On deck for wine tasting next week at VRW:

James Suckling 94 Points * 2020 Chateau Buena Vista Napa Cabernet Sauvignon

Expressive and lush nose of creamy berries, dark cherries, vanilla, cassis and sweet oak spices. Full body with fine, creamy tannins. Rich and full of generous creamy berries and an equally demonstrative and dense finish with excellent length. Better from 2025. $42

James Suckling 94 Points
2021 Amici Napa Cabernet Sauvignon

Aromas of blackcurrants, iodine, oyster shell, and dark chocolate. Medium- to full-bodied with polished fine tannins that run the length of the wine with chocolate, hazelnut, and blueberries. Give it time to come together. Best after 2025. $50

Wine Advocate 96+ Points
2019 Chateau Montelena Estate Cabernet Sauvignon

I tasted the soon-to-be-released 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate from two bottles, one freshly opened and one that had been opened the day before. Both were clearly outstanding, with the freshly opened bottle being just a bit tighter and less luxuriously textured but obviously packed with potential. Mixed currants and cherries appear on the nose, joined by hints of dark chocolate, while the palate is medium to full-bodied, rich, expansive and velvety, with a lingering, mouthwatering finish. $225

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Taste 2023 Tablas Creek Patelin de Tablas Blanc, 2021 Jaffurs Santa Barbara Syrah and 2021 Roar Syrah Santa Lucia Highlands Rosella's Vineyard at Vintage Reserve Wine (VRW) for $15 per person.
Thursday, June 20th. Available 12:00 noon -5:45 PM

2023 Tablas Creek Patelin de Tablas Blanc

Winemaker Notes: A plush nose equally balanced between Grenache Blanc and Viognier: apricot and ripe pear, oyster shell minerality, and a little pithy note. On the palate, white grapefruit and honeycrisp apple, anise, chamomile, orange oil, and a chalky mineral note on the finish. Lovely acids. $28

Wine Enthusiast 95 Points
2021 Jaffurs Santa Barbara Syrah

This is a great representation of a solid Syrah bottling that touches on both the cooler and warmer aspects of the grape. Intense aromas of blackberry, black peppercorns and charred shishito peppers decorate the nose. The palate is dense, showing rich cassis flavors, but it’s also elegant in spices, with pepper, iodine and purple flower flavors. $36

Wine Spectator 94 Points
Roar Syrah Santa Lucia Highlands Rosella's Vineyard 2021

Rich and polished, yet agilely structured, with blueberry and raspberry flavors that gather tapenade, smoked meat and spice accents. Ends with medium-grained tannins. Drink now through 2032. 155 cases made. $55

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2022 Carmel Road Monterey Chardonnay

Winemaker Notes: Lively aromas of white peach and Asian pear. Bright acidity, minerality, fresh and vibrant on the palate with layers of citrus. Texture and richness lead to a round and complex finish. It was an early vintage set by some warmer weather in September. Lower than usual yields, but extremely good quality and concentration in the wines. $15 Our Price $10.99 (Available GT and VRW)

Wine Advocate 91 Points
2023 Quinta de Soalheiro Alvarinho

Soalheiro's Alvarinho is a classical wine that made them famous and was first produced at the property in 1982. The 2023 Alvarinho was varietal, as it tends to be the first five years of its life: aromatic, clean and fresh, with moderate ripeness, 12.5% alcohol, a pH of 3.26 and 6.2 grams of acidity—parameters of freshness and balance. It's a bit shy, floral and insinuating, feeling a little reductive at first. This comes from vines up to 200 meters above sea level, on richer soils. The full clusters were pressed, the must fermented in stainless steel without malolactic fermentation and kept with lees for two months. 300,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in January 2024. $26 Our Price $22.49 (Arrives GT 6/21/24)

Wine Spectator 93 Points
DIATOM Chardonnay Santa Barbara County 2023

This stunning wine leaps out of the glass, with concentrated flavors and aromas of white peach, quince and pineapple, plus floral accents of orange blossoms and lemon curd. Finishes with mouthwatering acidity, a note of crunchy sea salt minerality and a whiff of lemon verbena. Drink now. —M.W. $25 Our Price $21.99 (Back in stock GT 6/21/24)

Wine Spectator 94 Points
TENUTA SAN GUIDO Toscana Guidalberto 2022

This red is elegant, despite its firm structure and dense tannins. Black cherry, black currant, plum, tobacco, iron and rosemary flavors hold court, while all the components show balance. The finish is long, with a salty taste. Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Best from 2025 through 2038.—B.S. $69 (Available GT and VRW)

