Hungry for a great BLT? We now have Zoe bacon in stock and it makes a phenomenal bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwich. Zoe Meats was founded by two Seattle friends working in the meat industry. Their vision was to build an environmentally conscious, community friendly company to produce the finest cured meats in Seattle. They contract with meat plants to produce their specialty salamis, sausages and bacon to their specifications. Use Zoe bacon and one of our rustic torpedo breads (available in our freezer case) with layered slices of juicy heirloom tomato, mayonnaise and fresh local greens to make a sensational sandwich. Add a bag of Torres Premium potato chips to bring on extra crunch and salt!
We also carry two Zoe Meats salamis: the moderately spicy and savory Absinthe Salami, which is made with pork, Hatch New Mexico green chiles and an infusion of absinthe liquor, and Salami de Cacao, made with pork and seasoned with cocoa, cloves, smoke and a bit more spice than the Absinthe salami.
These popular cow-milk cheeses are back in stock:
Gros Gres de Vosges – Muenster fans, your prayers have been answered. This cow milk cheese from France’s Alsace region has the garlic, mushroom-barnyard washed rind you love. Smear on walnut bread and pair with an Alsatian white or a bubbly.
Brie Maubert – From the brie region of Ile-de-France comes the bloomy-rind Brie Maubert. Made from pasteurized cow’s milk, Maubert is soft and on the milder side, yet creamy and buttery with hints of mushroom. A perfect brie to add to a cheese board or pair with a crusty baguette.
Saint Nectaire -A cheese with ancient monastery origins. Soft-textured with a natural rind, mild and fruity flavored. This rustic cheese is made with milk from cows that graze on mountain grasses peppered with wildflowers.
The padrón peppers are still producing but get them now if you’re hankering for them. It may only be another week or two until the season is over! These diminutive peppers are a seasonal treat when fried in olive oil and dashed with sea salt.
Europvin Wines Arrive:
Europvin has been seeking out the top terroir-driven wines from France and Spain since 1978. In addition to representing prestigious wineries such as Vega Sicilia, Lustau, Priorat’s Clos Mogador, and E. Guigal, they are a Bordeaux negociant. They also source a range of wines that represent incredible values, such as La Sacristie de la Vielle Cure (below). Any bottle sporting a Europvin label is a solid wine that will offer incredible enjoyment.
La Sacristie de la Vielle Cure 2017, Fronsac ($24.99) “This is packed with plum and blackberry compote flavors, supported by graphite and smoldering tobacco notes. Everything melds through the solidly structured and toasty finish. Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. Best from 2022 through 2030. “ 92 points Wine Spectator
Bodegas Vega Sicilia Pintia, Toro 2015 ($80.00) Pintia is the only wine produced at this winery, and it’s from 100% Tinta de Toro (Tempranillo). “….in the warm and dry 2015, Pintia reaches 15% alcohol and has moderate acidity and a creamy, soft texture, with plenty of concentration, ripeness and tannins. It fermented in oak vats and matured in oak barrels (new and used, French and American) for 12 months. It was a powerful vintage, and they did part of the malolactic fermentation in oak vats instead of 100% in barrique to keep some of the freshness, and they also have 15,000 liters of wine that can mature in stainless steel and rotate some lots in vat before they are put in barrique. All this goes in the direction of keeping the freshness of the wine in a zone where power comes naturally, and all the tools are welcomed, including the use of different toast in the barrels. All this seems to have paid off, and even if the wine is powerful and tannic, it has good balance and the tannins are fine-grained. This has reached a good balance between power and elegance.” 94 points Wine Advocate
Celebration Wines
Alvaro Palacios Finca Dofi 2018 Priorat ($96.00) Finca Dofi was Alvaro Palacio’s first purchased vineyard and his top wine until he purchased the L’Ermita vineyard. Both wines are farmed biodynamically on precipitously terraced slate soils, fermented in oak vats, harvested by hand and aged in new oak barriques. L’Ermita comes from a 1.45 hectare plot with 85-105 year old vines; 120 cases are produced each year. Finca Dofi is made from three contiguous plots totalling 10.45 hectares. Both wines are incredible, and one can enjoy ten bottles of Finca Dofi for the price of one L’Ermita. I was fortunate to meet Alvaro Palacios and visit both of these vineyards as they were being plowed by mules. I had the incredible fortune to taste both Finca Dofi and L’Ermita side by side; that was a mind blowing day. “The origin of everything here and the first single-vineyard red, 2018 Finca Dofí excels in 2018. Those 10 hectares planted 20 years ago in the village of Gratallops are mostly Garnacha, but the wine also has some 8% Cariñena and 2% white grapes. They all fermented after being destemmed and lightly crushed in oak vats with indigenous yeasts. The wine matured in large oak barrels for 16 months. Finca Dofi is the refined version of the Gratallops cuvée but with an extra degree in depth and complexity, especially nuance and elegance, showcasing the captivating finesse and harmony of the vintage. I see that these 2018s are quite transparent and show the style of the zone, the iron soils, the dusty roads and the warmth of the soils; it’s round and lush, spherical but with a spike of freshness. The élevage has been polished so as to render it almost invisible. This is drinkable now, and I think it’s also going to age nicely in bottle and drink nicely throughout its life.” 96+ points Wine Advocate
