The Equinox is approaching, that pivotal point where the day equals the night.  The weather this last week has been echoing the season, switching back and forth between sun and rain. September is like wine, balance is everything.  And this weekend we are putting on a balancing act as we taste our way through Bordeaux.

Saturday we will be jumping back and forth across the Dordogne river as we sip our way through some Bordelaise Beauties. In the Right Bank, Merlot dominates the vineyards, in the Left Bank, Cabernet Sauvignon plays a larger role. Come find out which side you are on.   We have two fine examples form the excellent 2010 vintage that you won’t want to miss.  We start at 2pm.

Sunday, we are pitting two right bank blends up against each other.  We’ll taste two Merlot heavy blends, one from France, and one from California. Who will win this Merlot smack down – come see which side of the pond offers the most pleasure.  11 to 5.

2011 Château De Fontenille, Bordeaux  $14
80% Merlot, 20% Cabernet
A good basic Bordeaux with red fruit aromas, a clean and sturdy palate with a long lingering of flavors.

2014 Bonny Doon $$&*#!! Merlot  $11
76% Merlot, 17% Cabernet Franc, 5% Syrah, 2% Grenache & Mourvedre
A riff on the movie Sideways, this Doonish blend is as playful as the back label and the wine maker himself.

Sunday is also the Artist Reception for our new show Blurred Edges / Distant Dreams by Jeanne Waters.  Come meet the artist and talk to her about her work from 3 to 5.

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.

Bordeaux is the largest wine growing area in France, producing excellent everyday drinking wine as well as some of the most expensive and prestigious wines in the world  The villages are divided by the Dordogne river.  In the Right Bank, Merlot dominates the vineyards, in the Left Bank, Cabernet Sauvignon plays a larger role.  Join us on Saturday as we taste through a delicious cross section of the region including two examples from the great 2010 vintage. 
 
2012 Château d’Argendens, Blanc $15
65% Sauvignon Blanc, 35% Semillon 
Château d’Argadens in named in reference to the noble family which founded the estate in the thirteenth century. Today the vineyards produce two solid Bordeaux of consistent value.  The Blanc has complex aromas of citrus fruit and boxwood, underpinned by notes that tend more towards vanilla and roasted almonds. The palate has an elegant, fruit-forward attack from the Sauvignon and a perfectly balanced, crunchy palate.
 
2011 Château d’Argendens, Rouge $16
63% Merlot, 32% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Cabernet Franc 
The d’Argendens Rouge is from 30 year old vines and ages for 14 months in French oak barrels (30% new).  It is a modern Bordeaux with lots of concentrated fruit and an attractive, supple balance.  The rather complex nose combines ripe red fruits with vanilla and cocoa-like notes. The front-of-palate is ample and generous, with a perceptible but remarkably well integrated tannic base. The harmonious alliance of fruit and tannin make this an elegant wine of great finesse.
 
2010 Château Mangot, St Emilion Grand Cru $30
85% Merlot, 9% Cabernet Franc, 6% Cabernet Sauvignon
Château Mangot is situated on a superb hillside limestone outcropping. This classic Right Bank 28-hectare organically-farmed vineyard is planted with vines averaging 40 years of age, primarily Merlot with some Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc.  The wine ages in oak barrels (40% new) from 12 to 16 months. The 2010 has an immediately flattering nose of warm plums and other ripe fruits, spices, and wood; bright, fruit-driven, fleshy palate; long in the mouth with fine tannins.
 
2010 Château Peyrabon, Haut Medoc $34
59% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc & Petit Verdot
Situated in the Left Bank Haut-Medoc, Chateau Peyrabon is a 50 hectare estate of gravel soils which the Cabernet Sauvignon loves.  The wine is aged in barrel (22% new) for 14 months.  The wine is a succulent and solid Bordeaux from a great vintage.  “Some roasted herbs, damp earth, interwoven with red and black currants, cherries and spice box are all present in this classic Bordeaux, which exhibits medium body, good density and plenty of balance and elegance.”  Wine Advocate
 
Château d’Orignac, Pineau des Charentes  $34
Pineau des Charantes is a sweet aperitif made by blending year old cognac with grape must that is about to ferment. Château d’Orignac is made Merlot and Cabernet grapes and is aged in oak barrels for around four to five years.  The result is a fragrant, fruity fortified wine that is great as an aperitif or an accompaniment for dessert. It should be served well-chilled to truly appreciate the zip of apricots poached in syrup and delicate caramel and honey notes.

