January 18th 2024 Newsletter - The Grape Tray

January 18th 2024 Newsletter

Save the date: 2024 Staglin Estate Wine Tasting with Hollis Nelson. Friday, February 9th

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Taste Chandon California Brut, Taittinger La Francaise Brut and 2013 Taittinger Comtes de Champagne Brut Blanc de Blancs at Vintage Reserve Wine (VRW) for $20 per person.
Thursday, January 18th. Available 12:00 noon -5:45 PM

Decanter 95 Points
Chandon California Brut

Elegant and vibrant aromas of crisp apples, zesty yellow citrus and touches of creamy notes. Very smooth and soft on the palate, harmonious, with fine bubbles. Blend: 70% Chardonnay, 30% Pinot Noir. $24

James Suckling 92 Points
Taittinger La Francaise Brut

A dry, fresh and delicious Taittinger with aromas and flavors of apples, fresh lemons and minerals. Full-bodied. Precise. White pepper and salt at the end. 40% chardonnay and 35% pinot noir, the rest pinot meunier. Three to four years on the lees. Drink now. $70

Antonio Galloni, Vinous 98 Points
Taittinger Comtes de Champagne Brut Blanc de Blancs 2013

The 2013 Comtes de Champagne captures all the pedigree of this great vintage in its energy, depth and vibrancy. Lemon confit, dried flowers, chamomile, spice and crushed rocks all race across the palate. Passionfruit, ginger, marzipan and mint appear later, filling out the layers beautifully. Harvest took place in October in what has become the exception rather than the norm in Champagne. $220

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Wine Spectator 90 Points
Nozzole Chianti Classico Riserva 2020

Leads with aromas of earth, tomato leaf and asparagus, followed by flavors of cherry, plum and loam. Dense and lively, with a complex, lingering finish. Rustic and savory, yet distinctive. Drink now through 2033. 150,000 cases made, 24,000 cases imported. $27 Our Price $19.99 (Available GT and VRW)

Terras Gauda Abadia de San Campio Albarino 2022

Winemaker Notes: The 2022 Abadia de San Campio clearly displays the unique characteristics of the Galician terroir. Clean aromas of ripe pineapple and tropical fruit are accompanied by delicate hints of pear and golden apples. Perfectly balanced on the palate, well-integrated acidity and a soft creaminess provide by the sur lie aging make this a wine luscious and highly appetizing. Albariño’s characteristic tropical aromas are especially vibrant with this vintage and culminate nicely in a long, lingering finish. $16 Our Price $13.99 (Available GT 1/19/24)

Wine Enthusiast 93 Points
2021 Bravium Anderson Valley Pinot Noir

This beautiful expression of Pinot Noir from Anderson Valley emits immediate aromas of bright red cherry, raspberry and red plum complemented by earthy tones of roses, violets, damp forest floor, fresh mountain air and river-rock minerality. This depth and complexity follows through onto the palate, where fine-grained tannins create a silky texture. Elevated acidity maintains a sense of freshness from start to lingering finish. $32 Our Price $28.99 (Available GT 1/19/24)

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 Our Price $28.29 (Available GT and VRW)

WOW-69% Off!
Wine Enthusiast 90 Points
2022 Jean-Luc Colombo Cape Bleue Rose, 750ml

Composed of Syrah and Mourvèdre, this rosé sits pretty in the glass with flecks of rose gold. An expressive nose transports you to the Mediterranean coast with a fresh lilac bouquet, watermelon, peach, wild thyme and rose petals. Brisk acidity complements a fleshy texture and adds length to its saline, stony finish. A versatile summer companion that can hold its own from first to last course. — Anna-Christina Cabrales $16 Our Price $4.95 (Back in stock GT and VRW)

2021 Frei Brothers Alexander Valley Reserve Cabernet

Winemaker Notes: For their Cabernet Sauvignon, they turned to the Sonoma County region that’s most renowned for the grape, Alexander Valley. In the warm, sun-drenched days and cool, crisp nights, our Cabernet Sauvignon ripens slowly, developing its signature rich, complex character and classic fruit notes of blackberry, blueberry and plum. $24 Our Price $21.99 (Back in stock GT and VRW)

