Madrona Wine Merchants

Heat Advisory

It’s going to get toasty this weekend. Be prepared.

Friday –Pound it down
Patio Pounder, Vinho Verde $14 – 1 Liter
50% Loureiro, 40% Fernão Pires and 10% Arinto
Portugal
This light-hearted wine promises on its fun name and achieves that magic combo of dryness with low alcohol. It has a slight prickle of effervescence with bright tones of green apple, lemon peel, pebbly minerals and peach.
10% alcohol by volume

Saturday & Sunday –Rosé all day
2025 JM Rimbert, Le Petit Cochon Bronze $22
80% Cinsault, 20% Syrah
Languedoc-Roussillon
Deep scents of ripe crushed red cherries, a note of guava paste, and a smoky note of sweet herbs. Blood Orange infused red berry flavors dominate the palate and are set-off by the wine's generous minerality. Organic

2023 Hecht & Bannier, Bandol Rosé $24
Mourvèdre, Grenache, Cinsault
Provence
Intense and aromatic, the wine offers the aroma and flavor of blood orange, grapefruit and dried apricot. It brings volume, roundness and freshness to the palate.
Was $35, Now $24

2025 O**m, PNK Salt $20
Cabernet Sauvignon Rosé
Willamette Valley
Ripe cherries explodes from the glass with top notes of green fig, currants and geranium. It actually smells like red wine, which is unusual given the lack of skin contact! The palate has bracing acidity which is a reminder of why Cab Sauv ages so well, and is shocking given the wine has gone through full ML. Cherry Jolly Rancher abounds on the long, salty finish

Juneuary

It’s June in Madrona so spin the wheel and see what weather comes up. Will it rain? Will the sun come out? Will it be cool? Will it be warm? The answer is yes. But, no matter which way the wind blows, we’ll be tasting some good wine at the shop this weekend.

2025 Château la Caussade, Bordeaux Blanc $20
90% Sauvignon blanc, 10% Semillon
This fresh wine, with its light bitter-orange aromas and lively acidity, is bright with tangy mandarin flavors. It is vibrant, crisp and ready to drink.

2021 Louise Dubois, Pinot Noir "La Closeraie" $26
100% Pinot Noir
Bourgogne
A solid entry Burgundy with nice aromatic red fruits notes like blackcurrant and gooseberry, along with spice and toast aromas. The palate is generous with good fruit and rich tannins.

2020 Domaine des Geais, Cotes du Marmandais $16
30% Abouriou, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Merlot, and 16% Syrah.
Sud Oust
This 6th-generation estate run by Pascal and Nicolas Boissonneau has delved into the Abouriou variety, which was only recently rescued from extinction. The wine, with its spice and black-currant aromas, is light, juicy and fruity. With its layers of acidity and red fruit flavors.
Organic

Sae What?

This weekend starts off with a 20 degree dip but hang in there, good weather bounces back soon. In the meantime we have some versatile wines to handle whatever the blue moon brings you.

Friday – You say rosé. I sae rosae
2025 Cor Cellars, Rosae $20
Horse Heaven Hills, WA
This 100% Cabernet Franc Rosae rolls in on a wave, spritzing a salty mist of lemon thyme and oregano. A froth of sunkissed huckleberries swirls with strawberry blossoms and billows across the palate.

Saturday – I sae Française
2023 Delaille, Le Petit Salvard $20
Sauvignon Blanc
Loire Valley
Nothing grassy or tropical about this wine from the eastern part of the Loires Touraine region. Instead, picture lime blossoms and minerally refreshment, with zippy citrus.

2024 La Croix Gratiot, Cerise Rouge $20
100% Syrah
Languedoc
Pretty fruit on the nose, nuances of ripe stone fruits such as morello cherries, blackberries and licorice stick. Delicious and crunchy. Serve slightly chilled.
Organic

Chillable Reds -- Chill Out!

It is Memorial Day weekend and here in Madrona it’s starting out at least warm and sunny. If you aren’t rushing off out of town, stop by the shop and chill out. We’re pouring a few red wines that you can put a slight chill on to take the edge off the warm weather.. Slip on in and have a sip.

