January 8th 2019 Newsletter
2017 Line 39 CA Cabernet Sauvignon
Winemaker Notes: Our Cabernet Sauvignon exhibits rich fruit flavors of currant, blackberry and ripe plum with hints of black tea on the palate. The wine finishes with subtle, smooth tannins that don’t overpower this easy-to-drink Cab. $12 Liquidation Price $5.95 (Limited to stock on hand)
Wine Spectator 91
NEYERS Zinfandel California Vista Luna 2017
Refined and well-structured, yet showing a briary streak, with appealing black cherry, sweet anise and white pepper flavors. Drink now through 2025. 1,172 cases made.—T.F. $30 Our Price $19.75
Wine Spectator 93
BETHEL HEIGHTS Pinot Noir
Eola-Amity Hills 2016
Silky and vibrant, with spirited raspberry and violet aromas that open to effortlessly complex flavors of black cherry, black tea, cardamom and other dark spices. Drink now through 2024. 2,632 cases made. –TF $32 Our Price $26.95
2016 FAMILLE BRUNIER Le Pigeoulet Vaucluse
Winemaker Notes: The Bruniers’ vineyards in the La Crau cru of Châteauneuf-du-Pape are the most pedigreed of the appellation, producing wines of exceptional quality and longevity. Since purchasing Domaine La Roquète in 1986, the family has complemented their portfolio with additional wines, offering more affordable cuvées that showcase the diversity of terroirs within their holdings. The “Pigeoulet” and “Mégaphone” are fresh, rich in fruit, pleasantly representative of their terroir, and easy to appreciate young. 80% Grenache, 10% Syrah, 5% Cinsault and 5 $19 Our Price $15.95
Graham Beck Brut Rose
Winemaker Notes: Pale silver-pink. Aromas of raspberries, cherries and a few secondary whiffs of minerality. A lively mousse but fine in the mouth, with subtle red berry flavors enlivened by bright acids.Brisk on the palate, showing hints of oyster shell and fresh lavender. Flirtatious and fun, yet elegant and structured, it's perfect for all seasons and settings. $19 Our Price $13.95
Wine Spectator 91
NIK WEIS ST.-URBANS-HOF Riesling Qualitätswein Mosel
From Old Vines 2016
A pure, well-sculpted, off-dry version, with persimmon, lime and slate flavors coating the palate. Hints of orchard blossom and herbs add to the complexity, making you reach for another sip. Drink now through 2024. 7,000 cases made. –AZ $19 Our Price $13.95
Wine Spectator 91
PALI WINE CO. Pinot Noir Santa Barbara County Huntington 2016
Dark cherry and dried blueberry flavors are richly spiced in this juicy style. Notes of dried beef intensify on the finish, which features chocolate and mint accents. Drink now through 2020. 8,207 cases made. –KM $25 Our Price $20.49
Wine Spectator 93
SEGHESIO Zinfandel
Sonoma County Sonoma 2016
Plump and loaded with rich, jammy fruit, this Zinfandel is a pleasure to drink. Bold accents of wild berry, spicy cinnamon and licorice glide dynamically toward plush tannins. Drink now through 2025.—T.F $26 Internet Price $19.99 (Grape Tray email subscriber price $17.95)
Wine Spectator 93
LA CREMA Pinot Noir Willamette Valley 2016
Expressive and well-structured, with lively and layered raspberry, violet and flint notes, finishing with refined tannins. Drink now through 2024. 14,339 cases made. –TF $30 Our Price $26.99
Wine Advocate 91-93 Points
2015 Fourcas Dupré Listrac-Medoc Bordeaux
The 2015 Fourcas-Dupré offers plenty of blackberry and boysenberry fruit on the nose, a touch of brine here, a subtle marine influence that lends it complexity and personality. The palate is medium-bodied with a juicy opening, a mélange of red and black fruit, taut and quite linear with plenty of freshness and tension on the finish. This is a well-crafted Listrac that punches well above my expectations. $24 Our Price $17.95
2016 Joseph Carr Rutherford
Cabernet Sauvignon
Winemaker Notes: This Cabernet Sauvignon is sourced from Napa’s acclaimed Rutherford AVA, features notes of black currant, tobacco, coffee, black cherry, and toffee. Full bodied, plush tannins and integrated acidity lead to a persistent finish. $40 Our Price $30.95
2014 Silver Oak Cabernet Sauvignon Napa
Winemaker Notes: Our Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is dark ruby in color and entices you with a nose of raspberry, cassis and loose pipe tobacco. This full-bodied wine has an assertively silky structure and is notably spicy on the palate. Flavors of sage and blackberry mark the wine’s entry. The strong acidity in the mid-palate is followed by a lingering finishnking pleasure through 2038. $125 Our Price $114.99 (Arrives 1/31/19)
Wine Spectator 95
Top 100: 2018, Rank: 7
COLENE CLEMENS Pinot Noir Chehalem Mountains Dopp Creek 2015
Impressive for the polished texture and elegant complexity, offering vibrant raspberry, orange peel and spice flavors that gain momentum toward refined tannins. Drink now through 2023. From Oregon.—T.F $26 (6 bottles available. Please email stan@grapetray.com)
2015 PONT NEUF “LE BRUANT" PINOT NOIR Russian River
Winemaker Notes: “Le Bruant” is named for our village in the Haute Côte de Nuits of Burgundy, less than a dozen houses gathered around a source which brought delicious water all the way from the Alps. It comes from the gently sloping hills of Goldridge soil in the Martinelli Zio Tony Vineyard where the summer mornings are often foggy. The landscape is gentle and quiet and produces wonderfully elegant pinot noir. The flavors, however, take us back to the hills above Burgundy where the locals hunt pheasant and wild boar and produce the best cassis. “Le Bruant” is the perfect combination of rustic backcountry flavors and the refinement unique to pinot noir. The wine is brilliant ruby and red-violet, in spite of being un-filtered. Sweetly perfumed aromas of Huckleberry and Pomegranate mix with earthy forest floor and intensely pure red fruit flavors. The fine balance of acid and ripe fruit keeps it lively on the palate carrying the flavors to a lingering finish. We recommend decanting at this early stage of development. 50 cases produced. $75
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