On deck for wine tasting next week at VRW:

Wine Spectator 95 Points
Domaine de la Côte Pinot Noir Sta. Rita Hills Bloom's Field 2022

A juicy, well-built red, with a structured core of dark cherry and boysenberry fruit harnessed by streaks of wet stone, savory and tobacco, while bay and sandalwood hints peek in on the finish. This is still tight, coiled and steely, but the energy is there for unfurling in the cellar. Best from 2025 through 2038. 925 cases made. $105

Wine Advocate 92-94 Points
2022 DAOU Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve

The 2022 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve is a barrel sample of 77% Cabernet Sauvignon and 23% Petit Verdot maturing for 16 months in 50% new French oak and is due to be bottled in the spring of 2024. The nose offers wild berry fruit streaked with graphite and nuances of truffle, forest floor and oak spices. The full-bodied palate is highly concentrated and floral, with approachable, clay-textured tannins, satisfying bursts of acidity and a long, perfumed finish. $55

Antonio Galloni, Vinous 98 Points
Taittinger Comtes de Champagne Brut Blanc de Blancs 2013

The 2013 Comtes de Champagne captures all the pedigree of this great vintage in its energy, depth and vibrancy. Lemon confit, dried flowers, chamomile, spice and crushed rocks all race across the palate. Passionfruit, ginger, marzipan and mint appear later, filling out the layers beautifully. Harvest took place in October in what has become the exception rather than the norm in Champagne. $220

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Taste 2019 O'Shaughnessy Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain and 2020 Peter Michael Winery Cabernet Sauvignon Au Paradis at Vintage Reserve Wine (VRW) for $35 per person. (Limited: We will open one bottle of each wine for this tasting)
Tuesday, September 3rd. Available 12:00 noon -5:45 PM

Jeb Dunnuck 98+ Points
2019 O'Shaughnessy Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain

The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain is an incredible wine, and it flirts with perfection. Full-bodied and concentrated, it has flawless balance and elegance as well as just textbook Howell Mountain notes of blue fruits, cassis, violets, graphite, and background oak. I love its tannins, it has remarkable purity of fruit, and a great, great finish. It has some appeal today yet deserves 4-5 years of bottle age and should have over two decades of longevity. $110

Jeb Dunnuck 97 Points
2020 Peter Michael Winery Cabernet Sauvignon Au Paradis

Pouring an opaque red, the 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon Au Paradis is lush and refined with aromas of cassis, espresso, violets, and sweet tobacco. Full-bodied, this refined profile continues on the palate, with a ripe, velvety texture, fine tannins, and notes of black cherry liqueur and mocha, as well as floral oils that last long on the palate without feeling heavy. Drink 2025-2045. $235

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Taste 2022 Domaine Delaye Saint Veran les Pierres Grises, 2022 Solitude Cotes du Rhone Rouge and 2019 PAUILLAC DE CHÂTEAU LATOUR at Vintage Reserve Wine (VRW) for $15 per person.
Wednesday, September 4th. Available 12:00 noon -5:45 PM

2022 Domaine Delaye Saint Veran les Pierres Grises

Winemaker Notes: This bright, refreshing and mineral-accented Chardonnay bursts with flavors of white peach, citrus peel, crushed rock, and jasmine tea. The elegance really comes through on the lacy, sea-spray finish. $22

James Suckling 91 Points
2022 Solitude Cotes du Rhone Rouge

A juicy, delicious and fruit-driven blend of grenache, syrah and mourvedre. Notes of strawberries, candied cherries and baking spices follow through to a medium body with fine tannins. It's playful, juicy and everything you expect from a Cotes-du-Rhone with a spicy flair. $18

ANTONIO GALLONI, VINOUS 93 Points
2019 PAUILLAC DE CHÂTEAU LATOUR

The 2019 Pauillac is a serious wine. Dark cherry, plum, gravel, incense, licorice and pomegranate are all dialed up in this wonderfully deep, fleshy Pauillac. Deep and resonant, with fine balance, the 2019 captures all the natural radiance of the year. This is really quite stellar and delicious. A recent bottle of the 2009 reminded me how pleasurable the Latour Pauillac can be. $110

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Taste Pinot Noir: 2021 Bravium Anderson Valley, 2023 Meadowcroft Anderson Valley and 2022 Domaine de la Côte Sta. Rita Hills La Côte at Vintage Reserve Wine (VRW) for $20 per person.
Thursday, September 5th. Available 12:00 noon -5:45 PM

Wine Enthusiast 93 Points
2021 Bravium Anderson Valley Pinot Noir

This beautiful expression of Pinot Noir from Anderson Valley emits immediate aromas of bright red cherry, raspberry and red plum complemented by earthy tones of roses, violets, damp forest floor, fresh mountain air and river-rock minerality. This depth and complexity follows through onto the palate, where fine-grained tannins create a silky texture. Elevated acidity maintains a sense of freshness from start to lingering finish. $32

94 Points-Wine Enthusiast-October 2024
2023 Meadowcroft Pinot Noir Anderson Valley

Winemaker Notes: 2023 vintage Pinot does not disappoint. Aromas of cherry cordial, vanilla, Amarena cherry and notes of rose petal SUGGESTED FOOD PAIRING match. Other favorites include cedar plank grilled salmon, roast smooth triple creme cheeses or aged and salty cheeses like Gouda or sharp cheddar. $42

Wine Spectator 96 Points
2022 Domaine de la Côte Pinot Noir Sta. Rita Hills La Côte

