On Deck for wine tasting next week at VRW:

Wine Spectator 94 Points
Hudson Vineyards Chardonnay Napa Valley Carneros 2021

Impressive for the generous, plump flavors and the restraint and elegance of the candied ginger peel, briny preserved lemon, peppery white flower and buttery peach pastry flavors on a plush frame. Reveals a juicy thread of acidity. Drink now. 1,638 cases made. $75

Jeb Dunnuck 94 Points
2020 Peter Michael L'Esprit Des Pavots

Inky red with a purple tinge, the 2020 L'Esprit Des Pavots is brooding with spice, black cherry preserve, forest earth, and black licorice. It’s full-bodied, rounded, and gushing with boysenberry, with a balance of sweet fruit and savory Sonoma character in its notes of tea leaf, wildflowers, and lightly toasted spices. Long on the palate, with ripe tannins and a good finish, it’s attractive now and will drink well over the next 10 years. $150

2021 Pisoni Estate Pinot Noir

The 2021 Pinot Noir comes entirely from the Pisoni Vineyard in the southern portion of the Santa Lucia Highlands. It was only partially destemmed and was raised in 68% new French oak. It's a truly gorgeous effort offering serious aromatics of cassis, darker raspberries, spicy oak, graphite, and crushed stone. Incredibly pure, vibrant, and precise aromatically, it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, a stacked mid-palate, lots of building tannins, and a great finish. This concentrated, focused, age-worthy beauty needs at least 2-3 years to integrate its structure and tannins and will evolve brilliantly over the following decade. Bravo! $110

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Taste 2021 Pinot Noir: Capiaux Pisoni and Peter Michael Ma Danseuse at Vintage Reserve Wine (VRW) for $20 per person.
Tuesday, October 31st. Available 12:00 noon -5:45 PM

Antonio Galloni, Vinous 96 Points
2021 Capiaux Pisoni Vineyard Pinot Noir

The 2021 Pinot Noir Pisoni Vineyard is fabulous. Bright, punchy and explosive, the 2021 captures the essence of this Santa Lucia Highlands site. Inky blue/purplish fruit, lavender, spice, licorice and mint saturate the palate. Even with all of its intensity, the 2021 retains terrific freshness and verve. This Capiaux wine emerges from the one parcel at Pisoni planted with own rooted vines. $70

Jeb Dunnuck 97 Points
2021 Peter Michael Pinot Noir Ma Danseuse

A deep and semi-opaque ruby/purple color, the 2021 Pinot Noir Ma Danseuse is ripe with black cherry, violets, and wet stone. This full-bodied Pinot Noir is balanced and broad on the palate, with ripe tannins, and it’s flush with ripe black raspberry, sweet earth, and tea leaf, a velvety texture, and good purity. Drink 2025-2037. $170 **************

Taste 2017 Opus One at Vintage Reserve Wine (VRW) for $35.
Wednesday, November 1st. Available 12:00 noon -5:45 PM

Wine Advocate 95 Points
2017 Opus One

Opus One had picked 91% of their fruit before the fires started in 2017, and only two lots were eliminated from consideration. The 2017 Opus One, bottled in July 2019, is a blend of 81% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8.5% Petit Verdot, 5% Cabernet Franc, 4.5% Merlot and 1% Malbec. Medium to deep garnet-purple colored, it slowly grows on the nose, revealing compelling notes of baked black cherries, mulberries, black raspberries, warm cassis and blackberry pie with nuances of spice cake, yeast extract, tapenade, licorice and dusty soil with a waft of wild sage. Medium-bodied, the palate has a lively skip in its step, featuring bags of juicy raspberry and cassis-laced fruit and a refreshing line, supported by ripe, plush tannins, finishing long and graceful. (10/2019) $380

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Taste 2021 MacRostie Sonoma Coast Chardonnay, 2021 Maybach Irmgard Sonoma Coast Pinot and 2020 Whitehall Lane Napa Cabernet at Vintage Reserve Wine (VRW) for $15 per person.
Thursday, November 2nd. Available 12:00 noon -5:45 PM

Wine Spectator 92 Points
2021 MacRostie Sonoma Coast Chardonnay

Intensely juicy, with wonderful purity to the pear, pineapple and tangerine flavors, notes of lemon blossoms and dashes of honey and spices. Shows mouthwatering acidity on the long, expressive finish, where a touch of minerality lingers. $28

2021 Maybach Irmgard Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast

Thomas Brown, Winemaker Notes: In planting this vineyard in 2007, we chose two different California Heritage clones, Swan and Calera, to produce a distinct wine that reflects the soil and climate. This Pinot Noir has leagues of depth and aromatic notes of forest floor, cassis, and cinnamon. On the palate, notes of plum, cranberry compote, rosemary, oolong tea and a zesty acidity draw out into a clean perfumed finish. $95

Wine Enthusiast 94 Points
2020 Whitehall Lane Napa Cabernet Sauvignon

Deep, dark and elegant, this full-bodied wine sips easily despite significant tannins since they are silky and fine-grained. Black cherries, blackberries and blueberries blend with hints of charred oak and iron for a complex, edgy palate. $52

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2019 Pont Neuf La Vogue Russian River Pinot

Winemaker Notes: The best wines of Burgundy’s Cotes de Nuits come to mind. Aromas of sweet earth, red fruits, leather, truffles, and Porcini mushrooms take us on a walk through the woods. Leafy forest floor, aromatic spices and fresh cut wood are well integrated and become appetizing accents. The fruit flavors of “La Vouge” are inspired by the wild; berries, currants, cherries, and Damson plums with their soft, sweet flesh and perfectly balanced acidity. The 2019 La Vouge is a prime candidate for cellaring. $70 (Back in stock GT 11/1/23)

