On deck for wine tasting next week at VRW:

2021 Lancaster Winemaker’s Cuvee Cabernet

Winemaker Notes: This wine delivers the epitome of complexity and depth. The combination of warm climate and alluvial and gravelly loam soil found on our estate is ideal for creating balanced wines of concentration and richness. Dark purple in the glass, this wine opens with aromas of indulgent, dark berry fruit with savory undertones and notes of toasted oak. The palate is full bodied with multi-layered flavors of black cherry, currant, tobacco and graphite. 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cabernet Franc, 2% Merlot, and 2% Petit Verdot. $80

Wine Advocate 98 Points
2020 Long Shadows Cabernet Sauvignon Feather

Instantly impressive, the 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon Feather opens to silky, fresh and fleshy dark red and black fruit tones with picturesque rich and ripe notions that sashay out of the glass with elegance, power and precision. Medium to full-bodied, the Cabernet shows incredible depth and breadth with succulent acidity and fine-grained tannins. This will have no trouble aging past its 20th birthday. World-class and devastatingly beautiful, the wine continues to somersault across the ever-evolving finish, and it will undoubtedly be well received upon its release in the fall later this year. Mark your calendar now, and run, don’t walk to add this to your cellar. Just under 48,000 bottles were filled after the wine rested for 22 months in all French oak, 90% first fill. $75

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Taste 2021 Antinori Chianti Classico Pèppoli, 2019 Castello di Bossi Chianti Classico Gran Selezione and 2016 Val di Suga Brunello di Montalcino Poggio al Granchio at Vintage Reserve Wine for $15 per person.
Tuesday, April 2nd. Available 12:00 noon -5:45 PM

Wine Spectator 90 Points
Antinori Chianti Classico Pèppoli 2021

A vibrant, elegant red, despite the firm tannins. Reveals prevailing floral, cherry, strawberry and iron flavors as this plays out on the lingering finish. Sangiovese, Merlot and Syrah. Drink now through 2027. 18,000 cases imported. $25

Wine Spectator 96 Points
Castello di Bossi Chianti Classico Gran Selezione 2019

There’s purity to the cherry, strawberry, rose, mineral and herb aromas and flavors in this solidly built red, which shows excellent balance and length. The muscular finish begs for more time for the beautiful fruit to assimilate. Best from 2025 through 2042. 1,700 cases made, 800 cases imported. $42

Wine Spectator 95 Points
2016 Val di Suga Brunello di Montalcino Poggio al Granchio

Black currant, cherry and plum flavors abound in this red, accented by licorice, tar, menthol, iron and tobacco notes. Pure, detailed and harmonious, with spice and mineral elements lingering on the long aftertaste. Almost approachable now, but better in three to five years. Best from 2024 through 2048. 250 cases imported. $83

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Taste 2022 Louis Jadot Pouilly Fuisse, 2020 Simonnet-Febvre Fourchaume Chablis Premier Cru and 2021 Vocoret & Fils Chablis Les Clos at Vintage Reserve Wine for $20 per person.
Wednesday, April 3rd. Available 12:00 noon -5:45 PM

2022 Louis Jadot Pouilly Fuisse

Winemaker Notes: This wine has aromas of fresh red apples, honey and white flowers with elegant and rich flavors of toasted nuts and citrus. One of the purest expressions of this typical Burgundian grape. Drink with roasted salmon, shellfish or creamy cheeses. $30

James Suckling 94 Points
2020 Simonnet-Febvre Fourchaume Chablis Premier Cru

This Premier Cru Chablis has a exciting balance of ripe citrus fruit with vibrant mineral freshness that makes it leap and bound over the palate. Not a hint of the opulence that 2020 sometimes has. Very clean, long finish with complex chalky character. Drink or hold. $75

Wine Spectator 93 Points
2021 Vocoret & Fils Chablis Les Clos

Linear and intense, this precise white is marked by a mix of lemon, apple, peach and stone flavors, with accents of white flowers and fresh herbs. Balanced and vibrant, with a salty, mouthwatering finish. Best from 2024 through 2030. 100 cases imported. $150

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Taste Paso Robles Reserve Cabernet at Vintage Reserve Wine (VRW) for $15 per person.
Thursday, April 4th. Available 12:00 noon -5:45 PM

2021 Liberty School Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon

Winemaker Notes: The 2021 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon elevates the legacy of Liberty School, displaying a rich garnet color that foreshadows the experience to come. On the nose, vanilla bean, bright plum and fresh leather nuances set the stage for a robust palate. Dried cherry, blackberry and currant flavors are balanced by notes of peppercorn, leather and toasted oak. Firm yet supple tannins add length to a silky finish. $25

2019 Justin Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon

Winemaker Notes: The 2019 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon is one of the best Paso Robles Cabernets available. Crafted from the same quality fruit as our flagship ISOSCELES blend, and made of 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, this wine is a Cabernet lover’s dream. This wine is bold and complex with ripe black fruit, sweet spice, and that classic Cabernet mix of savory and herbal character. Its structural texture keeps this wine balanced and fresh from its beginning through its very long, complex finish. $78

Wine Advocate 94-96 Points
2021 Daou Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon

The 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve is blended with 23% Petit Verdot, made entirely with free-run juice, and it will be matured for 16 months in 50% new French oak. Opaque ruby, it offers pure aromas of cassis, violet, grilled meats, desert sage and bell pepper. The full-bodied palate is powdery, energetic and detailed with a long, layered finish. $65

