The weather forecast is a rotation of sun and showers this weekend,  But at Madrona wine it will be pouring both Saturday and Sunday.

Saturday we’re featuring some Hard Working Washington Wines in honor of the Labor Movement.  The wines are solid and diligently delirious and fit into a working man’s budget. The whistle blows at 2pm.
2014 Parejas Cellars, Albarino  $15
2012 Shooting Star, Blue Franc  $14
Vina Salida Vino Rojo  $15
2010 Basel Cellars, Estate Claret  $20
2011 Soos Creek Wine Cellars, Palisade Red  $20

Sunday we have a face off of two French Reds — Bordeaux vs. Banylus.  Both from 2011, both weighing in at 13% alcohol by volume, but made in different regions in different styles. Who will be the winner? You will be the winner when you taste these two lovelies side-by-side.

2011 Château Sénilhac Haut-Médoc  $11
55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc
Château Senilhac is a small estate not far from Saint Estephe, which dates back to the 19th century, belonging since 1938 to the Grassin family.  The wine is a soft, supple, fruit-forward styled Haut-Médoc with berries, soft tannins and low acidity.  It’s an easy drinker for many occasions.

2011 Domaine de Mas Blanc, Piloums — Collioure $11
Syrah, Mourvedre, Grenache, Counoise
Just off the boat from a small estate near Banyuls, this full rich southern French out delivers for the money.

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.

While the wind blew in a bit of moisture to our August weekend, there is still a bit of Summer in the air in Madrona.  It is still Summertime.  And the living is still easy.  And we’ll be pouring some Summery wines this weekend to suit the season.

Saturday at 2pm we’re opening a flight of Italian
wines.  We’ve picked wines from Piedmont, Veneto, Puglia and Tuscany designed to quench a Summer thirst. They are all fresh with plenty of fruit to match the richness of the season.  Stroll on by and give them a try.

Sunday we are featuring two wines from Portugal with indigenous grapes that are less familiar outside that country.

Casa do Valle Vinho Verde    $10
40% Arinto, 20% Alvarinho, 20% Azal, 20% Loureiro
An estate grown Vinho Verde with a citric and tropical fruits aromas and a long and appellative finish.

2012 Casaleiro, Caves Velhas Reserva    $11
40% Touriga Nacional, 30% Castelao, 30% Trincaderia
A wood-aged wine, at a good price, the Casaleiro Reserve has fully structured tannins supported by delicious red fruit with a beam of acidity. The taste of the wine ends with spice, fruit and tannins in the background.

Come see us soon.

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.

Summertime and the living is easy.  In wine we look for ones that are fresh and giving with plenty of fruit to match the richness of the season.  This Saturday we’re pouring five such wines from the corners of Italy.  We’ve picked wines from Piedmont, Veneto, Puglia and Tuscany designed to quench a Summer thirst.  Stop by and taste for yourself.
 
2014 Fratelli Povero, Roero Arneis  $14
Arneis has been cultivated since antiquity in the hilly and sandy soils of the Roero. Here Povero makes this D.O.C.G. white.  This crisp wine has an intense and fresh bouquet, and dry flavors of fresh hay, pippin apple, almond and pineapple.
 
2013 Latium Morini, Vale de Illase, Valpolicella $15
70% Corvina, 20% Rondinella, 10% other
This small family estate in the Veneto region makes this fresh Valpolicella to drink while they wait for their Amarone to age.  The wine is intense and quite complex giving off a fine aroma with a heady, fruity and floral overtones.
 
2013 Giá, Langhe Rosso $15 — 1ltr.
Barbera, Dolcetto, Nebbiolo
The Giá is made by Fontanafredda whose top notch Barolos take decades to fully develop.  But with this Langhe Rosso there is no need to wait.  The wine has intense red fruit and violet aromas that make your mouth water for the first sip which is pleasantly dry, smooth and perfectly balanced.  This young wine shines with ripened plums and cherries. The palate is fruity, and smooth with a focus on dark red fruits accompanied by subtle notes of licorice, earthiness, and spice.
 
2012 Menhir, Quota 31  $11
Primativo
An oaked Primativo from Pulgia, the Quota is dark and smooth and rich with flavors of  blackberry, Kirsch, cassis, chocolate, a hint of tar, a little leather, caramel, stewed raspberry, and baked figs.  The bouquet is ripe with Morello cherries, mint and blackberries. The wine is pleasant on the palate with fresh and expressive characteristics.
 
