April 4th 2024 Newsletter - The Grape Tray

April 4th 2024 Newsletter

New Arrival-WOW 52% Off! 2022 Studio by Miraval Rose, 750ml

Winemaker Notes: A delicate, limpid and brilliant pale pink with seductive floral aromas. On the palate, this wine is ample and generous with fruity notes of citrus, grapefruit and fig, perfectly balanced by a nice mineral structure. The finish offers a hint of bitterness and lemony character. $20 Our Price $9.65 (Arrives GT 4/5/24)

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On deck for wine tasting next week at VRW:

2022 Caymus California Cabernet Sauvignon

Winemaker Notes: This wine is a California-appellation Cabernet Sauvignon - supple, dark and rich, bearing the signature hallmarks of Caymus. It is sourced from sites throughout the state which feature climatic conditions, soils and topography that are ideally suited to Cabernet. This project stems from excitement over California's diverse vineyard land, often in lesser-known areas, with the potential to produce exceptional Cabernet. $60

Antonio Galloni, Vinous 96 Points
2021 Capiaux Starscape Russian River Pinot Noir

The2021 Pinot Noir Starscape is one of the most potent, virile wines in the range. These old vines planted in the 1960s with the wide row spacing typical of the era yields a decidedly potent, muscular Pinot. Most of the 2021s here are quite refined, but the Starscape is all about power and structural intensity. Dark blue/purplish fruit, lavender, graphite mocha and spice linger on the finish. This is a dazzling effort from Sean Capiaux. $60

Wine Spectator 94 Points
Aston Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast Estate 2019

In the not-shy style, this pumps out tasty boysenberry and blackberry puree fruit, liberally laced with anise and singed mesquite. Shows a bit of a wild brambly edge through the finish as the fruit pumps through, with the requisite acidity for support. Very distinctive, and should be fun to cellar. Drink now through 2030. 500 cases made. $75

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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
SEGHESIO Zinfandel Sonoma County 2022

Tasting Note: Vivacious and briary, this Zin is generous with personality, offering blackberry, licorice and orange peel accents that zip along the zesty finish. Drink now through2032. —T.F. $26 Our Price $21.99 (Available GT and VRW)

2022 Bacchant Luli Monte Linda Vineyard Pinot Noir

Winemaker Notes: The 2022 Vintage of Luli Monte Linda Pinot Noir is dark and concentrated, displaying the effects of mountain-grown Pinot Noir in a dry year. Explosive notes of raspberry, spiced plum, sage and high-toned notes of rose petal fill the glass of this wine. On the palate, the Monte Linda Pinot Noir brings firm tannins and layered structure that gives an extremely long finish. $40 (Arrives GT this afternoon)

 Wine Spectator 93 Points
Aston Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast 2021

This pumps out tasty mulberry and black cherry fruit paste flavors, which show drive and focus as singed anise, warm earth and black tea notes come into play. Reveals late savory and bramble notes, which inject a nice hint of wild energy into the well-structured finish. Best from 2024 through 2030. 1,500 cases made. $45 (Arrives GT this afternoon)

Antonio Galloni, Vinous 96 Points
2021 Capiaux Pisoni Santa Lucia Highlands 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 (Arrives GT 4/5/24)

Jeb Dunnuck 95+ Points
2019 Macauley Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville Ranch

The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville Ranch is a more lifted and perfumed, with darker red and black fruits, flowery incense, violets, and a hint of iron. Medium to full-bodied, structured, and concentrated, it needed a solid day of to show at its best (I followed this bottle for multiple days), so do your best to hide bottles in the cellar for3-4 years. It should have two decades of longevity. $200 (Arrives GT 4/9/24)

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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 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: Afresh 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 SantaLucia 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-Friday12:00 Noon-6:00 PM
Saturday12 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-Friday10:30 AM-5:30 PM
Saturday10:30 AM-4:00 PM


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