This Saturday we are tasting Tuscany, sipping our way from the historical Villa Travignoli to the wines of famous ex-race car driver Erik Banti.  Come see the different faces of Sangiovese.  We are capping it off with La Fiorita, Brunello di Montalcino.  It is not to be missed.
 
2017 Villa Travignoli  Busi Gavignano Bianco $11
90% Chardonnay, 10% Sauvignon Blanc
Travignoli was founded in the 1700’s and has been operating by the Busi family since the 1800s. Travignoli is partially surrounded by the vineyards of Frescobaldi, in the heart of the Rufina zone where wine has been produced since the 15th century.  This Bianco has aromas of fresh citrus fruits and delicate hay notes followed by a very elegant, creamy acidity.
 
2015 Erik Banti, Carato $12
40% Cabernet, 40% Merlot and only 20% Sangiovese
This mini Super Tuscan is a Sangiovese-based blend from the Tuscan coast that tastes like it should cost much more because of its full, smooth, flavorful palate presence and excellent balance. This is bright, clean and savory with loads of sweet berries and ripe cherries and a dusting of roasted herb.
 
2012 Villa Travignoli, Tegolaia Rufina Reserva  $16
The Chianti Rùfina Riserva Tegolaia is made entirely from Sangiovese, harvested and selected in the first week of October. The evolution of this Chianti Riserva takes place for 18 months in wooden barrels, where the product matures its organoleptic characteristics and its own character.  The wine has aromas of strong fruity notes, supported by the presence of spicy and sapid notes. In the mouth it shows a great personality, with well present tannins assimilated by an excellent roundness.
 
2015 Erik Banti  Ciabatta $25
85% Sangiovese, 10% Alicante, 5% Ciliegiolo
A chewy and fruity Morellino with dark berry, dark chocolate and a hazelnut undertone. Medium to full body, firm tannins and a fresh finish.
 
2011 La Fiorita, Brunello di Montalcino $36
A classic and complex Brunello.  Tilled earth, ripe dark-skinned berry, leather and menthol aromas show this wine’s Sangiovese pedigree. The robust, concentrated palate doles out crushed black cherry, raspberry jam, cinnamon, licorice and the warmth of evident alcohol—the latter a common characteristic of this hot vintage. Firm, ripe tannins provide the framework.

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.

The clouds come back this weekend here in Madrona after a week of Sunny September weather.  We’ve got a mix of wines to taste this weekend suitable for whatever weather shows up.  Stop in and see what’s open.

Saturday we have a pack of Wolves assembled from the Loire, Uruguay, Argentina, Chile and Washington State. While at first glance they may seem cute and fluffy, but.at heart they have a bit of the beast. 
Henry Varney Blanc de Blanc $15
Ugni Blanc
2016 Vinedo de los Vientos,  Estival Blanc  $18
60% Gewurztraminer, 30% Chardonnay, 10% Moscato Bianco
2018 Pie de Palo Malbec $13
2016 Apaltagua, Gran Reserva Envero Carmenere  $18
2016 In Sheep’s Clothing Cabernet Sauvignon $19
60% Red Mountain, 40% Wahluke Slope

Sunday we’ll have a pair of Bordeaux open.  One whtie, one Red, both delicious.
2017 Château Darzac Bordeaux Blanc $11
36% Sémillon, 26% Sauvignon Blanc, 23% Muscadelle, 15% Sauvignon Gris
Entre-Duex-Mers
Medium-body with a rich mouthfeel and notes of fresh citrus, melon and green apples. Crisp and clean on the long finish. Pair with grilled snapper, roast chicken, summer salads, and mild cheeses.13% alcohol by volume
2012 Château De Macard Bordeaux Superieur  $10
50% Cabernet Franc, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot
A great little value Bordeaux. The Cabernet Franc really comes through on the palate, with offerings of attractive black cherry fruit and spices. There is superb balance, purity and elegance with refined tannins, freshness and a seamless finish. 12.5% alcohol by volume. Was $16 now $10

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.

This Saturday we’ve assembled a Wolfish crew of wines from around the world.  While at first glance they may seem cute and fluffy, but.at heart they have a bit of the beast.  Stop by and try some predators from the Loire, Uruguay, Argentina, Chile and Washington State.   
 
