Taste 2017 Chateau Greysac Medoc, 2020 Chateau Capbern Saint-Estephe and 2020 Chateau Giscours Margaux at Vintage Reserve Wine (VRW) for $15 per person.
Tuesday, September 26th. Available 12:00 noon -5:45 PM

2017 Chateau Greysac Medoc

Winemaker Notes: Deep ruby garnet with red berry flavors combined with notes of spice, chocolate and bell pepper in the background. Pairs with all meats, poultry, wild mushrooms and strong cheeses. $30

Jeb Dunnuck 95 Points
2020 Chateau Capbern Saint-Estephe

Another terrific Saint- Estèphe is the 2020 Château Capbern, which comes from the same team as Calon Ségur. (Current director Vincent Millet was brought on board in 2021.) Coming from 33 hectares of vines on sandy, gravelly, clay soils, the final blend is 69% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. The élevage spanned 18 months in 60% new French oak, and this beauty hit just 12.8% natural alcohol. Gorgeous cassis, violets, damp earth, iron, and classy oak all emerge on the nose, and it's full-bodied on the palate, with beautiful tannins, a layered, seamless mouthfeel, and the vintage's pure, focused, age-worthy style front and center. Give bottles just 4-6 years and enjoy over the following two decades. $40

Jeb Dunnuck 93-95 Points
2020 Chateau Giscours Margaux

One of the most seamless Margaux in the vintage, the 2020 Château Giscours checks in as 56% Cabernet Sauvignon and 44% Merlot, brought up in 50% new French oak. Offering a wonderful, rich, powerful style that's classic Giscours, it has lots of cassis and darker currant fruits as well as notes of dried flowers, sandalwood, licorice, and earth. The tannin quality is spot on, which is rare in Margaux in 2020, and it has medium to full body, a great mid-palate, and a silky, layered mouthfeel. It's a beautiful Margaux. $75

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Taste 2022 Groth Napa Sauvignon Blanc, 2017 Taub Rutherford Cabernet and 2020 Lewis Napa Cabernet at Vintage Reserve Wine (VRW) for $15 per person.
Wednesday, September 27th. Available 12:00 noon -5:45 PM

Wine Spectator 92 Points
GROTH Sauvignon Blanc Napa Valley 2022

Effusive and intense, with a mouthwatering quality to the lingering notes of lemon blossoms, pomelo, fresh-cut Honeycrisp apple and candied ginger preserved in honey. Drink now. 25,000 cases made.—M.W. $30

Wine Spectator 92 Points
2017 Taub Family Rutherford Cabernet

Nicely compact, with a core of steeped red currant, plum and blackberry fruit that should unwind in the near future. Alder and licorice notes score the finish, with good latent energy. Best from 2022 through 2031. 1,500 cases made. — JM $75

Wine Enthusiast 95 Points
2020 Lewis Cellars Napa Cabernet Sauvignon

This deeply concentrated and firmly structured wine is like an iron fist in a velvet glove. It boasts ultra rich and luxurious black cherries, blueberries and dark chocolate backed by firm, fine grained tannins that give it aging potential. $120

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Taste 2021 Leviathan Red, 2019 Frog’s Leap Napa Cabernet and 2018 Robert Craig Mt. Veeder Cabernet at Vintage Reserve Wine (VRW) for $15 per person.
Thursday, September 28th. Available 12:00 noon -5:45 PM

2021 Leviathan Red

Winemaker Notes: The 2021 Leviathan reveals distinct aromas of blackberry bramble, black cherry, and chaparral. Savory spices and star anise meld with mineral, graphite, bay, and laurel reflective of the rocky Northern California terrain. With finely structured tannins, this wine is silky and elegant — yet persistent. 63% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot, 10% Petite Sirah, 6% Syrah, 6% Petit Verdot, 3% Cabernet Franc. $40

