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James Suckling 92 Points
2018 Mondavi Napa Chardonnay

An abundance of ripe stone and tropical fruit on the nose. It’s full-bodied with aromas and flavors of mango, yellow peach, salted butter and powdered praline. Lightly smoky with a crisp finish. Drink or hold. $35 Our Price $9.95 (Available GT and VRW)

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On deck for wine tasting next week at VRW:

Jeb Dunnuck 98+ Points
2021 Vine Hill Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon VHR

Made from 100% Cabernet Sauvignon and aged in 70% new French oak, the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon VHR sports a dense purple hue to go with a stunning nose of blackcurrants, charcoal, leafy tobacco, and violet. This beauty is full-bodied, rich, concentrated, has a great core of tannins, and a killer finish. This will probably merit a triple-digit rating in 5-7 years and is a brilliant wine as well as a possible 30+-year legend in the making. $325

Lisa Perrotti-Brown, The Wine Independent
95 POINTS * 2022 Hartford Court MacLean's Block Pinot Noir

The 2022 Maclean's Block Pinot Noir is medium ruby-purple in color. Scents of ripe blackberries, mulberries, and boysenberries leap from the glass, followed by nuances of licorice, tar, and underbrush. The medium to full-bodied palate is bursting with blackberry and savory layers, supported by fine-grained tannins and a lively line, finishing earthy...It is named after Don & Jennifer Hartford's son MacLean. MacLean's Block is on a vineyard located on a gentle east-facing slope, east of the town of Occidental. $80

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Taste Chardonnay: 2018 Mondavi Napa, 2021 Hudson Vineyards Napa Carneros and 2021 Paul Hobbs Russian River Valley at Vintage Reserve Wine (VRW) for $15 per person.
Tuesday June 4th. Available 12:00 noon -5:45 PM

James Suckling 92 Points
2018 Mondavi Napa Chardonnay

An abundance of ripe stone and tropical fruit on the nose. It’s full-bodied with aromas and flavors of mango, yellow peach, salted butter and powdered praline. Lightly smoky with a crisp finish. Drink or hold. $35

Wine Spectator 94 Points
Hudson Vineyards Chardonnay Napa Valley Carneros 2021

Impressive for the generous, plump flavors and the restraint and elegance of the candied ginger peel, briny preserved lemon, peppery white flower and buttery peach pastry flavors on a plush frame. Reveals a juicy thread of acidity. Drink now. 1,638 cases made. $75

Wine Spectator 94 Points
Paul Hobbs Chardonnay Russian River Valley 2021

Seamless and polished, with succulent notes of apricot, peaches, mango and Meyer lemon, plus a touch of Honeycrisp apple at the core. Accents of orange blossom, cardamom and nutmeg linger on the long, expressive finish. Drink now through 2032. 5,904 cases made. $70

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Taste Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon: 2022 California, 2021 Napa and 2022 50th Anniversary Napa at Vintage Reserve Wine (VRW) for $20 per person.
Wednesday, June 5th. Available 12:00 noon -5:45 PM

2022 Caymus California Cabernet Sauvignon

Winemaker Notes: Introduced by Caymus Vineyards with the 2021 vintage, 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. You can watch a video and learn more by scanning the QR code on the back label of this wine. $60

2021 Caymus Napa Cabernet Sauvignon

Winemaker Notes: Caymus has a signature style that is dark in color, with rich fruit and ripe tannins – as approachable in youth as in maturity. Since its founding in 1972, Caymus has become renowned as a consistent leader in the production of Napa Valley Cabernet. Grapes for this wine are farmed in a range of Napa’s sub-appellations – from Coombsville to Calistoga – with fruit from the valley floor creating lushness and the hillsides providing backbone. Diversification enables us to make the best possible wine in a given year, featuring layered, lush aromas and flavors, including cocoa, cassis and ripe berries. $90

