On deck for wine tasting next week at VRW:

Roger Domaine du Carrou Sancerre Rose 2023

Winemaker Notes: This wine comes from the highest single vineyard in all of Bué, and this cold climate shows in the gorgeously pure and tense flavors of crushed red berries, pomelo zest, and cherries. The saline finish is pure, silky and endlessly refreshing. 100% Pinot Noir. $28

Wine Spectator 94 Points
CRAGGY RANGE Sauvignon Blanc Martinborough Te Muna 2023

Fresh and precise, with lime, mango and passion fruit notes that are accented by crunchy sea salt, litsea oil, dried chamomile and fresh lemon zest on a mouthwatering, fleshy frame. Drink now. —M.W. $26

La Bernarde Cotes de Provence Les Hauts de Luc Rose 2023

Winemaker Notes: Bright and minerally focused, displaying blood orange rind, wild strawberry and delicate floral aromas in the glass. Energetic and precise on the palate, offering raspberry, red currant, pomelo, nectarine and crushed rocks. $21

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Taste 2023 Spottswoode Sauvignon Blanc, 2021 THE HESS COLLECTION Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley Allomi and 2020 Darioush Caravan Napa Cabernet Sauvignon at Vintage Reserve Wine (VRW) for $15 per person.
Thursday, July 11th. Available 12:00 noon -5:45 PM

2023 Spottswoode Sauvignon Blanc

Winemaker Notes: The 2023 vintage was long and temperate, and at times, blissfully cool. The resulting wine has a great balance of richness and texture and a very well-delineated backbone of vibrant acidity. Aromatics and flavors of lemon, mandarin, Asian pear, and white peach with fresh, floral notes of cassis bud and lime. Very long and mouth-wateringly juicy. Napa County 52% and Sonoma County 48%. $48

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

Wine Enthusiast 92 Points
2020 Darioush Caravan Napa Cabernet Sauvignon

Very rich and concentrated but also well structured, this wine achieves good balance and an appetizing mouthfeel. Red and black cherries, cinnamon, cedar and toasted oak all contribute to its tasty flavor complexity. Best from 2026–2036. $70

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2022 Luli SLH Pinot Noir

Winemaker Notes: The 2022 Luli Pinot Noir embodies the combination of elegance and richness. This wine possesses a deep ruby hue and a mélange of exuberant aromas. Notes of Bing cherry and wild raspberry mingle with hints of cedar spice and delicate violets creating an enticing bouquet. The palate displays the broad textual notes common from these rugged hillsides of the Santa Lucia Highlands. Decomposed granite soils stressed the vines and 2022 was a particularly low yielding year. Vibrant flavors of juicy plum dance alongside muddled raspberries and layered tannins. This Pinot Noir wonderfully captures the cool, foggy weather of the Santa Lucia Highlands. $26 Our Price $22.99 (Arrives GT 7/12/24)

Wine Enthusiast 88 Points
Troublemaker NV Blend 16 Red (Central Coast)

Blackberry cream, violet and lilac aromas are very strong on the nose of this blend of Syrah, Petite Sirah, Grenache, Zinfandel and Mourvèdre. The palate tastes very much like a chai coffee drink with blueberry juice and cinnamon stick enhancements. $20 Liquidation Price $12.95 (Limited to stock on hand at GT)

Wine Enthusiast 93 Points
2023 Tablas Creek Patelin de Tablas Rosé

Soft peach, watermelon and rose petal aromas hold their poise for days on the nose of this blend of 71% Grenache, 20% Mourvèdre, 8% Vermentino and 1% Counoise. The palate is energetic and and stony in texture, offering crisp pomegranate and orange peel flavors. $28 Our Price $21.99 (Arrives GT 7/12/24)

Wine Spectator 94 Points
BEDROCK Evangelho Vineyard Heritage Contra Costa County 2022