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 another beautiful September weekend in Madrona.  The sun is out, the temperatures are in the mid 70’s, and at Madrona Wine the cooler is packed with “it’s still the season” rosés.  We also have a full line up of wine tasting set to match the lovely weather.

Saturday we are pouring a sampling of Southern French wines from Gérard Bertrand.  Gérard has his fingers all over the Laguedoc & Roussillon making a cornucopia of wines from the area.  We’ll pop the cork on his Crémant de Limoux starting at 2.

Sunday we’ll be tasting some exotic Italians from two lesser known DOCs (Denominazione de Origine Controllata) from regions of Italy — One from Biferno, a region of Molise, and one Südriol, a region in the Alto Adige.  While both regions are somewhat obscure, they both over deliver in quality and they will be open all day 11-5.

2008 Casa Contini, Biferno Reserva DOC $12
A blend of Montepulciano and Aglianico from Molise, this reserva spends 3 years in barrel.  It is rich and plummy, with a smoky blackberry, chestnut, and peppery-sweet aroma that delights the senses.

2011 Castelfeder, Rieder Lagrein, Südriol DOC $15
From the Alto Adige the Rieder has fresh aromas of wild berries & violets along with rich notes of cherry and tobacco.

Come enjoy the weekend with 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.

Gérard Bertrand is a leading producer in the South of France.  As a wine-grower and owner of thirteen estates, he has acquired a unique expertise in the terroirs of Languedoc-Roussillon.  The grapes are cultivated using sustainable methods, most organic and or bio-dynamic.  Brought up in the Languedoc vineyards, Gérard Bertrand is committed to sharing the characteristics and exceptional diversity of each of the terroirs of this region which produces sparkling wines, reds, whites, rosés, varietal wines or appellation wines.  This Saturday we’ll be tasting a slice from this cornucopia. 
 
Crémant de Limoux, Cuvée Thomas Jefferson $15
70% Chardonnay, 15% Chenin Blanc, 10% Mauzac, 5%pinot noir
This crisp bubbly wine has aromas of white flowers and white fruit, a fresh and lively opening, with enjoyably smooth, indulgent bubbles forming delicate foam. Notes of dry and grilled fruit emerge in the long-lasting finish.
 
2010 Muscato, IGP Pays d’Oc $13
A blend of the Muscat d’Alexandrie and Muscat Petit Grain varieties, this cuvée comes from vines with limited yields giving the wine a rare quality and great complexity. This wine offers a bouquet boasting aromas of orange blossom, apricot and peach. Its highly expressive flavors give it astonishing freshness enhanced by great aromatic presence.  10% alcohol.
 
2010 Pic Saint Loup, Coteaux du Languedoc $15
Syrah, Mourvedre, Grenache
The village of Pic Saint-Loup is a mountain peak in the Coteaux du Languedoc known for its distinct terroir. Flanked by limestone cliffs, with optimal sunlight exposure and light winds, these soils produce rich, concentrated wines with elegant notes of ripe dark fruit (blackcurrant and blackberry) and hints of thyme and spices. The wine has floral aromas of thyme and red fruit in the nose, nuanced with delicate hints of licorice, black olive tapenade and cherry brandy, mineral freshness and elegant tannins.
 
2011 Château Hospitalet, La Reserve, La Clape Rouge $18
40% Syrah, 30% Grenache, 30% Mourvedre
Situated on the coast, Château de l’Hospitalet looks down on the Mediterranean from a height of a hundred meters.  The vineyard enjoys exceptional climatic conditions: the quantity of sunshine and the heat stored during the day by the limestone and released to the grapes at night, the Mediterranean influence reduces temperature differences and the altitude which counteracts the summer heat.  Aromas of spices and red fruit (strawberry) lead to fine, silky tannins which enhance the fruity freshness of the wine. 
 
2009 Banyuls, Vin Doux Naturel $17
Grenache, Grenache Gris
Located on the slopes of the Pyrenees in Roussillon, Banyuls is a kaleidoscope of sea, mountains, sunshine and wind. The vines open to the generous climate and produce expressive, quintessential, rich, powerful, elegant and aristocratic wines.  The Grenache based dessert wines of the region are exceptional with aromas of very ripe red and black fruit and full and well-balanced flavors of blackcurrant and blackberry, backed by distinctive woody notes.

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 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.