2022 Caymus Napa 50th Anniversary Cabernet Sauvignon

Winemaker Notes: This vintage especially exhibits an expression of the style which Caymus is known for and I feel is as singular as our approach to making it. Rich and round on the palate, with tannins expressed in a textural manner that are non-bitter. Evidence of French oak, but not overplayed. Acidity enough for balance, but not tart to the palate. The Caymus style allows the consumer to face no hurdles in tasting and enjoying the delicious essence of the wine. $75

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Taste Banshee Ten of Cups Brut, Petit & Bajan Blanc de Blancs Brut Nuit Blanche Grand Cru and Taittinger Brut Champagne Prélude Grands Crus at Vintage Reserve Wine (VRW) for $15 per person.
Thursday, June 6th. Available 12:00 noon -5:45 PM

Wine Enthusiast 91 Points
Banshee Ten of Cups Brut

This elegant, well-balanced wine is trim and compact, offering subtle crisp apple and bright lemon notes lightly accented by toast and ginger. Relatively light and restrained, it is wonderfully appetizing and will make a great aperitif. $25

Wine Advocate 92 Points
Petit & Bajan Blanc de Blancs Brut Nuit Blanche Grand Cru

The NV Brut Grand Cru Nuit Blanche wafts from the glass with notes of white flowers, preserved citrus, crisp orchard fruit, fresh bread and bee pollen. Medium to full-bodied, layered and nicely concentrated, it's quite vinous and textural, with racy acids and a pretty pinpoint mousse, concluding with a saline finish. It's as fine a rendition of this cuvée as I can remember tasting. $70

James Suckling 93 Points
Taittinger Brut Champagne Prélude Grands Crus NV

This has attractive notes of hazelnuts, pastries, honey, figs and apple tart. Lots of flavor with a medium body and fine bubbles. Deliciously layered. I like the praline and honeycomb notes. 50% chardonnay and 50% pinot noir from Grand Cru vineyards, with at least 5 years on the lees. Drink now. $90

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Wine Spectator 93 Points
THE HESS COLLECTION Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley Allomi 2021

Boysenberry and açaí berry fruit gives this a slightly exotic profile, but it's finely stitched with apple wood, sassafras and singed anise notes to keep it honest. The polished finish lets a chaparral note chime through the flashy fruit. This should have fans for sure. Drink now through 2036. 66,186 cases made.—James Molesworth. $40 Our Price $32.95 (Available GT and VRW)

2021 Sea Smoke Chardonnay

Winemaker Notes: An elegant Chardonnay with aromas of mango, honeysuckle, fresh cut pear and honeydew. These are complemented by nectarine and a slight nuttiness in the focused mid-palate and the refreshing cool climate acidity of our estate vineyard. $90

(Available GT)

James Suckling 92 Points
2021 JAX Napa Cabernet Sauvignon

A fruity and well-made cabernet sauvignon expressing aromas of dark berries, dried herbs, bay leaves and hints of cola. It’s full-bodied and rich with plush tannins. Generous and opulent with dark berries and chocolate in the finish. $60 Our Price $54.99 (Available GT)

2021 Sea Smoke Southing Sta. Rita Hills Pinot

Winemaker Notes: Each year, the goal for Southing is to create the ideal marriage of complexity and elegance. The ever-changing nose of the Southing exhibits Montmorency cherry, sage, hibiscus and subtle baking spices. The fine tannins and minerality are enhanced by our estate vineyard’s characteristic cool climate acidity. $125

(Available GT)

Lisa Perrotti-Brown, The Wine Independent 95 POINTS * 2022 Hartford Court Far Coast Vineyard Pinot Noir

Medium ruby-purple in color, the 2022 Far Coast Vineyard Pinot Noir shimmies out of the glass with energetic scents of Bing cherries, fresh strawberries, and mulberries followed by hints of roses, forest floor, and blood orange. The medium to full-bodied palate is very tightly wound, with impressive tension and a very long minerally finish... It is sourced from a block located on a mountain ridge north of Fort Ross on the Sonoma Coast. The well-drained soils at an elevation of 800-1000 feet produce wines with a great sense of focus and minerality. $80

