February 23rd, 2018 Newsletter - The Grape Tray

February 23rd, 2018 Newsletter

Go Green!

Recycle your wine shipping containers
Bring your styrofoam or pulp shipping container in and receive a credit on your wine purchase or receive a Grape Tray gift card.

Wine Spectator 90
LE P'TIT PAYSAN Rosé Pierre's Pirouette Central Coast 2016

A charmer, with pretty watermelon aromas and lively strawberry and spice accents. Mourvèdre, Grenache and Cinsault. Drink now. 1,050 cases made.—T.F. $19 Liquidation Price $12.95 (Limited to stock on hand)

2015 Rombauer Zinfandel, Half Bottle

Winemaker Notes: Our classic California Zinfandel is dark purple-ruby, with a bright crimson hue. On the nose, concentrated aromas of blackberry and raspberry meld with clove and spice. Lush flavors of blackberry, cherry, licorice and vanilla flood the palate, followed by touches of pepper in the background. Plush and round tannins and great length make for a fresh and enticing finish. $17/375ml

2016 Joyce Submarine Canyon Monterey Pinot Noir

Winemaker Notes: This Pinot Noir was inspired by the Monterey bay submarine canyon. Measuring over a mile deep it claims the deepest point along the west coast. Strong maritime influences and ancient glacial soils consisting of sand & shale loam combine to create the terrior for these pinot noir vines. Bright and vibrant with raspberry, red currant and cherry. $25 Our Price $16.99

2015 Joyce Tondre Grapefield SLH Syrah

Winemaker Notes: Dense and concentrated with blackberry, herb and plum. Polished and complex with elegant tannins. $25 Our Price $16.99

Wine Advocate 92
2015 Hahn Family Wines Lucienne Pinot Noir Smith Vineyard

Produced primarily from Calera and Pommard clones, the light to medium ruby-purple colored 2015 Lucienne Pinot Noir Smith Vineyard has fragrant notes of Bing cherries, pomegranate and cranberries with hints of lavender, dried herbs and forest floor. Medium-bodied, fined-boned and with a great intensity of red berry and earthy layers, it finishes long with some mineral nuances coming through. $50 Our Price $36.99

Wine Spectator 93
ANTHEM Cabernet Sauvignon St. Helena Beckstoffer Las Piedras Vineyard 2012

A classically styled Cabernet that's firm in structure and taut in focus and flavor, with a direct core of gravel and cedary oak—scented dark berry, licorice and savory herb flavors. Ends with drying, gripping tannins but also dense fruit and oak flavors. Drink now through 2028. 400 cases made. –JL $95 (The 2012 Anthem LPV placed second to a 1986 La Conseillante Pomerol which has a market value of $165-$230 in a local blind tasting) Back in stock!

Wine Advocate 93
2014 Chateau Grand-Mayne

The 2014 Grand-Mayne has a fragrant bouquet, perhaps more refined than in recent years with dried rose petals and incense fusing with the red berry fruit. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin, crisp acidity and a gentle build towards a vivid, lightly spiced finish that maintains impressive delineation, perhaps less extracted and more precise than wines of the past. This is a superb Grand-Mayne that represents a subtle change in tack for the estate—one that this writer approves of. Tasted on three occasions and consistent every time. $50 Our Price $39.99

Wine Spectator 92
LORING Pinot Noir Sta. Rita Hills 2016

Powerful, focused and well-spiced, with flavors of dark cherry, plum tart and dried beef that lengthen out nicely. Pastry notes linger midpalate, leading to a finish of cola nut and chocolate nib accents. Drink now through 2022.—K.M $38 Our Price $TBD (Arrives 2/28/18)

Wine Spectator 91
ROTH Cabernet Sauvignon Alexander Valley 2015

Complex aromas of creamy oak, mocha, gravel and dark berry combine for a dense, rich and concentrated effort that's firmly tannic, with a seam of elegance. Drink now through 2030. 18,635 cases made.—James Laube $28 Our Price $22.25

Wine Spectator 92
BOOKWALTER Protagonist Conner-Lee Vineyard Columbia Valley 2014

Rich and polished, defined by a core of refined tannins, wrapped in textured flavors of black cherry, espresso and toasty spice that glide through the long finish. Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Cabernet Franc and Malbec. Drink now through 2021. 1,400 cases made. –TF $60 Our Price $44.99 (Grape Tray insider price $24.99)

Wine Enthusiast 94
2014 Neyers Napa Neyers Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon

This balanced wine is rich in velvety texture, with a backbone of structured tannins and a hint of earthy minerality. The fruit takes on a compelling tone of linzer torte, with layers of juicy blackberry and black cherry, but never veers too far, pulling back on the ripeness to find complexity, harmony and grace. $60 Our Price $48.75

2016 Hahn Santa Lucia Highlands Chardonnay

Winemaker Notes: Hahn SLH Chardonnay greets the nose with citrus, stone fruit and hints of banana and vanilla. A viscous mouthfeel with welcoming acidity that showcases stone fruits, citrus and hints of apple and spices. $25 Our Price $19.29

Wine Spectator 90
LUCIENNE Pinot Noir Santa Lucia Highlands Doctor's Vineyard 2015

Well-centered on a rich, elegant core of dusty blackberry, baking spices, light cedar and licorice notes, ending smooth and supple while repeating the flavor themes. Drink now through 2020. 765 cases made. –JL $50 Our Price $36.99 (Back in stock)

Wine Spectator 92
MATANZAS CREEK Chardonnay Sonoma County 2015

Creamy vanilla and smoky, oaky flavors shade the mix of pear, fig, apricot and melon notes, making for a complex, layered effort that's deep and persistent. Drink now through 2022. 8,987 cases made.—J.L. $26 Our Price $20.35(Last Call! Limited)

PinotFile 95 Points
2015 Morgan Double L Vineyard Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir

Vineyard Certified Organic since 2002 making it the first vineyard in the Santa Lucia Highlands to achieve both organic and sustainable certifications. Clones 777, 667, 115, 114 and Pommard 4. Aged 10 months in French oak barrels, 50% new. • Moderately light garnet color in the glass. Very special nose that attracts with aromas of plum, blueberry, blackberry, cardamom spice and floral blossom. A high-collared wine that is flat out terrific, offering mid weight plus flavors of an array of blue and black fruits. Gifted with plenty of extract yet discreet in generosity with the right touch of oak and earthiness. A tenacious finish completes the picture. $64 Our Price $57.99

Wine Advocate 95
2015 Paul Lato Pinot Noir Solomon Hills Vineyard Suerte

The 2015 Pinot Noir Solomon Hills Vineyard Suerte has a pale ruby-purple color and perfumed aromas of rose hip tea, potpourri and cinnamon stick over a core of Bing cherries and pomegranate, plus a waft of tilled loam. The medium-bodied palate has an ethereal texture and nature, with silt-like tannins framing the ever-changing glimpses of red berry and spicy flavors, finishing with great length and depth. Truly beautiful. $80 Limited

Wine Advocate 95
2015 Addax Cabernet Sauvignon Tench Vineyard Napa

Deep garnet-purple in color, the Addax 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon Tench Vineyard gives up notions of black cherries, cassis and red and black plums with hints of dried Mediterranean herbs, pencil shavings and underbrush. Full-bodied, rich, ripe and seductive in the mouth, it has a satisfying core of black fruit and earthy layers with firm, grainy tannins and a long, savory finish. $185


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