2009 Tenuta Argentiera, Poggio ai Ginepri  $20
50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Syrah, 20% Merlot.
The Poggio ai Ginepri comes from Bolgheri, a region in Tuscany where traditionally French varietals thrive.  Indeed, this Super Tuscan has left the Sangiovese out altogether.  The wine has a good structure and a high concentration. Its broad and deep olfactory landscape opens in a very frank and immediate manner with fresh aromas of mature red fruit, citrus fruits and hints of spices. The palate is round with complex ripe tannins and a herbal and mineral finish with hints of licorice and a pleasant fruity aftertaste.

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.

Near and Far – This Sunday we’ll be pouring two Sangiovese meant for everyday enjoyment. One is from the Old World. One is closer to home. Come see which world you prefer.

2013 Loggia del Franchi Sangiovese $9

The L & F is a good everyday Sangi from Puglia with spicy aromas, plum and dark cherry flavors and a touch of old world earth.
12.5% alcohol by volume

2014 Cavatappi, Sangiovese $10

A juicy Washington Sangiovese jumps in at a great price due to it being Washington Wine Month once again. It is a nice friendly little sipper. Special price for the month of August.

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 to be a fine weather here in Madrona as the sun burns its way through the morning haze that makes one think of wildfires and be thankful that we live on this side of the mountains.  This weekend at Madrona Wine we are getting back to basics with two days of tastings.

French is the new black, and Saturday we’re pouring some sleek, elegant and stylish wines from France that offer a solid foundation for any meal. You don’t want to miss the L’Opaline, Provence Rosé and the 2010 Xavier Gigondas is on a class by itself.

Sunday we’ll be pouring two Sangiovese meant for everyday enjoyment.  One is from the Old World.  One is closer to home.  Come see which world you prefer.
2013 Loggia del Franchi Sangiovese $9
The L & F is a good everyday Sangi from Puglia with spicy aromas, plum and dark cherry flavors and a touch of old world earth.

2014 Cavatappi, Sangiovese  $10
A juicy Washington Sangiovese jumps in a great price due to it being Washington Wine Month once again.  It is a nice friendly little sipper.  Special price for the month of August.

Swing on by and join us.

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.

Sometimes you just have to go back to basics.  This Saturday we’ll be pouring a solid line up of basic French wines that offer a solid foundation for any meal.
 
2012 Le Petit Xavier Blanc   $12
50% Sauvignon, 30% Picpoul, 20% Grenache Blanc
Blended from grapes from the Languedoc and the Rhone and designed to be “Fruit, flowers, spices & foremost fun”. The blanc offers notes of citrus, tropical fruit, and floral white flowers with a fresh palate.  Normally $17 now $12
 
2014 L’Opaline, Provence Rosé  $14
65% Grenache, 20% Syrah, 15% Cinsault
From vineyards at nearly 1,200 feet  this Provence Rosé benefits from warm days and cool nights that produce full but aromatic wine.  The L’Opaline has fresh red berry flavors accented by dried red fruits, mineral overtones, and a crisp, dry, and elegant finish.  12.5% alcohol by volume
 
2011 Domaine de Venes, Minervois  $12
80% Syrah, 20% Cinsault
Frantz Venes’ family has owned the estate for 300 years and his Domus Maximus is one of the top wines of the region.  This more down to earth Minervois has lots of dark plum, smoke and garrique that float off this juicy Southern French red.  Organic
 
2012 Château Le Grand Moulin Bordeaux $13
70% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Cabernet Franc
Château Le Grand Moulin is located in Saint Aubin de Blaye in Bordeaux. The wine has aromas of ripe, almost candied fruits, harmoniously combined with roasted and wooden notes. It is a soft mellow Bordeaux with elegant and melted tannins. 
 
2010 Xavier, Gigondas,  $35
100% Grenache
Xavier Vignon, is an oenologist for a large number of Châteauneuf du Pape estates, including Raymond Usseglio, La Gardine, Jerome Quiot, Beaurenard, La Nerthe, Mont Redon, Marcoux, and Grand Veneur.  In 2002 he decided to start making his own wine from purchased grapes from his many contacts and has had great results.   “A sleeper of the vintage, the blockbuster 2010 Gigondas is a spectacular effort from this appellation. Fashioned from 100% Grenache (somewhat unusual), it exhibits a deep ruby/purple color in addition to copious amounts of concentrated red and black fruits intermixed with hints of wet rocks and spice.” 92-94+ points — The Wine Advocate

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.