The Grape Tray will be open on Monday during the month of December

Grape Tray
Monday, 12/4 10:30 AM - 5:30 PM
Tuesday, 12/5 10:30 AM - 5:30 PM
Wednesday, 12/6 10:30 AM – 5:30 PM
Thursday, 12/7 10:30 AM – 5:30 PM
Friday, 12/8 10:30 AM – 5:30 PM
Saturday, 12/9 10:30 AM – 4:00 PM

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Vintage Reserve Wine
Tuesday, 12/05 12:00 noon – 6:00 PM
Wednesday, 12/6 12:00 noon – 6:00 PM
Thursday, 12/7 12:00 noon – 6:00 PM
Friday, 12/8 12:00 noon – 6:00 PM
Saturday, 12/9 12:00 noon – 4:00 PM

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On Deck for wine tasting next week at VRW:

Wine Spectator 95 Points
Piper-Heidsieck Brut Champagne Rare 2013

An elegant, finessed Champagne, with the creamy mousse carrying a finely meshed yet concentrated range of blackberry puree and poached apricot flavors, plus blood orange peel, salted pistachio and aromatic accents of verbena, chalk and oyster shell. Shows mouthwatering acidity that carries the complex profile on the long finish. Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Drink now through 2038. 500 cases imported. $260

2021 Sonoma-Cutrer Les Pierres Chardonnay

Winemaker Notes: Les Pierres’ beautiful, pale straw color catches the light as you pour it into your glass. As we would expect, this vintage offers classic aromas of lemon zest, wet stone, key lime pie, citrus blossom and bright, lemon curd. A beautifully balanced mouthfeel combines with Sonoma-Cutrer’s signature citrus-laced acidity that gives the wine its sleek, focused palate structure with a nice oak integration from the 12 months spent in French oak barrels. Flavor notes of lime, mineral, roasted nuts, and sweet spices dissolve into the light, creamy palate. $46

2019 Hall Napa Cabernet Sauvignon

Winemaker Notes: This 2019 Napa Valley Cabernet is expressive with aromas of dark cocoa, red berry, and dried herbs. The palate is lush and fruit-forward with hints of spice and leather. The tannin is polished-fully integrated and balanced through the lengthy finish. 92% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Merlot, 3% Petit Verdot. $60

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Taste 2019 Shafer Hillside Select Cabernet Sauvignon at Vintage Reserve Wine for $30 per person.
Tuesday, December 5th. Available 12:00 noon -5:45 PM

Jeb Dunnuck 98+
2019 Shafer Hillside Select Napa Cabernet

The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select is another magical vintage for this cuvée. All Cabernet Sauvignon from hillside vineyards on the eastern side of Stags Leap,it offers a vivid purple hue as well as extraordinary notes of cassis, black raspberries, violets, camphor, and spring flowers, with perfectly integrated background oak. Full-bodied but not massive, it’s flawlessly balanced on the palate and has ultra-fine tannins, a seamless, elegant mouthfeel, and a great, great finish. It’s another 30- to 40-year wine from this incredible team that readers will absolutely love. $375

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Taste 2022 Miner Napa Chardonnay, 2021 DROUHIN OREGON ROSEROCK Pinot Noir Eola-Amity Hills and 2020 Paul Hobbs Pinot Noir Goldrock Estate at Vintage Reserve Wine (VRW) for $15 per person.
Wednesday, December 6th. Available 12:00 noon -5:45 PM

2022 Miner Napa Chardonnay

Winemaker Notes: Sourced from select low-yielding vineyards in Napa Valley, Miner Family Chardonnay is characterized by crisp apple, ripe melon and citrus flavors, gently balanced with toasty French oak. Their winemaker uses malolactic fermentation in moderation to retain the wine's bright acidity. More than a decade after this Chardonnay put Miner on the map, this wine remains a classic. $43

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

Jeb Dunnuck 95 Points
2020 Paul Hobbs Pinot Noir Goldrock Estate

The 2020 Pinot Noir Goldrock Estate takes on a darker fruit profile, with ripe black cherry, fresh potting soil, and root beer spice. In line with the nose, the palate is more grounded in nature, with black raspberry and layers of incense and spice that unfold harmoniously through its long finish. This is worth holding a couple years and drinking over the following 10 or more years. $90

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Taste 2021 Paul Hobbs Russian River Pinot Noir, 2018 Merryvale Napa Cabernet Sauvignon and 2019 Le Pich Napa Cabernet Sauvignon at Vintage Reserve Wine (VRW) for $15 per person.
Thursday, December 7th. Available 12:00 noon -5:45 PM

Vinous Media 95 Points
2021 Paul Hobbs Russian River Pinot Noir

The 2021 Pinot Noir (Russian River Valley) is dense, heady and explosive. All the classic Russian River exuberance comes through, but amplified in all of the good ways and none of the bad. Even with all of the richness and intensity, the 2021 retains good freshness as well as energy. A touch of whole clusters brightens the finish nicely. $80

Wine Spectator 93 Points
2018 Merryvale Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

This is textbook Napa Cabernet—ripe, forthright and well-defined, with cassis, bitter plum and blackberry fruit driving through over a racy graphite hint and lively savory notes. Reveals an alder toast accent on the finish. Rock-solid. Drink now through 2034. 3,516 cases made. $68

Antonio Galloni, Vinous 92 Points
2019 Le Pich Napa Cabernet Sauvignon

The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Le Pich is a terrific introductory-level wine from Julien Fayard. A rich, opulent wine, Le Pich offers up a compelling mélange of black cherry, plum, chocolate, cloves, new leather and licorice. This bold, sumptuous Cabernet delivers the goods, big time. The 2019 is one of the best editions of Le Pich I can remember tasting. Drinking Window: 2022-2034. $60