Henry Varney Blanc de Blanc $15
Ugni Blanc
While most sparkling wines from Saumur in the Loire Valley are made with Chenin Blanc and Chardonnay, the Blanc de Blanc is 100% Ugni Blanc. Ugni Blanc is France’s most planted white grape variety (known as Trebbiano in its native Italy).  This Blanc de Blanc has a steady stream of fine bubbles.  It is fresh and fruity, with high acidity to delight the palate.  The nose has aromas of crisp green apple and melon. The flavors are citrus and apple with a light bready finish.
 
2016 Vinedo de los Vientos,  Estival Blanc  $18
60% Gewurztraminer, 30% Chardonnay, 10% Moscato Bianco
Located just 4km from Atlantida, a coastal city of Uruguay, Vinedo de los Vientos, or “Vineyard of the Winds,” sits where the River Plate estuary meets the Atlantic Ocean. The Estival is a blend, but it’s fermented all together.  The Chardonnay is harvested unripe like in “Champagne” to get the high acidity to balance the fully ripe Gewurztraminer and the Moscato Bianco’s fruity flavors. You can feel the sweetness of the Gewurz and Moscato and the sharp acidity of the Chardonnay with lots of different flavors in between.
 
2018 Pie de Palo Malbec $13
100% Malbec
Pie de Palo is situated 20 km south of Mendoza City, Argentina, in Cruz de Piedra district, Maipu County, where the climate is moderate in the summer and winter months.  This Malbec is made in stainless steel tanks as opposed to oak, so the fruit flavors are bright and fresh. Cherry, raspberry, and other red fruits make it a very versatile Malbec.
 
2016 Apaltagua, Gran Reserva Envero Carmenere  $18
90% Carmenere, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon
The grapes in our Apaltagua Gran Reserva Envero come from our own 60 hectare vineyards in Apalta in the Colchagua Valley in Chile.  Apaltagua Gran Reserva Envero shows ripe blackberries, tobacco, and spices. It possesses a remarkable combination of ripe fruit notes and oak mixed with vanilla. Its flavor is juicy, full, and concentrated, highlighting the softness in the mouth and the raspberry and plum tannins with a touch of tobacco. It has a long and lingering finish.
 
2016 In Sheep’s Clothing Cabernet Sauvignon $19
60% Red Mountain, 40% Wahluke Slope
In Sheep’s Clothing delivers a ripeness of fruit flavors while preserving the acidity that gives the wine a slice of freshness. With layers of Cassis, Blueberries, and Black Cherries lends to New World style fruit with more of an old-world structure with a hint of wood smoke.  This wine fully embraces an integral part of classic Cabernet Sauvignon by highlighting a complex blend of dried herbs: anise, thyme and bay leaf.

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.

Our distributors have been shuffling the deck and making room for Fall arrivals in their warehouses.  That means good deals for us and we’ve snatched some up.  And good deal for you, we’ll be sampling some of them this weekend at the shop.  Stop by Madrona Wine and deal yourself in.

Saturday:
2013 Kir Yianni Samaropetra  $12
60% Roditis, 40% Sauvignon Blanc
Was $16 now $12
2012 Château Saint-Hilaire Medoc  $15
50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 45% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc
Was $23 now $15
2010 Vignalta Rosso Reserva  $17
60% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon
Was $23 now $17
2011 Cambon La Pelouse Haut Medoc  $22
50% Merlot, 47% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Petit Verdot.
Was $33 now $22
2011 Saint Esteve d’ Uchaux, Massif d’ Uchaux Vieilles Vignes  $20
50% Grenache, 50% Syrah
Was $35 now $20

Sunday we have two deals from Italy:
2015 Collefrisco Vignaquadra  $10
Passerina, Terre di Chieti
Straw-like yellow color with green reflections. Citrus aromas, bergamot, & white flowers typical of the Mediterranean area. Good acidity, persistent on the nose.
Was $15, now $10
2014 La Togata Barengo  $13
Sangiovese
A bone dry Tuscan IGT with notes of rose petals, black berries, and luscious dark cherry touting hints of tobacco and cedar box.
Was $19 now $13

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.

The leaves aren’t the only things falling this September.  A few of our distributors have surveyed their warehouses and dropped the prices on some wines they wanted to move out.  WE, of course, rushed to rake them up.  Stop by the shop on Saturday and taste some delicious deep discounts.