Wine Advocate 93 Points
2018 Altesino Brunello di Montalcino

The Altesino 2018 Brunello di Montalcino is an especially graceful wine with tart fruit, clean mineral lines and a mid-weight approach. Like other wines from this vintage, the 2018s are more accessible than, say, the 2016s or the 2013s. You can drink the wine soon or choose to cellar it a bit longer. The young tannins are nearly fully approachable, and the wine ends with dryness and ample freshness. $75 Our Price $59.99 (Available GT and VRW)

2021 Carmel Road MONTEREY PINOT NOIR

Our 2021 Monterey Pinot Noir has bright cherry aromas that are layered with notes of wild strawberries and black tea. On the mouth, you get juicy black cherry flavors and notes of cola with hints of vanilla, toasted oak and well balanced tannins. A silky texture leads to a long finish. $18 Our Price $10.99 (Back in stock GT and VRW 6/21/24)

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Taste 2021 GARY FARRELL Chardonnay Russian River Valley Russian River Selection, 2021 Hartford Court Pinot Noir Land's Edge Vineyards and 2021 Cakebread Napa Cabernet Sauvignon at Vintage Reserve Wine (VRW) for $15 per person.
Friday, June 21st. Available 12:00 noon -5:45 PM

GARY FARRELL Chardonnay Russian River Valley Russian River Selection 2021

This shows good concentration and complexity, with honeysuckle, caramelized pineapple and lemon blossom aromatics up front, backed by juicy peach, apple and salted melon notes. Details of toffee, marzipan and dried herbs linger at the end. Drink now. 4,578 cases made.—M.W. $40

Jeb Dunnuck 93 Points
2021 Hartford Court Pinot Noir Land's Edge Vineyards

A rich ruby/purple, the 2021 Pinot Noir Land's Edge Vineyards is ripe and rounded with a perfume of blackberry preserve, damp forest floor, and toasted baking spice. Full-bodied, but with clean lift and without weight, it has dark berries, candied flowers, sweet, ripe tannins, and a soft texture. This is an immediate wine, but it has good freshness and the structure to drink over the next 4-5 years. $55

2021 Cakebread Napa Cabernet Sauvignon

Winemaker Notes: The wonderfully pure, pretty nose of our Cabernet Sauvignon is redolent of warm berry cobbler, with lovely toasted boysenberry and blackberry scents joined by hints of wild cherry, loamy earth and oak vanillin. On the supple, beautifully structured palate, the wine offers rich, vibrant blackberry, plum and black cherry flavors framed by perfectly integrated tannins and a long, savory finish. Delicious now, this elegantly sumptuous Cakebread Napa Cabernet Sauvignon will develop further nuance with another 5-7 years' bottle age. $75

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Taste 2021 Mer Soleil Santa Lucia Highlands Chardonnay, 2022 SEAN MINOR Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast Signature Series and 2021 Plumpjack Oakville Estate Cabernet Sauvignon at Vintage Reserve Wine (VRW) for $20 per person.
Saturday, June 22nd. Available 12:00 noon -3:45 PM

2021 Mer Soleil Santa Lucia Highlands Chardonnay

Winemaker Notes: A lively flaxen gold, this wine features a harmonious nose that previews the playful balance to come on the palate. Scents of brown spice, toasted almonds, custard and light oak mingle with Meyer lemon zest, honeysuckle and a hint of apricot. Entry is round, as the wine’s fruit and natural acidity build on each other, with echoes of brown spice, citrus and apricot enveloped in a creamy texture. A vibrant finish of lemon/lime showcases the distinctly bright acidity produced from the Monterey coast, leaving an enticing freshness that prepares the palate for another sip. $25

Wine Spectator 92 Points
SEAN MINOR Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast Signature Series 2022

A nice streamlined, mineral-tinged version, with racy acidity running underneath blood orange and raspberry coulis flavors, while savory and hibiscus hints chime in on the finish, where the fruit lingers prettily. Drink now through 2028. 3,000 cases made. From California.—James Molesworth $28

Vinous Media 95 Points
2021 Plumpjack Oakville Estate Cabernet Sauvignon

The 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate is rich, racy and super-expressive. Silky and deep, with notable resonance, the 2021 offers up dark red/purplish fruit, lavender, spice, menthol, new leather and licorice. Today, it is a very young wine in need of cellaring, but its potential is evident. Dollops of Petit Verdot and Malbec round out the blend. This should be positively stellar. $193

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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