2022 Giunta, Crunchy Red $15
56% Pinot Noir, 33% Merlot, 11% Malbec
New Zealand
The brightness of pomegranate and raspberry are out to play, supported by lightly herbal…it’s a moreish delight. Like biting into a Black Doris plum, the tannins are very soft and supple giving in to the ripe and fruity juice that has just a hint of spice.
Was $19, Now $15

2023 Grochau Cellars & Symbiose, Ensemble Red Blend $18
54% Pinot Noir, 33% Pinot Gris, 7% Gamay, 4% Auxerrois, 1% Trousseau
Oregon
This collaborative blend of white and red grapes by Grochau Cellars and Symbiose embodies the very essence of a light red wine to be drunk chilled.

2021 Earl Mas Peyre Carignan '1ères Soifs" $12
100% Carignan
Roussillon-Languedoc
Was $19, Now 12. This Catalan Coastal red is from the warmest and driest French wine region. Fresh, bright fruit and exuberant character with depth and complexity. Notes of cocoa. Dry, smooth and easy drinking. Served lightly chilled, this is a festive, convivial wine that reflects the warmth and vitality of the people who make it. Organic
Was $19, Now $12

May Fair

The weather this week in Madrona is a head scratcher. From record highs to damp and chilly lows it’s hard to decide what to wear and what to drink. The Farmers’ Market is back today and May Fair is Saturday so cross your fingers and hope for some clearing. If not, we’ll persevere like true Madronans and muck our way through the damp. In either case, we’re pouring a few Italian wines at the wine shop. Here’s the lineup:

Friday -- Abruzzo
2024 Cora, Montepulciano d'Abruzzo $14
100% Montepulciano
This is a medium-bodied, eminently easy-sipping red with ripe, red cherry flavors, pretty spice notes and just enough tannin on the finish to give it structure.

Saturday – Tuscany & Piedmonte
2024 Cantina del Redi, Riccio Toscana Bianco $20
Chardonnay, Grechetto
Dry, medium-to-full body, balanced acidity, smooth texture from lees, finish engaging maybe with almond or light honey notes with age.

2021 Macarini, Lasarin Langhe Nebbiolo $24
Lasarin is from Macarini’s younger Nebbiolo vineyards in Neviglie. These younger vines yield a wine with great freshness and immediate appeal. The grapes macerate for about ten days and the wine aged in stainless steel to preserve the wine’s natural acidity and fragrance. Its full nose recalls flowers, raspberries, and blackberries; in the mouth, it is balanced, velvety and enjoyably tannic.

Flowers for Mother’s Day

Skip the Hallmark card, Mom wants wine. We have many bouquets to choose from.

Friday – Sigillo Cellars
We’ll be sampling two wines (Cinsault and Mourvèdre) from this Chelan producer that are just coming into the shop.

Saturday—Two for Mom
2023 Flowers Winery, Sonoma Coast Chardonnay $35
Delicate aromas of white flower and coastal minerality frame a beautiful nose on this Chardonnay. Hints of Kaffir lime leaf, fresh herbs, and elements of citrus amplify the bright savory character. The firs sip offers a flourish of fresh fruit, which knits into artful integration with focused acidity and lovely chalky textures. As the wine opens in the glass, faint notes of almond skin balance gentle citrus and pear, lingering on a minerals rich finish.

2021 Marietta, Angeli Alexander Valley $25
Estate Zinfandel
Incredibly expressive and perfumed. Blueberry, boysenberry and blackberry give way to wafts of graphite, gobs of violet and even touches of tangerine. The medium to full-bodied palate explodes with concentrated fruit and expansive layers of floral perfume and spice. It has a powdery frame, bursts of mouthwatering acidity and a very long, nuanced finish.
Was $40, Now $25

Sunday—
We have lots of new wine at the shop. You’re just going to have to stop in and see what Dave has open.

Run for the Rosés

This Saturday is the Kentucky Derby. And before the horses race around the track, you should race into the wine shop and cash in on some crisp rosés. We have some warm weather the next few days and you want to be prepared. We’ll be pouring the new vintage of the Triennes along with a new to us Spanish pink that is a bit racy for the races.