2013 Kir Yianni Samaropetra  $12
60% Rhoditis, 40% Sauvignon Blanc
This high elevation, single-vineyard white is in northwestern Greece.  The nose is dominated by aromas of kiwi, passionfruit and citrus, typical of a green Sauvignon Blanc with a refreshing character. On the palate, Rhoditis adds structure and crispness, supporting the intense flavors and leading to a lingering, lip-smacking aftertaste.
Was $16 now $12

2012 Château Saint-Hilaire Medoc  $15
50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 45% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc
This Cru Bourgeois has a classic Bordeaux style, with fragrant berry fruit and sweet spice and a little earthy barnyard to make it interesting.
Was $23 now $15

2010 Vignalta Rosso Reserva  $17
60% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon
Good Italian Bordeaux , the nose is complex and deep, with mineral and spicy notes, which lead  to fruity varietal notes of blackberry and marasca jam, then continue with hints of grass and undergrowth. On the palate it is elegant, balanced, with a lively yet young tannic texture. Long persistence.
Was $23 now $17

2011 Cambon La Pelouse Haut Medoc  $22
50% Merlot, 47% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Petit Verdot
Coming from vines close to Margaux (but not quite) the Cambon reveals a plum-ruby color as well as rich flower scents mixed with red and black currant, spices, and hints of wood. This offering is fleshy, medium-bodied, and with rich fruit flavors.
Was $33 now $22

2011 Saint Esteve d’ Uchaux, Massif d’ Uchaux Vieilles Vignes  $20
50% Grenache, 50% Syrah
This aim for the bleachers wine from this estate hits it over the fences.  The 2011 tastes as good as many a Châteauneuf du Pape.  Maybe better.
Was $35 now $20

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 looks like we are in for a cool weekend here in Madrona.  And things are even cooler at the wine shop.  Come on by and get hip to what we have going on.

Saturday, we have Cool Wines from Cool Climes and taste touring some of the cooler regions of Europe with stops in Germany, Austria, the Jura and the Loire. 
Domaine Saint-Just, Crémant de Loire Brut $18
2016 Biohof Pratsch Gruner Veltliner $13
2016 Weinhaus Schloss Koblenz GmbH, St. Christopher, Württemberg Gewürztraminer $12
2016 Biohof Pratsch, Zweigelt $13
2011 Domaine Rolet Arbois Rouge Tradition $19
40% Poulsard, 30% Trousseau, 30% Pinot Noir

Sunday we are sticking closer to home with two wines from the Pacific Northwest.
2016 Evesham Wood Blanc de Puits Sec  $14
85% Pinot Gris, 15% Gewurztraminer
From the 1986 planting on the estate. The nose leaps from the glass with bright jasmine, honeysuckle and rose followed by a flavor of pear, balanced weight on the palate and bright acidity. It finishes with spice from the Gewürztraminer.  Organic.
Was $17 now $14
2014 Robert Ramsay Mason’s Red  $18
42% Cinsault, 19% Syrah, 19% Mourvédre, 10% Grenache, 10% Counoise
This “everyday wine” has a lot more going on it than the price suggests. Full spicy fruit in a dark Rhone style.

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.

Some like it hot, but others like it not.  This Saturday we are taste touring some of the cooler regions of Europe with stops in Germany, Austria, the Jura and the Loire.  The cooler climate keeps the acidity high and the wines fresh.  Come join us.
 
Domaine Saint-Just, Crémant de Loire Brut $18
60% Chenin, 40% Chardonnay
This 99-acre estate is just 5 miles south of Saumur village. An area famous for heavyweight Chenin Blanc and Cab Franc, the vineyards around Saumur also produce some great Chard for blending into its sparklers. This rich Crémant has a fruity nose followed by almond, quince, and pear on the palate. This finish has an elegant creamy texture with long flavors.
 
2016 Biohof Pratsch Gruner Veltliner $13
100%  Gruner Veltliner
Biohof Pratsch is an organically certified winery in the appellation of Niederösterreich in Austria.  The Pratsch family goes back about 8 generations in the region livestock, wheat and barley and a few hectares of vines. In the early 80s Wilhelm Pratsch wanted to improve the quality of the products he sold, and switched the farming to organic.  The Gruner is herbal, fresh, and spicy with notes of white pepper, apple, and citrus on the palate.
 