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Wine Spectator 93 Points
MASSOLINO Barolo 2019

This red straddles the line between power and elegance, featuring delicate flavors of strawberry, cherry and rose hip, plus notes of earth, tar and iron. Finishes with more power and the grip of refined tannins, offering terrific balance and length. Best from 2026 through 2043. 7,080 cases made, 2,400 cases imported. $56 Our Price $49.95 (Available GT and VRW)

Wine Spectator 92 Points
Archery Summit Chardonnay Eola-Amity Hills 2019

Precise and polished, with green apple, floral lemon and toasty spice flavors that glide on the lingering finish. Drink now. 769 cases made. $48 Our Price $39.99 (Available GT)

Wine Spectator 92 Points
HEINRICH Blaufränkisch Burgenland Leithaberg 2017

A deep, polished red, boasting black cherry, blackberry and violet aromas and flavors. Solidly built, yet with ample richness and fruit to counter the firm structure. The finish evokes earth and tobacco accents. Drink now through 2029. 134 cases made, 120 cases imported. — BS $35 Our Price $27.99 (Available GT)

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 (Available GT and VRW)

2022 Turley Juvenile Zinfandel

Winemaker Notes: Though the vast majority of our wines are single vineyard designates, Juvenile is actually composed of a variety of young vines that have been replanted in several of our old vine sites. We tag the vine when we replant it so as not to mix the brand new vine with its much older neighbors, then pick these young vines separately and make a distinct wine. The vines that make up Juvenile range in age from about 6-25 years, and we pull from 15 of our vineyards across California, including Hayne, Ueberroth, Pesenti, Salvador, and Vineyard 101. $30 Our Price TBD (Arrives GT this afternoon)

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Taste 2021 Zinfandel at Vintage Reserve Wine (VRW) for $15 per person.
Friday, April 5th. Available 12:00 noon -5:45 PM

Wine Enthusiast 92 Points and Editors' Choice
2021 Pedroncelli Mother Clone Dry Creek Zinfandel

This layered, polished and handsomely oaked wine brims with aromas like vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg. These lead to lush berry and dark plum flavors on a texture of fine-grained tannins. Velvety in mouthfeel and delicious to sip. $20

Jeb Dunnuck 95 Points
2021 Ridge East Bench Zinfandel

Coming all from the Funsten Ranch in the Dry Creek Valley and 100% Zinfandel, the 2021 Zinfandel East Bench has a rich, more subtle style in its aromatics, with ripe plum, cigar, spice, and earthy nuances, and it certainly plays in the darker, red and black-fruited end of the spectrum. These all carry over to the palate, where the wine is medium to full-bodied, has a deep, expansive, concentrated mouthfeel, velvety tannins, terrific mid-palate density, and a gorgeous finish. This richly textured, incredibly impressive Zinfandel needs 2-3 years to gain additional complexity but will be long-lived, with another 15+ years of prime drinking ahead of it. $45

2021 Frank Family Napa Zinfandel

Winemaker Notes: A fresh and approachable expression of Zinfandel, showing a complex, intricate layering of aromas and flavors. This wine conveys clove spices, dark plum, and just-picked violets on the nose followed by crushed black pepper, thyme, and creamy mocha on the palate. A velvety texture of fine-grained tannins and an underlying acidity frame and lift the wine into a long finish. $45

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Taste 2022 Pisoni Lucia Santa Lucia Highlands Estate Cuvee Chardonnay, 2022 Roar Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir and 2019 Mt. Brave Mt. Veeder Cabernet at Vintage Reserve Wine (VRW) for $20 per person.
Saturday, April 6th. Available 12:00 noon -3:45 PM

2022 Pisoni Lucia Santa Lucia Highlands Estate Cuvee Chardonnay

Winemaker Notes: The Lucia Chardonnay Estate Cuvée continually provides a remarkable expression of the two famed vineyard sites within the Santa Lucia Highlands. The 2022 vintage proves to be no exception. Harnessed within its brilliant straw complexion, fresh aromas of red apple skin, ginger and crushed rock emerge, followed by undertones of brûléed citrus and melon. On the palate, the Soberanes Vineyard component blend offers stony minerality while the higher elevation slopes of the Pisoni Vineyard lend rounder notes of white peach and lemon oil. A rich, textured mouthfeel from 12 months of aging in 40% new French oak brings depth and a complexity that is only amplified by the vibrant and youthful acidity present on the finish. $50

Lisa Perrotti-Brown The Wine Independent 92 Points * 2022 Roar Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir

The 2022 Pinot Noir Santa Lucia Highlands is mainly a blend of Rosella's, Garys', and Sierra Mar vineyards with a bit of Pisoni and Sobranes. Medium ruby-purple in color, it shoots from the glass with gregarious notes of black raspberries, mulberries, and Bing cherries leading to touches of lavender oil, spearmint, and wild thyme. The medium to full-bodied palate is packed with vivacious red and black fruits supported by soft tannins and just enough freshness, finishing long and berry-laced. $55

Antonio Galloni, Vinous 96 Points
2019 Mt. Brave Mt. Veeder Cabernet

The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon is a classic Mount Veeder wine loaded with strong savory and mineral accents. Black fruit, graphite menthol and licorice lend complexity to this huge, explosive Cabernet Sauvignon. The tannins are pretty fierce at this stage, so readers should plan on being patient. $150

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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