This sports dark cherry, currant and raspberry fruit flavors that are mulled in feel, but kept taut and lively by a torrent of acidity, while sage, warm earth, white pepper, savory and flint notes bounce around. Overall a bit sauvage in feel, this is a compelling wine, but needs cellaring to tame it and allow it to stretch out. Best from 2026 through 2038. 368 cases made. $155

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 Jeb Dunnuck 94 Points
2022 Hartford Court Pinot Noir Land's Edge Vineyards

From the far Sonoma Coast, the 2022 Pinot Noir Land's Edge Vineyards was aged for 9 months in 32% new French oak barrels. In the glass, it displays a medium ruby color and offers expressive notes of red berries, cranberries, and juniper. There’s a good bit of reduction initially that benefits from a little air at this stage, but it starts to reveal darker notes as it opens, so I would recommend decanting if opening it on the young side. The palate has a wonderful, compact feel, with refreshing lift, fine tannins, and a snappy finish. I personally enjoy the bright and coiled energy that comes through in this one. It’s a lovely wine that is going to drink well over the next 15 years. $48 Our Price $41.99 (Available GT and VRW)

2023 Dry Creek Valley Sauvignon Blanc

Winemaker Notes: Crafted from several distinct vineyard sites, this wine incorporates two Sauvignon Blanc clones — Sauvignon Musqué and Sauvignon Gris — for added complexity and texture. In expressing the Dry Creek Valley’s unique terroir, this Sauvignon Blanc presents refreshing aromas of passionfruit, guava, pineapple, lemongrass and cucumber. On the palate, flavors of honeydew melon, peach and tangerine come through with floral tones and a slightly creamy yet lively finish. Stainless steel fermentation was supplemented with small amounts of acacia, French oak and chestnut barrels, adding extra character and nuance to this delicious wine. $25 Our Price $16.95 (Available GT and VRW)

Jeb Dunnuck 95 Points
2021 Cattleya Wines Pinot Noir Cuvee Number Eight

A semi-opaque, deep ruby with a purple hint, the 2021 Pinot Noir Cuvee Number Eight takes on a darker profile, with wet stone, blackberry, pepper, and grilled rosemary. Full-bodied, it brings more structure, with ripe tannins, iron-rich earth, and kirsch as well as fresh lift on the finish. Drink 2025-2035 $65 (Back in stock GT)

Wine Spectator 96 Points
2022 Brewer-Clifton Pinot Noir Sta. Rita Hills Machado

Offers a beautiful, steady stream of blood orange, bitter cherry and raspberry coulis notes stitched finely with subtle rooibos tea, singed sandalwood, dried anise and savory details. Feels pinpoint in focus, with serious length on the finish thanks to the nicely buried mineral tension. Drink now through 2038. 586 cases made. $85 (Available GT and VRW)

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Taste 2020 Macauley Bacigalupi Vineyard Chardonnay Russian River, 2021 Beaulieu Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley and 2021 Laird Family Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley at Vintage Reserve Wine (VRW) for $15 per person.
Friday, September 6th. Available 12:00 noon -5:45 PM

2020 Macauley Bacigalupi Vineyard Chardonnay Russian River

Winemaker Notes: Expressive and balanced, showing notes of cream, pear, hazelnut, and apricot, with stony minerality that makes this Chardonnay absolutely wonderful. $48

Wine Spectator 91 Points
Beaulieu Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 2021

A polished, friendly style, with boysenberry and blackberry pâte de fruit notes cruising through to the polished, licorice-accented finish. Drink now through 2032. 20,464 cases made. $39

Wine Spectator 93 Points
Laird Family Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 2021

A lush, flattering style, with warmed cassis, fresh açaí berry and boysenberry pâte de fruit notes pressed together by bittersweet cocoa–accented toast. Dark and winey through the finish, with a streak of tar underneath that gives the lush fruit a solid grounding. Best from 2025 through 2037. 1,400 cases made. $70

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Taste French Sparking Wine and Champagne: NV Henri Champliau Authentique Brut Cremant de Bourgogne, Piper-Heidsieck Extra Brut Champagne Essentiel NV and 2014 Delamotte Champagne Blanc De Blancs at Vintage Reserve Wine (VRW) for $20 per person.
Saturday, September 7th. Available 12:00 noon -3:45 PM

Decanter Journal 96 Points
NV Henri Champliau Authentique Brut Cremant de Bourgogne France

Intense citrus, peach, custard apple and toasted brioche aromas with a lush, creamy textured mousse and a mouthwateringly vibrant acidity. Long, crisp, zesty and luxurious. $30

Wine Spectator 93 Points
Piper-Heidsieck Extra Brut Champagne Essentiel NV

Toasty on the nose, with hints of grilled nut, smoke and spices transitioning on the palate to accent flavors of baked nectarine, candied ginger and mandarin orange peel. Harmonious and expressive, with a fine, raw, silky mousse and pretty lime blossom and graphite accents on the finish. Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay. Disgorged November 2021. Drink now. 1,347 cases imported. $70

Jeb Dunnuck 94+ Points
2014 Delamotte Champagne Blanc De Blancs

Linear and focused, the bright straw-colored 2014 Champagne Blanc De Blancs is lifted with mineral aromas of chalky earth and flinty notes followed by green apple, powdery floral aromas, and lime candy. Bright and electric on the palate, its long, fresh spine of acidity propels the wine forward, with mouthwatering saline and a mineral-tinged backbone. A wine that commands attention, it has a fine mousse and is focused and long on the palate, with vibrant citrus. It’s going to have significant longevity over the coming 20 years. It saw 6.5 gram per liter dosage. $135

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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