2016 Weinhaus Schloss Koblenz GmbH, St. Christopher, Württemberg Gewürztraminer $12
This German Gewürzt’s earthy mineral notes are brightened by whiffs of white blossom and grapefruit in this subtly sweet Gewürztraminer. Soft acidity and feather-light texture add to its delicate feel.
 
2016 Biohof Pratsch, Zweigelt $13
Zweigelt is a cross between St Laurent and Blaufrankish (Lemberger).  The Pratsch has dark red fruit aromas with black currant, spices, and cherry. The Palate shows raspberry, cherry, spices and black pepper with a well-integrated acidity.
 
2011 Domaine Rolet Arbois Rouge Tradition $19
40% Poulsard, 30% Trousseau, 30% Pinot Noir
Désiré Rolet who in 1942 began making wine in the small region of the Jura in eastern France. In 1958, his 4 children all decided to stay in the family business and took over from their father. Since that time the domaine has acquired prime old vine vineyards in Arbois, Côtes du Jura and L’Étoile. The domaine has always been committed to sustainable farming and hand harvesting, which in their steep-sloped vineyards can be quite difficult indeed. No chemical herbicides are ever used and the soils are constantly ploughed – creating beautiful, healthy vineyards.  Rolet makes mineral-driven wines that can only come from the Jura. The wines always exhibit a focused purity and intensity of flavor which maintain the cool climate typicity of this mountainous region.  This traditional light-bodied red from the Jura region has aromas and notes of current and raspberry.

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.

This Saturday we going back to Nature with a tasting of five Natural, Organic, and Biodynamic wines.  These wines are made with native yeasts, little intervention, low use of SO² and the operations conducted by the phases of the moon.  The winemaking is spot on.  Come taste how good natural can be.
 
2014 Finca Viladellops Ancestral Pet Nat $28
100% Xarel-lo Vermell
Finca Viladellops LD Ancestral is a sparkling wine made with the ancestral method (a unique fermentation), without addition of sugars or yeasts, accidentally discovered in the 16th century in Limoux.  Elaborated exclusively with the recovered grape variety Xarel-lo Vermell of old strains of Garraf. This gives it a soft color, slightly pink, and fine bubble. The wine is fragrant and aromatic, creamy and light, with a long memory. Organic and Biodynamic

2017 Dolina, Guerila $19
100% Pinela
From a small estate in Slovenia comes this indigenous varietal wine. Mago Petrič’s family’s winery is located in Vipavska Dolina and from the very beginning, they have worked organically and biodynamically.  Their Pinela is only grown in this region and nowhere else on the planet. Everything is handpicked, naturally fermented and then bottled unfiltered with just a minimal Sulphur addition, creating wines that are delicate, mineral and full of freshness. It is dry with aromas of apple, pear and herbs and a smooth round body.  Organic and Biodynamic

2016 Domaine Victor Sornin Beaujolais Villages – $17
Biodynamic Beaujolais which is as much fun to say as it is to drink.  The grapes come from vines that are 50-60 years old in the vicinity of Morgon.  The wine has aromas of red fruits-wild cherries and some black raspberries.  There’s a little bit of cranberry, currant, and a tiny bit of a beeswaxy aroma as well.  Bright and delicious.  Organic and Biodynamic

2015 Chateau les Croisille, Croizillon  Cahors $14
Malbec
Malbec is known as “the black wine of Cahors.”  Hold a bottle of Chateau Les Croisille’s “Le Croizillon” up to a light, and you’ll see why the variety is described as “inky.” This deep, dark wine offers notes of blackberry, saddle leather, cherry pie filling, cedar shavings, garrigue and cocoa. It finishes with dry mineral tannins.  Organic
 
2014 Turner Pageot Le Rouge $20
80% Grenache, 20% Syrah
This small estate is the fruitful partnership of Western Australian Karen Turner and Eastern Frenchman Emmanuel Pageot.  Their love of biodynamics led them to apply these principles to ten small parcels they now own near the town of Gabian. Almost 5h of varied soils, from gravel and schist, sandstone and basalt, to clay and limestone, provide freshness and purity, complexity and balance. A natural wine the Le Rouge is spicy, bright yet brooding.  Its expressive and heady nose of mixed red and black fruits, brioche, polished leather, iodine, tobacco and spice with grippy but ripe tannins and plenty of acidity to match, with a long, dry, pepper and spice finish and a bitter orange and black cherry taste that lingers for an age. Certified Organic and Biodynamic.

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.