August 20th 2019 Newsletter - The Grape Tray

August 20th 2019 Newsletter

2016 Beringer Bros. Bourbon Barrel Aged Red

Winemaker Notes: Aged 60 days in American Oak Bourbon barrels, this bold red wine blend has flavors of black cherry, toasted coconut and dark caramel, with a smoky finish. $20 Our Price $15.99

James Suckling 90 Points
2017 Trefethen Oak Knoll Estate Chardonnay

Pear drops, cooked apples and cantaloupe melon. Medium-bodied with fresh acidity and a fruity finish. Drink now. $30 Our Price $24.99

Wine Spectator 93
ALTAMURA Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 2015

Exhibits a tight core of vibrant blackberry, anise, gravel, cedar and tobacco leaf flavors, and though the tannins are study, this shows a measure of grace and harmony that bodes well for the future. Drink now through 2032. 3,500 cases made. — JL $115

Wine Spectator 95
SAN FILIPPO Brunello di Montalcino Le Lucére 2013

As much savory as fruity, this offers a fine balance between cherry, leather, spice and carob aromas and flavors. Rich yet lively, leaving a mouthwatering impression on the long, saline aftertaste. Best from 2020 through 2035. 1,000 cases made. –BS $90 Our Price $84.95

Wine Advocate 92
2017 Diatom Katherine’s Chardonnay

While Diatom was formerly wedded to sites in the Sta. Rita Hills, Brewer-Clifton produced a Chardonnay from Katherine's Vineyard in the Santa Maria Valley (neighboring Bien Nacido) in the 1999 vintage, so in a sense this cuvée represents a return to old haunts. At 445 cases, the 2017 Chardonnay Katherine's is also by some margin Diatom's largest bottling this vintage. Notes of peach, grapefruit, pastry cream and lime cordial precede a medium-bodied, glossy, saline, acid-driven wine with beautiful purity and concentration. $36 Our Price $25.99


Wine Advocate 96
2014 Rudius Panek St. Helena Cabernet

The deep garnet-purple colored 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon Panek Vineyard (all 337 clone, aged 33 months in oak) opens with earthy notes of mossy bark, tilled black soil and black truffles over a core of cassis, blueberries and warm plums with touches of menthol and lavender. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is laden with blue and black fruits, supported with a firm, grainy backbone and a lively line, finishing with great length and depth. 220 cases made. $90 (Back in stock 8/21/19)


Antonio Galloni, Vinous 91 pts
Tilth 2017 Russian River Pinot Noir

The 2017 Pinot Noir from Tilth is an attractive, fruity wine to drink now and over the next handful of years. Sweet red berry, kirsch, hard candy and sweet floral notes all grace this attractive, mid-weight Pinot. This is a decidedly perfumed, refined expression of the appellation. Drinking window: 2020 – 2025. $38 Our Price $25.99

Taste this wine for 10 cents!
2016 Peachy Canyon Incredible Red Zinfandel

Winemaker Notes: A rich and fruity nose opens with black cherry, blackberry, nutmeg, and vanilla, leading into toffee, cigar, and cherrywood. On the palate the wine is round and sumptuous, with notes of cherry, clove, and orange oil. This Incredible Red meets and exceeds the promise in its name. 90% Zinfandel, 10% Petite Sirah $15 Our Price $6.65 (Back in stock)


Wine Spectator 88
ALBERT BICHOT Chablis Domaine Long-Depaquit 2017

The flavors of this white verge on peach, with a core of straightforward apple and light earth notes. Persistent on the lingering, lemony finish. Drink now. 1,129 cases imported. — BS $30 Our Price $26.99

2017 Chappellet Mountain Cuvee Proprietor’s Blend

Winemaker Notes: This lush and layered Bordeaux blend begins with alluring fruit-driven aromas of cherry, currant and plum, as well as sophisticated undercurrents of graphite, cedar, clove and nutmeg. The berry and spice notes are echoed on the round, mouthcoating palate, where they mingle with hints of black tea, vanilla and savory herbs. An underpinning of tannins provides weight, structure and impressive length to the finish. Blend: 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 28% Merlot, 8% Malbec, 6% Petit Verdot, 3% Cabernet Franc. $36 Our Price $29.95 (Arrives 8/21/19)

2016 OVID Experiment M 2.6

Winemaker Notes: Knowing that our Merlot is noble in its own right, this Experiment is an exploration of the age-ability of mountain Merlot. This wine exhibits voluptuous notes of plum, black cherry and cedar which are complemented by notes of violet candies, mulberry, black olive and orange rind. As a counterpoint to the other expressions from our estate, this broad and expansive offering achieves an equally authentic sense of place. $173 (Arrives 8/21/19)

Wine Advocate 97
2014 Ovid Winery Proprietary Red Wine

Made up of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Cabernet Franc and 5% Merlot, the 2014 Proprietary Red Wine has a deep garnet-purple color and is a little closed to begin, opening slowly to reveal a core of crushed blackberries, warm cassis and cedar chest with nuances of menthol, unsmoked tobacco, Sichuan pepper, tilled soil and mossy bark. Full-bodied and rich, with tons of muscular fruit, the palate is packed with tightly wound black fruits and earthy accents, framed by firm, grainy tannins and invigorating freshness, finishing very long and mineral laced. $170 (Arrives 8/21/19)

Jeb Dunnuck 96+ Points
2016 Kata Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Bourn Vineyard

From a rocky site just next to the Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard, on the outskirts of St. Helena, the 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Bourn Vineyard incorporates a solid chunk of Petite Sirah and was brought up in plenty of new oak. It offers a deep, powerful bouquet of blackberry and blueberry fruits as well as loads of graphite, pen inky, violets, burning embers, and crushed rocks. Full-bodied, ultra-pure, multi-dimensional, and incredibly layered, it's a pure, elegant Cabernet Sauvignon that would pass undetected in a blind lineup of top wine from the Graves region of Bordeaux. It's going to evolve gracefully for 20+ years. 350 cases. $197


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