Bodegas Muga Torre Muga Rioja 2016 ($109.00) 75% Tempranillo, 15% Mazuelo, 10% Graciano, fermented spontaneously with indigenous yeasts in wooden vats. Aged 18 months in new French oak barrels. “This bold red is assertive, yet holds power in reserve. A thick texture, supported by muscular tannins, supports ripe flavors of currant, fig, cocoa, loamy earth and tar. Concentrated, but remains harmonious. Impressive, in the modern style.” 95 points Wine Spectator, 96 points Wine Advocate
Vega Sicilia Valbuena, Ribera del Duero 2015 ($206.00) The Valbuena cuvée is produced every year, unlike the top wine Unico, which is made only in exceptional years when there is a perfect harvest. The best grapes are used for Valbuena in the years that Unico is not produced. “The 2015 Valbuena, is a red blend of mostly Tempranillo with some 5% Merlot. It’s explosive and showy, with a complex nose that shows a mixture of flowers and wild herbs, balsamic touches and great nuance. This wine has gained in complexity since the 2010 vintage, where they implemented some changes that increased the expressivity and precision of this wine. The tannins are fine-grained and there is very good balance, and the warm conditions of the year have been absorbed well by the wine. Despite the natural conditions of the year, the wine follows the path of freshness of the 2010. 96 points Wine Advocate, 94 points Wine Spectator
Bodegas Muga Aro Rioja 2016 ($249.00) 70% Tempranillo and 30% Graciano. Graciano is often blended with Tempranillo in Rioja wines to provide longevity. Muga Aro is fermented spontaneously with indigenous yeasts in small wooden vats. Aged for 18 months in new french oak barrels. “The most unusual and backward of the wines in the Muga portfolio is the Graciano-rich blend 2016 Aro, a blend of Tempranillo with 30% Graciano that is only produced when Graciano ripens properly. The grapes comes from a single vineyard that they now know quite well. 2016 was a good year for the grape, and the wine has notes of violets and dark chocolate, quite hedonistic and showy. The Graciano really lifts the Tempranillo, and the blend comes through as high pitched and vibrant, which is also the general style of the year from what I’ve seen. The oak is still present on the nose, and the palate shows quite tannic; the wine is going to benefit from a couple of years in bottle. If you like toasty, showy and hedonistic reds you could drink it now, but if you prefer more subtleness, you should wait for it.” 96 points Wine Advocate
Vega Sicilia Unico, Ribera del Duero 2010 ($568.00) Unico is a legendary Spanish wine from a winery established in 1860, and the wine is know for its ageability, epic character and finesse. No expense is spared in the production of Unico, from use of the finest corks on the market, using barrels made in-house, to the biodynamically farmed vineyards, divided into 52 plots with the oldest vineyard planted in 1910. Unico is only made in years with a perfect harvest, using fruit from the first bunches. 2010 Unico is 94% Tinto Fino (Tempranillo) and 6% Cabernet Sauvignon, fermented with native yeast. Aged for almost six years in a combination of French and American oak barrels and 20,000 liter oak vats, it is then further bottle aged for 3 years.. “This red is dense, balanced and complex. Plum, dried currant, cigar box, leather and mineral flavors mingle over ripe, well-integrated tannins. Orange peel acidity keeps this lively through the long, floral finish. Harmonious and graceful, in a classic style.” 7000 cases made 96 points Wine Spectator, 97 points Wine Advocate
Paris-Madrid Grocery remains open regular hours, 7 days per week for in-person, socially distanced shopping. Our hours are Monday-Saturday 10 AM – 6 PM and Sundays, 11 AM – 5 PM. If shopping inside the store, a mask must be worn as per the recent state mandate to minimize the spread of Covid-19. If you don’t have a mask, we have some available at the check-out counter, along with complimentary vinyl gloves and hand sanitizer. If you prefer to shop virtually, you may order online, or call the store with your order at 206-682-0679. No matter how you place an order, curbside delivery is available by request. To place an online order, visit parismadridgrocery.com click the orange Order & Pick Up button on the home page. A product list will pop up; you may place an order and designate a pickup day and time. We will call you for credit card details when we receive the order and you’re set!
We have a designated 15-minute free pickup and load zone in front of our store to assist with quick stops and on-line curbside pickups. Elsewhere on the street, the City of Seattle is now charging for parking but only $.50 per hour. Read here for the latest details about parking in Seattle during the pandemic.