 
2014 Morgenster Cabernet Sauvignon Stellenbosch $16 
This Stellembosch Cab Sauv is drawn from younger, 10-20-year-old vines.   Henry Kotze’s minimalist winemaking affords pure expression of lush red and black fruits in an approachable, terroir driven style, with Morgenster’s trademark silky smooth tannins in the background. Hand-harvested, destemmed and fermented in stainless steel tanks with minimal extraction to preserve freshness and fruit. The wine is aged 12 months in French oak barrels followed by several years of bottle ageing prior to release.
 
2010 Morgenster Lourens River Valley Estate Red $21
50% Cabernet Franc, 33% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Petit Verdot
An age-worthy Bordeaux-style blend dominated by Cabernet Franc and Merlot, using estate-grown grapes from Stellenbosch’s Helderberg district.  The wine is aged 18 months in French oak barrels (30% new) followed by several years of bottle ageing prior to release. The wine is a South African classic with aromas of Blackcurrant and cherry with spicy clove, chive, anis and butter developments. Well integrated vanilla, cacao and caramel smooths over into the palate.  The wine is plush with dark berry fruits, rounded silky tannins and the signature SA smoky note.

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.