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2022 Louis Latour Pouilly-Fuisse, Burgundy

Pouilly-Fuisse is the name of a village in the Maconnais producing highly distinctive Chardonnay wine. The vineyards producing this wine are part of a breath-taking landscape where the limestone and heavy clay soils combine to create a unique 'terroir'. Average vine age for our Pouilly-Fuisse is 30 years. Our ’22 release has a brilliant pale yellow color. Its floral nose evokes scents of acacia and honeysuckle. Round and ample on the palate, it reveals aromas of yellow fruits. $35 Our Price $30.99 (Arrives GT this afternoon)

Campo Viejo Cava Brut Reserva

Winemaker Notes: A noble and austere sparkling cava. Greenish yellow in colour with golden glints, it's clear and star bright. A persistent, elegant stream of bubbles rise to form a perfect rosary on the surface. Complex aromas of white fruits with hints of wood. Fresh, well-balanced and elegant on the palate with an excellent final sensation. $10 Our Price $7.95 (Back in stock GT and VRW this afternoon)

Jeb Dunnuck 97 Points
2019 Merus Napa Cabernet Sauvignon

A killer bottle of Napa Valley magic, the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon from Merus is 97% Cabernet Sauvignon and 3% Petit Verdot. It’s a powerful, full-bodied, uber-ripe beauty that stays lively and balanced, with beautiful blue fruits, as well as smoked tobacco, chocolate, and scored earth-like aromas and flavors. A beast of a wine with a great mid-palate and velvety tannins, it should shed its considerable baby fat over the coming 4-6 years and have two decades of overall longevity. $180. Internet Price $154.99 (Back in stock GT and VRW 12/6/23)

Wine Spectator 94 Points
Colene Clemens Pinot Noir Chehalem Mountains Dopp Creek 2021

This expressive red is dynamic, yet retains a sense of elegance and refinement, showing pomegranate and blueberry flavors underscored by river stone and dusky spice accents. Builds tension toward lively tannins. Drink now through 2032. 4,888 cases made. $32 (Arrives GT 12/6/23) Limited

2020 Thread Feathers Stags Leap Cabernet

Winemaker Notes: This 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon is a stunning expression of the Stags Leap District growing region. Grown on an eastern facing hillside on the west side of Silverado Trail, this wine is bright and opulent with dark fruit notes of dark cherry and blueberry compote and hints of baking spice, cedar, violet and crushed stone. This wine is rich with beautiful structure, balance and polished tannins. 97% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% Merlot, and 1% Cabernet Franc. $40 Our Price $34.99 (Back in stock GT and VRW)

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 Our price $44.99 (Back in stock GT 12/6/23)

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Taste 2022 Ghost Block MorgaenLee Sauvignon Blanc, 2019 Charles Krug Generations Cabernet and 2021 JAX Estate Napa Cabernet Sauvignon

at Vintage Reserve Wine (VRW) for $15 per person.
Friday, December 8th. Available 12:00 noon -5:45 PM

2022 Ghost Block MorgaenLee Sauvignon Blanc

Winemaker Notes: Beautiful aromatics of grapefruit and white peach jump from the glass followed by subtle tropical fruit notes of guava and papaya. $25

Wine Enthusiast 97 Points
2019 Charles Krug Generations Cabernet

Quietly powerful, dense with alluring oak spices and late-picked fruit flavors, this full-bodied, velvet-textured Cabernet-dominant blend is generous and inviting to drink, but also balanced and structured for the long haul. Concentrated, deep and layered, it is meant for drinking with appreciative friends or family in the future. $85

2021 JAX Estate Napa Cabernet Sauvignon

Winemaker Notes: Full-bodied and well proportioned, this wine carries through to a vibrant and lively finish. Dark aromas of ripe blackberries, currants and a hint of spice. This Cabernet Sauvignon coats the palate with dense layers of black cherry, cocoa nib, forest floor and soft hints of cedar. $60

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Taste Gloria Ferrer Blanc de Noir Rose, Pierre Péters Brut Blanc de Blancs Champagne Cuvée de Reserve and Bollinger Brut Rosé Champagne at Vintage Reserve Wine (VRW) for $20 per person.
Saturday, December 9th. Available 12:00 noon -3:45 PM

Connoisseurs' Guide 90 Points
Gloria Ferrer Blanc de Noir Rose

92% Pinot Noir; 8% Chardonnay. This engaging, nicely crafted Blanc de Noirs does an exceptionally nice job at being fruity and fresh and moderately yeasty all at the same time. It smacks mildly of juicy cherries while showing plenty of creamy autolysis and is enlivened by perky acidity and a full, frothy mousse. It stands out from its similarly priced, large-production cousins and is an outand- out steal when found at a discount as it routinely is. $30

Wine Spectator 93 Points
Pierre Péters Brut Blanc de Blancs Champagne Cuvée de Réserve NV (2023 Review)

Firm and minerally up front, with well-honed acidity and notes of smoke, chalk and oyster shell transitioning as they're integrated with a creamy range of crunchy pear, ripe green apple, pink grapefruit pith and almond skin flavors, which expand through the midpalate and lightly spiced finish. Elegant, but with good complexity and focus throughout. Disgorged May 2023. Drink now through 2028. 2,165 cases imported. $75

Wine Spectator 93 Points
Bollinger Brut Rosé Champagne NV (2023 Review)

Sleek and elegant, this finely knit rosé Champagne offers flavors of ripe cherry, blood orange granita and slivered almond, with aromatic accents of graphite, star anise and verbena. Long and creamy on the vibrant finish. Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier. Drink now through 2028. 1,025 cases imported. $140

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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