2019 Pont Neuf Le Pont Neuf Russian River Chardonnay

Winemaker Notes: The 2019 evolves slowly in the bottle with new aromas and flavors emerging as the young wine develops. The tasting experience is one of energy and movement where a subtle hint of one aroma is replaced by one after another as it evolves in the glass. Seductive aromas of honeycomb, crystallized lemon peel, and Freesia are accompanied by a pliant and luxurious mouthfeel. A fine thread of minerality runs through this wine, giving structure and making it fit to age for at least a decade. 70 cases were produced. $ (Back in stock GT 11/1/23)

Wine Advocate 96 Points
2021 Anthill Farms Comptche Ridge Pinot Noir

The 2021 Pinot Noir Comptche Ridge is powerful and expressive, with pure scents of wild berries, lavender, Earl Grey tea leaves and complex undertones of aniseed and iodine. The medium-bodied palate is impressively concentrated, velvety and energetic, and it boasts a very long, highly perfumed finish. $57 (Arrives GT 11/1/23)

Wine Spectator 94 Points
DROUHIN OREGON ROSEROCK Pinot Noir Eola-Amity Hills 2021

Graceful and precise, with dynamic cherry and red plum flavors highlighted by fresh violet and brown spices, which glide on the long, sleek finish toward refined tannins. Drink now through 2032. 10,500 cases made. —Tim Fish $42 Our Price $36.95 (Back in stock GT this afternoon)

2021 MacMurray Ranch Estate Russian River Pinot Noir

Winemaker Notes: The MacMurray Estate Vineyards Russian River Valley Pinot Noir opens with aromas of lavender and boysenberry, giving way to flavors of dark cherry, pomegranate and vanilla. This luscious wine has a silky mouthfeel, framed by subtle hints of oak from barrel aging. $30

Wine Advocate 95 Points
2021 M by McPrice Myers Cabernet Sauvignon

I love this easy-to-drink 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon from McPrice Myers that well overdelivers for its price. Deep ruby-purple, it has alluring aromas of cassis, pencil shavings, dried herbs, leather and lavender, plus classy touches of oak spice. The full-bodied palate is concentrated and powerful without going over the top. It has abundant, grainy tannins, flinty streaks and plenty of refreshing acidity to carry the long finish. It's not your average chocolate bomb California Cabernet, despite its modest price tag. It should be easy to find, with 12,000 cases produced. $35 Our Price $24.99 (Available GT and VRW)

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 Napa Cabernet: 2021 Ballentine, 2018 William Harrison Rutherford and 2019 O’Shaughnessy at Vintage Reserve Wine (VRW) for $15 per person.
Friday, November 3rd. Available 12:00 noon -5:45 PM

2021 Ballentine Napa Cabernet Sauvignon

Winemaker Notes: This is a fruit-forward wine, with dark fruit dominating the palate. Blackberry, blueberry, black cherry, and currants explode on the nose and palate. Black currant, raspberry, and cherry pair seamlessly with cigar box, leather, tobacco leaf, and subtle herbaceous. Hints of black olive, black tea, dark cocoa, and eucalyptus complement the soft tannins and keep this wine balanced. This medium-bodied wine finishes with fig preserves and baking spices. This is an elegant wine crafted to be enjoyed upon release but can easily hold up to age for another 7-10 years. $60

2018 William Harrison RUTHERFORD ESTATE Napa CABERNET SAUVIGNON

Winemaker Notes: Marked by intense aromas of blackberry compote, with subtler notes of cocoa nib, blueberry and fennel seed. The palate is full-bodied, with dense boysenberry flavors, a hint of roast coffee and smooth, fine-grained tannins. Complementary flavors of nutmeg and tobacco are attributed to our unique barrel program. The texture is dense and youthful, with vibrant tannin structure and a lingering finish. $75

Jeb Dunnuck 94 Points
2019 O'Shaughnessy Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

The base 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley is terrific, and while I don’t know the price, I suspect it’s a great value. Deep purple-hued, with terrific mulled currant and blackberry fruits, it has lots of ripe herbal, chocolaty spice notes, full-bodied richness, sweet tannins, and a great finish. This is pure Napa Valley goodness to drink over the coming 10-15 years. $85

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Taste 2018 Fanti Brunello di Montalcino, 2019 Castello Banfi Magna Cum Laude and 2019 Paolo Scavino Monvigliero Barolo at Vintage Reserve Wine (VRW) for $15 per person.
Saturday, November 4th. Available 12:00 noon -3:45 PM

Wine Spectator 93 Points
Fanti Brunello di Montalcino 2018

Sleek and focused, with a supple feel to the cherry, raspberry, hibiscus and chalky mineral flavors. Well-balanced, finishing with a crisp feel now that should stretch out nicely in time. Best from 2025 through 2042. —B.S. $49

Wine Spectator 93 Points
Castello Banfi Toscana Magna Cum Laude 2019

Saturated with black currant and blackberry flavors, this red also reveals bell pepper, eucalyptus, iron and tobacco notes. Dense tannins hold court on the finish, while the fruit, savory and mineral elements linger. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Sangiovese and Syrah. Best from 2024 through 2037. 7,500 cases made, 1,400 cases imported. $50

Wine Spectator 97 Points
Paolo Scavino Barolo Monvigliero 2019

Saturated with cherry, raspberry and violet aromas and flavors, this pure and silky red is both elegant and beautifully structured. Very expressive today, already showing harmony and excellent length on the finish, with mineral and underbrush accents adding depth. Best from 2025 through 2042. 600 cases made, 180 cases imported. $107

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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