Vinous 94 Points
2019 Frog’s Leap Napa Cabernet Sauvignon

The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate Grown is a firm, classically built wine that is going to need a few years to come into its own. There is admirable depth as well as character. Red cherry/plum fruit, spice, tobacco and mocha lend quite a bit of aromatic nuance to this mid-weight, super-expressive Cabernet from Frog's Leap. $80

Antonio Galloni, Vinous 95 Points
2018 Robert Craig Mount Veeder Cabernet Sauvignon

The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Amentet Vineyard is a heady, explosive Mount Veeder wine. Iron, sweet red cherry, mint, dried flowers, licorice, mocha and rose petal all grace this wonderfully expressive, nuanced Cabernet. Best of all, the 2018 won't need more than a few years in bottle to be approachable. It's a gorgeous wine, that much is clear. The best is yet to come. $120

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2019 Mayacamas Mt. Veeder Cabernet Sauvignon

(Release delayed. This wine will arrive GT 10/4/23)
Antonio Galloni, Vinous 97 Points

The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon marks a return to a more elegant, polished style following the two powerhouses that are the 2017 and 2018. Silky, aromatic, and beautifully perfumed, the 2019 is majestic from the very first taste. There is plenty of depth and structure, as well as the balance to support decades of very fine drinking. Blood orange, crushed raspberry, mint, and exotic spice nuances linger. Even in the early going, the 2019 is shaping up to be majestic. $185

Additional Score - Wine Spectator 96 Points

Loaded with character and energy, this version reveals heavy notes of zesty sweet bay leaf and sassafras that infuse a core of steeped red currant and mulberry fruit, all carried by bright acidity and iron-laced tannins. The long finish pulls everything together, with the fruit, savory and mineral elements in harmony. Showing an old-school touch, this has a long life ahead. Best from 2025 through 2045.”—James Molesworth. $185

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2019 Ehlers Estate Napa Cabernet Sauvignon

Tasting Notes: The 2019 Ehlers Estate Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is a luscious wine and a great representation of the Napa Valley. Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc from our Estate vineyard dominate the blend, accompanied by Cabernet Sauvignon from carefully selected Howell Mountain and Napa vineyard sites. Deep purple, concentrated aromas of blackberries, mineral notes of graphite and smashed rocks, cedar, tobacco leaf, cassis, and dry herbs spice mix. Ample mouth feel, full-body, with firm tannins and great acid structure, that helps accentuate the flavors of berry compote, spices, and oak flavors like mocha. Very long finish. Enjoyable now but will age well for 15-20 more years. Unfined/Unfiltered. $77 (Back in stock GT 9/27/23)

2021 Luli Santa Lucia Highlands Syrah

Winemaker Notes: Sporting richly hued shades of dark ruby and near purple, the 2021 Luli Santa Lucia Highlands Syrah is a hidden gem crafted from a notoriously difficult vintage in this prestigious California appellation. Each swirl in the glass brings new life to this savory and spicy offering, with notes of freshly ground coffee, dark chocolate, new leather, and spiced plum filling setting the stage. As this deliciously pure Syrah coats the palate, waves of blackberry crumble, red cherry, and black pepper pair with hints of dried herbs de Provence and subtle meaty undertones to create a complex mélange of flavors. Approachable to its core, this wine still possesses structured tannin and remarkable acidity which suggests it will continue to age for years to come. $26 Our Price $20.99 (Available GT)

2021 Shafer One Point Five Stag’s Leap Cabernet

Winemaker Notes: One Point Five is Shafer's signature Cabernet Sauvignon, reflecting the timeless elegance of top Napa Valley vineyards. This wine honors the founding partnership of John and Doug Shafer, who said they'd worked together so long theirs wasn't a second-generation story but a generation and a half. The long, sunny 2021 summer created idyllic growing season. The fruit developed rich color with clean, elegant, and pure aromas and flavors. 94% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Petite Verdot, 2% Merlot, 1% Malbec $125 (Available GT)

Wine Advocate 97
2016 Staglin Family Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Estate

Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate bursts out of the glass with beautiful black cherry compote, warm cassis and freshly crushed blackberries scents plus touches of chargrill, violets, dark chocolate and pencil shavings and a waft of English lavender. Full-bodied, the palate features great intensity combined with fantastic freshness, textured by soft, finely grained tannins and lifted by the most gorgeous floral perfume, finishing long and layered. Beautiful wine. $300 Our Price $284.95 (Available GT)

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Taste 2018 Rusack Ballard Canyon Estate Syrah, 2020 Pahlmeyer Jayson Red and 2019 Robert Craig Howell Mt Cabernet Sauvignon at Vintage Reserve Wine (VRW) for $15 per person.
Friday, September 29th. Available 12:00 noon -5:45 PM

Wine Enthusiast 91 Points
2018 Rusack Ballard Canyon Estate Syrah

Focused aromas of elderberry and blackberry are spiced by licorice, white pepper and graphite on the ripe nose of this bottling, which includes 10% Petite Sirah. There is a thick presence to the palate, where heavy flavors of stewed berry, plum and smoked wood show. $36

James Suckling 93 Points
2020 Pahlmeyer Jayson Red

Aromas of blackcurrant, sliced plum, coriander and cardamom. Full-bodied with silky tannins. Nicely concentrated, without being overblown. Sweet spice and black fruit wash over the palate, with some black-tea notes coming through as well. I like the subtlety here. Drink or hold. 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Merlot, 11% Cabernet Franc, 2% Malbec. $65

Antonio Galloni, Vinous 97 Points
2019 Robert Craig Howell Mountain Cabernet

The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon (Howell Mountain) is another stellar wine from Robert Craig. Bright and incisive, with tons of energy, the Howell Mountain Cabernet delivers the goods, big time. A rush of inky red/purplish fruit, rose petal, lavender, menthol, spice and crushed rocks build into a crescendo of aromas and flavors that dazzles. This deep, vivid Cabernet hits all the right notes. Superb. $118

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Taste Avissi Extra Dry Prosecco, Piper-Heidsieck Brut Rosé Champagne Sauvage NV and 2015 Louis Roederer Brut Champagne at Vintage Reserve Wine (VRW) for $15 per person.
Saturday, September 30th. Available 12:00 noon -3:45 PM

Avissi Extra Dry Prosecco

Honeysuckle and gardenia make for sweet and delicate scents. The melting bubbles land gracefully, accentuating flavors of linen and orange cream. White rice and Asian pear dot the mid-palate, leading to a finish redolent of green apple. The liquid is as unique as the memorable packaging. $20

Wine Spectator 93 Points * Piper-Heidsieck Brut Rosé Champagne Sauvage NV (2022 Review)

A rich and toasty rosé Champagne backed by a steely spine of mouthwatering acidity, with a satiny mousse wrapping the firm structure and carrying a finely meshed range of raspberry coulis, blood orange granita, roasted hazelnut, candied ginger and a tangy streak of salinity, which cleans the palate on the racy finish. Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay. Drink now. 2,247 cases imported. $72

Wine Spectator 94 Points
Louis Roederer Brut Champagne 2015

A bright, chalky Champagne, finely balanced and appealing, with a range of nectarine and strawberry fruit flavors, plus notes of almond biscotti, pink grapefruit pith and elderflower. Packs a vivacious mousse that dances a foxtrot on the palate, carrying the flavors on the racy, lingering finish. Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Drink now through 2030. 741 cases. $110

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Vintage Reserve Wine (VRW)
1552 E. Champlain Drive, Ste 109 Fresno, CA 93720
Via Montana Center (NE Corner Shepherd and Champlain-Two doors south of Big 5) www.vintagereserve.biz 559-878-3953
Tuesday-Friday 12:00 Noon-6:00 PM
Saturday 12 Noon-4:00 PM

The Grape Tray (GT)
6023 N. Palm Avenue Fresno, CA 93704
Opus One Center (NW Corner Bullard and Palm)
www.grapetray.com 559-226-6828
Tuesday-Friday 10:30 AM-5:30 PM
Saturday 10:30 AM-4:00 PM