James Suckling 97 Points
2021 Domaine Drouhin Roserock Zephirine Pinot Noir

Beautifully fragrant notes of cocoa-dusted raspberries and crushed blueberries with dried rose petals, sencha tea, cherry chocolate and crushed rocks. Ground spices, too. It shows both delicacy and power, with a compact and silky feeling to the tannin structure and impressive acidity which carries the freshness and tone through to the finish. Attractive tension of crunchy blue fruit and spices. $75 Our Price $64.99 (Available GT and VRW)

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Taste 2019 William Harrison Simpatico Rutherford Proprietary Red, 2019 Vineyard 29 Cru Napa Cabernet and 2019 Paul Hobbs Cabernet Sauvignon Coombsville Napa at Vintage Reserve Wine (VRW) for $15 per person.
Friday, January 19th. Available 12:00 noon -5:45 PM

2019 William Harrison Simpatico Rutherford Proprietary Red

Winemaker Notes: Simpatico is the baby brother to our Reserve Cabernet, comprised of all estate grown fruit, and crafted with the same winemaking techniques as our primary wines. Aromatics burst with maraschino cherry, pencil shavings and caramel. The palate offers generous, youthful flavors of ripe boysenberry and tart plum, with notes of cedar and fresh brewed espresso. Its texture is medium-bodied but rich, with supple tannins and a finish. 49% Cabernet Sauvignon, 44% Cabernet Franc, and 7% Merlot $50

Jeb Dunnuck 92 Points
2019 Vineyard 29 Cru Napa Cabernet

The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Cru Napa Valley is outstanding, and at the less than the $100 price point, it’s about as good as it gets! Ripe cassis, flowers, spicy oak, and tobacco notes all emerge from the glass, and it’s a ripe, round, wonderfully textured Cabernet that will shine for a decade or more. Best After 2022. $75

Jeb Dunnuck 95 Points
2019 Paul Hobbs Coombsville Napa Cabernet Sauvignon

From the southern, cooler end of the valley, the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Coombsville offers a vibrant, lively bouquet of blue fruits, sappy herbs, truffle, tobacco, and hints of gravelly earth. It brings plenty of richness on the palate and is medium to full-bodied, has nicely integrated acidity, and a great finish. It's a beautiful, cooler-climate, textured, balanced Cabernet that can be enjoyed today or cellared for upwards of two decades. MATURITY: 2022 – 2042. $120

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Taste 2021 Catena Zapata Appellation La Consulta Malbec, 2021 Aperture Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon and 2021 Gentry Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon at Vintage Reserve Wine (VRW) for $15 per person.
Saturday, January 20th. Available 12:00 noon -3:45 PM

Wine Advocate 92 Points
2021 Catena Zapata Appellation La Consulta Malbec

The range of appellation wines from 2021 is very fresh and balanced, clean and precise, as can be seen in the juicy but serious 2021 Appellation La Consulta Malbec, which was produced with grapes from vines planted in 1996 on alluvial soils. This is still young and a little marked by the élevage in barrel, with spices and some creaminess, and it has the mineral sensation and fine tannins that this wine always has. It has black fruit and an earthy twist. 84,000 bottles produced. $22

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

2021 Gentry Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon

Producer Notes: This 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from a single biodynamic vineyard on Howell Mountain is made by a very acclaimed winemaker (who must remain nameless) who describes the wine as vibrant, shows the power and restraint of Howell Mountain. First, a powerful bouquet of rose petals, African violets and lavender greet your nose. Next, wanting to show its true colors you will find balanced fruit attributes of Bing cherries, plums and cranberries on the palate. A mountain wine at heart, graphite and iron are also ever-present. In an effort to show its youthfulness, this medium bodied wine with lively acidity and inviting freshness finishes with energetic yet refined tannins. $70

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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



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