Holiday Hours

Grape Tray
Thursday, 12/21 10:30 AM – 5:30 PM
Friday, 12/22 10:30 AM – 5:30 PM
Saturday, 12/23 10:30 AM – 4:00 PM

************

Vintage Reserve Wine
Thursday, 12/21 12:00 noon – 6:00 PM
Friday, 12/22 12:00 noon – 6:00 PM
Saturday, 12/23 12:00 noon – 4:00 PM

************

On Deck for wine tasting next week at VRW:

James Suckling 98 Points
2021 Pahlmeyer Napa Valley Chardonnay

Sliced cooked apples with biscuit and pie crust undertones, as well as hints of spices with some salted caramel. Hints of apricot. Full-bodied with a firmness and depth. Creamy-textured phenolics and great length. One of the best I have tasted. It is rich and flavorful, yet it shows great depth and length. Drinkable, but better in two or three years. $115

Wine Advocate 95+
2021 Aperture Cellars Bordeaux Red Blend

The 2021 Bordeaux Red Blend is the first iteration to include a significant amount of fruit from Farrow Ranch, Aperture's latest vineyard acquisition. It's a blend of 44% Merlot, 27% Malbec, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Petit Verdot and 9% Cabernet Franc and was matured for 18 months in 50% new French oak. It has slowly unfurling scents of red and black currants, chocolate-covered cherries, integrated new oak spices, tobacco and tapenade. The palate is particularly elegant, balancing concentrated, nuanced flavors with a frame of velvety tannins and vibrant acidity that calls you back to the glass. 5,270 cases produced. $65

Wine Spectator 97 Points
Bollinger Brut Champagne La Grande Année 2014

Racy acidity drives this mouthwatering Champagne, enlivening the rich panoply of flavors. Features a fine and creamy mousse that's still a lively springboard for aromas and flavors of crème de cassis, glazed tangerine, roasted hazelnut, ground coffee, pickled ginger and white blossoms. Long and satiny, with minerally salt and chalk notes gaining momentum on the lasting finish. Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Disgorged July 2021. Drink now through 2037. 1,500 cases imported. $190

***************

Taste 2021 Sobon Estate Zinfandel Amador County Rocky Top, 2021 SEGHESIO Zinfandel Sonoma County Old Vine and 2021 Brown Estate Chaos Theory Zinfandel Blend at Vintage Reserve Wine (VRW) for $15 per person.
Thursday, December 21st. Available 12:00 noon -5:45 PM

Wine Spectator 92 Points
Sobon Estate Zinfandel Amador County
Rocky Top 2021

Jammy and plump, this Zin shows dark cherry, licorice and cracked pepper flavors, ending with a rich, generous finish. Drink now through 2030. 1,897 cases made. $20

Wine Spectator 94 Points
SEGHESIO Zinfandel Sonoma County Old Vine 2021

That rare Zinfandel with finesse and briary fruit, offering wild berry, mocha and black licorice flavors that gather richness and zest toward lively tannins. Drink now through 2031. —T.F. $40

2021 Brown Estate Chaos Theory Zinfandel Blend

Winemaker Notes: The 2021 Chaos Theory has a dark garnet core with a ruby rim and an intense bouquet of ripe red fruits, dark cherry, plum, and licorice. Secondary notes of leather, toasted marshmallow, wild herbs, and florals, followed by hints of caramel apple, Asian spices, heavy cream, tobacco, and cocoa nibs. On the palate, it is ripe, savory, and concentrated with silky mouthfeel, zesty acidity, and sweet tannins. 50% Zinfandel, 40% Primitivo, 5% Petite Sirah, 5% Tempranillo. $42

**************

James Suckling 98 Points
2019 Pahlmeyer Proprietary Red

Blackberries, blackcurrants and hints of mint. Full-bodied with very fine, velvety tannins. Turns firm and structured with a fine chewiness and a caressing mouth-feel. Lively, too. 77% cabernet sauvignon and 15% merlot, the rest petit verdot and cabernet franc. Very attractive now, but will be better in four to five years. Try after 2026. $240 (Back in stock GT 12/22/23)

Wine Spectator 90 Points
Rocca di Frassinello Maremma Toscana Le Sughere di Frassinello 2019

There's depth to the concentrated black cherry and blackberry fruit, shaded by vanilla, earth and graphite notes. Dense and muscular, with a long finish. Sangioveto, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. Best from 2023 through 2028. 15,000 cases made, 7,000 cases imported. $21 (Available GT and VRW this afternoon)

Wine Spectator 93 Points
Billecart-Salmon Brut Rosé Champagne NV

Sleek and finely knit, with a lovely, satiny mousse gliding across the palate, carrying flavors of white raspberry, peach skin, blanched almond and oyster shell. Long and mouthwatering, with hints of ground ginger and pink grapefruit pith on the elegant finish. Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. Disgorged spring 2022. Drink now through 2028. $99 Our Price $84.95/750ml and $47.95/375ml (Back in stock GT 12/26/23)

Wine Advocate 96 Points
2021 Aperture Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon

The 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon comes from Aperture's estate vineyard in Healdsburg and their newest vineyard acquisition, Farrow Ranch in Alexander Valley, plus some of the original single vineyards in the Aperture program like Oliver Ranch. It is blended with 6% Petit Verdot, 5% Merlot, 3% Malbec and 1% Cabernet Franc and was matured for 16 months in 55% new French oak. It has vibrant, layered aromas of blueberry compote, lavender, aniseed, milk chocolate and nutmeg with undertones of cast iron and tobacco leaves. The medium-bodied palate is elegantly styled, pairing deep flavors with a weightless feel due to its bright acidity and velvety tannins. It has a long, latent finish and deserves 3-5 years in bottle. 4,480 cases produced. $80

*************

Taste 2022 J Vineyards California Pinot Noir, 2018 Merryvale Napa Cabernet Sauvignon and 2020 Ghost Block Oakville Estate Cabernet at Vintage Reserve Wine (VRW) for $15 per person.
Friday, December 22nd. Available 12:00 noon -5:45 PM

2022 J Vineyards California Pinot Noir

Winemaker Notes: Smooth, balanced and approachable, J Multi-Appellation Pinot Noir offers a polished, fruit-driven take on this classic variety. Flavorful notes of dark plum, black cherry, boysenberry and baked strawberry are nicely layered on the plush palate with hints of cocoa dust, clove and toasted almond. $24

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

2020 Ghost Block Oakville Estate Cabernet

Winemaker Notes: This wine offers a harmonious of rich dark fruit, blackberries and plums with hints of violet, chocolate, vanilla and spices with aromatics on the palate. Fine grained tannins frame the velvety mid-palate with a crisp lingering finish. The wine is well structured and complex and will pair perfectly with grilled lamb chops. $75

***************

Taste 2020 FEL Anderson Valley Pinot Noir, 2020 Thread Feathers Stags Leap Cabernet and 2019 O'Shaughnessy Cabernet Sauvignon Napa at Vintage Reserve Wine (VRW) for $15 per person.
Saturday, December 23rd. Available 12:00 noon -3:45 PM

Wine Enthusiast 94 Points
2020 FEL Anderson Valley Pinot Noir

Showstopping fruit and complexity animate this full-bodied but creamily smooth, elegant wine. It's soft around the edges but deep in the middle, oozing raspberries, black cherries, basil and black tea. Although blended from different parts of the valley, this bottle competes well with FEL's vineyard designates. $43

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

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

**************

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