(Arrives GT 6/5/24)

Lisa Perrotti-Brown, The Wine Independent 95 POINTS * 2022 Hartford Court Seascape Vineyard Pinot Noir

Medium ruby-purple in color, the 2022 Seascape Vineyard Pinot Noir struts from the glass with forthright notes of black cherries, black raspberries, and orange peel followed by hints of black pepper, juniper, and lavender. The medium to full-bodied palate is plush and vibrant, with perfumed black and red berry layers, finishing long and fragrant...Seascape Vineyard is located on a panoramic ridgetop west of the town of Occidental, facing Bodega Bay and the Pacific Ocean. $80 (Arrives GT 6/4/24)

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Taste 2022 Argyle Bloomhouse Willamette Valley Pinot Noir, 2022 BREWER-CLIFTON Pinot Noir Sta. Rita Hills and 2021 AXR Napa Cabernet Sauvignon at Vintage Reserve Wine (VRW) for $15 per person.
Friday, June 7th. Available 12:00 noon -5:45 PM

2022 Argyle Bloomhouse Willamette Valley
Pinot Noir

Winemaker Notes: Showcasing the best of the cool vintage, BloomHouse Pinot Noir’s juicy acidity and polished tannin makes for a perfect compliment to any meal. Like the delight that it is, ruby red cherry fades into dark fruit at the edges with hints of rich earthy undertones. $30

Wine Spectator 93 Points
BREWER-CLIFTON Pinot Noir Sta. Rita Hills 2022

This is generous in feel, with a plump edge to its cherry and damson plum fruit compote notes, offering hints of tobacco, warm earth and singed herbs that stay in the background. The light-handed toast lets everything knit easily through the finish. Drink now through 2033. —J.M. $50

Jeb Dunnuck 94 Points
2021 AXR Napa Cabernet Sauvignon

This 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon is also brilliant, with plenty of darker cassis and currant-driven fruit to go with a full-bodied, concentrated, powerful style on the palate. It has the vintage's fresh, focused, concentrated, slightly inwards style and will evolve for 15+ years. It's another terrific effort from this team. $90

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Taste 2021 LEMELSON Pinot Noir Willamette Valley Thea's Selection, 2021 Roar Pinot Noir Santa Lucia Highlands Sierra Mar Vineyard and 2021 Turnbull Napa Cabernet Sauvignon at Vintage Reserve Wine (VRW) for $15 per person.
Saturday, June 8th. Available 12:00 noon -3:45 PM

Wine Spectator 92
LEMELSON Pinot Noir Willamette Valley Thea's Selection 2021

Brisk and generous, with snappy cherry and pomegranate flavors highlighted by oolong tea and savory spices. Concludes with fine-grained tannins. Drink now through 2031. $

Jeb Dunnuck 94 Points
Roar Pinot Noir Santa Lucia Highlands Sierra Mar Vineyard 2021

Another pretty, perfumed wine in the vintage, the 2021 Pinot Noir Sierra Mar Vineyard has ripe strawberry and framboise-like fruit as well as ample background spice and dried herb nuances, and it gains a darker, floral edge with time in the glass. Medium-bodied on the on the palate, with nicely integrated oak, velvety tannins, and just a round, supple mouthfeel, it's drinking beautifully today and will be drinking beautifully in another 7-8 years as well. $75

Jeb Dunnuck 94 Points
2021 Turnbull Napa Cabernet Sauvignon

The appellation 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley is a killer value that should be snatched up by readers. Ripe black fruits, roasted herbs, chocolate, and some spicy wood define the bouquet and it s full-bodied, has fine tannins, a glossy, layered texture, and outstanding length. It certainly has a modern edge, but is impeccably made. Enjoy bottles over the coming decade. $50

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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