Saturday – Paint the Town Pink
2025 Triennes, Rosé $20
Cinsault – Syrah -Grenache – Merlot
Provence
Pale pink. A compelling bouquet of strawberries and white flowers with a touch of vanilla. Expressive and elegant, the palate offers mouthwatering freshness. An embodiment of the Mediterranean in the glass. Harvested at night to ensure cool arrival at the cellar.
Organic

2024 Zillamina, Alicante Rosé $18
Monastrell
From Alicante the place, not Alicante the grape. Made with 100% organic Monastrell grapes, this easy-drinking Rosé features expressive notes of fresh strawberry and hibiscus, finishing dry and crisp.
Organic

Sunday --Classique
2023 Les Quatre Tours, Classique Rosé $15
50% Grenache, 20% Syrah, 15% Cinsault, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon
Aix en Provence
Ripe strawberry flavors contrast with the zesty acidity and lemon freshness. A blend of four grapes including Cabernet Sauvignon, the wine is lightly textured, touched by pepper and ready to drink.

Spring sipping

Hopefully the grey mid-week is behind us. We’re celebrating the weekend with 2 wines from Weingut Philipp Grassl a small organic producer in lower Austria. Sunday we’ll be breaking out a Corsican Rosé rain or shine. Come join us.

Saturday --Austria
2024 Grassl, Grüner Veltliner Carnuntum $20
Hailing from the southwestern part of Carnuntum with its limestone laden hills and windswept terrain, Gruner shines here as the cooler climes bring out the freshness and minerality in the wine. Full of high-toned tension and vibrant acidity, the palate is redolent with spicy yellow fruit.
Biodynamic

2023 Grassl, St. Laurent $26
90% St. Laurent, 10% Pinot Noir
From 35 year old vines on wonderfully sun-exposed, stony-limestone locations. A distinct crisp red with floral aromas and a hint of licorice.
Organic

Sunday – We’re going to pretend it is sunny
2025 Vetriccie, Île de Beauté Rosé $15
50% Sciaccarellu, 40% Grenache, 10% Niellucciu
Corsica
The wine jumps out of the glass with aromas of red berries, melon and pomegranate kissed with a touch of wet stone. This rosé is deliciously delicate and washes over the palate with wave after wave of energetic fresh fruit flavors.

Blended

The whole is greater than the sum of the parts. This weekend we’ll be tasting three case in points. We’ll have a classic Cote du Rhone, a luscious Lebanese Red and a Spanish red that they make the blend in the field. Come in and take part.

2020 Peninsula Vinicultores, Vino de Montaña $22
Field Blend
Castilla Y Leon, Spain
Comprised of Garnacha, Rufete and Pinuela, this high-altitude wine features rose petal, red currant, red cherry, and red plum notes. This is bright, fresh, charming and very reminiscent of elegant Pinot Noir.

2019 IXSIR, Altitudes-Mamnoon Reserve $24
35% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Syrah, 26% Caladoc, 17% Tempranillo
Lebanon
Aromas of red fruits, gooseberries, and raspberries abound on the nose. It is indeed an elegant and pleasant wine with a graceful body and remarkable softness that lingers throughout the tasting. From start to finish, it is full and round.

2022 La Font de Notre Dame, Gigondas Le Mas $28
80% Grenache, 10% Syrah, 10% Mourvèdre
A classy Cote du Rhone. Aromas of dark cherries, dark wild berries, flowers, tapenade and garrigue. Medium to full-bodied, it's textured and layered, with bright acids and a long, ethereal finish.

Aged

Some wines ready to drink on release. Others develop their true character only after a few years of age in the bottle. Then there are some that can keep developing and changing for decades. Usually, the only way you get to taste these is by cellaring them yourself, but every so often you can find some that someone else has cellared for you. We have a couple in the shop at the moment. If you are interested to see how wine develops you might want to give them a try.

1993 Jean Lafouge, Auxey-Duresses $44
Chardonnay
An opportunity to taste a well-aged white Burgundy. 33 years and the fruit is far from gone.

2007 Blagden, Cabernet Sauvignon Monte Rosso $50
Sonoma, California
Incredibly dark, rich and fresh, you would never know this wine is 18 years old.
Lots of dark fruit, soft tannins and a lengthy finish. Woman winemaker. 6 bottle available.

Aging does have its risks. Wines this old however are not guaranteed. No Returns.