Deeply structured yet polished and lively, with rich black raspberry and cherry flavors that take on savory anise, cracked pepper and briar accents as this gains structure toward medium-grained tannins. Zinfandel, Mataro, Carignan, Alicante and Palomino. Drink now through 2034. 750 cases made —T.F. $50 Our Price $39.95 (Available GT and VRW)

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 (Available GT and VRW) Limited

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Taste 2022 Aperture Sonoma Sauvignon Blanc, 2021 Force & Grace Paso Robles Cabernet Sauvignon and 2021 TEETER-TOTTER PASO ROBLES PROPRIETARY RED WINE at Vintage Reserve Wine (VRW) for $15 per person.
Friday, July 12th. Available 12:00 noon -5:45 PM

Wine Advocate 95 Points
2022 Aperture Sonoma Sauvignon Blanc

The 2022 Sauvignon Blanc is blended with 16% Sémillon and was matured mostly in French oak (33% new) plus a smaller portion of cement tank. It's the first vintage where so much Sémillon has been included—since acquiring Farrow Ranch in 2021, winemaker Jesse Katz has been able to add some of that site's fruit into his Aperture wines. It has alluring tones of white peach, kumquat, meringue and crème brûlée on the nose, plus wafts of floral perfume. The medium-bodied palate offers expansive flavors that segue from candied citrus to guava and vanilla pots de crème. It has a luxuriously satiny texture balanced by focused acidity and a very long, flavorful finish. $45

Jonathan Cristaldi, Decanter 93 Points
Force & Grace Paso Robles Cabernet Sauvignon 2021

A really lovely, restrained effort from Paso Robles by Jean Hoefliger. Not to say the wine isn't powerful, full-bodied, or richly layered with a tapestry of inky dark black and blue fruit. It is all that, but immense structure and building tannins also create freshness and energy. Most fruit sources are from east Paso. Hoefliger had to pick specific sites earlier to avoid overripe flavours, and he left a good portion on the skins for almost 35 days to build a tannin structure $39.

2021 TEETER-TOTTER PASO ROBLES PROPRIETARY RED WINE

Winemaker Notes: The quality of wine coming out of Paso Robles has interested Benoit for years, to the point that we bought our first vineyard property in the respected Willow Creek District AVA. This region benefits from limestone soils, plenty of daytime sunshine, and cooling ocean breezes and fog – a recipe for reds with both elegance and power. An unorthodox and mouthwatering mix of Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Grenache and Mourvèdre, the nose offers up a seductive swirl of bright, crunchy red fruits, black cherries, dark chocolate, tobacco, and violets. Ripe, polished tannins build a full-bodied mid-palate with juicy acidity and a long, layered finish you can take to the bank. $45

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Taste 2022 Rutherford Hill Sauvignon Blanc Rutherford AJT Collection, 2019 Goldschmidt Hilary Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon and 2021 Kenefick Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon Chris's Cuvée at Vintage Reserve Wine (VRW) for $15 per person.
Saturday, July 13th. Available 12:00 noon -3:45 PM

Wine Spectator 94 Points
Rutherford Hill Sauvignon Blanc Rutherford AJT Collection 2022

Stunning, this exuberant, generous version shows notes of passion fruit, Key lime, dried pineapple and orange blossoms, along with grated ginger. Reveals a hint of sea salt minerality on the long, expressive finish, where toasted herb accents linger. Drink now. 3,404 cases made. $34

2019 Goldschmidt Hilary Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon

Winemaker Notes: Purple edges lead to a bright red garnet hue. Delicate aromas of strawberry with hints of plum and raspberries. Sweet vanilla opens up on the mouth with highlights of caramel. Essence of mineral and graphite show on the length of the mouth mingling with more vanilla and pomegranate in the finish. $50.

2021 Kenefick Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon, Chris's Cuvée

Winemaker Notes: Focused dark fruit makes way for some brightness on the aromatics and palate. Well integrated tannins and oak play the role of extending the finish. $80

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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