On deck for wine tasting next week at VRW:

Wine Spectator 94 Points, 2024 Top 100 #6
Chimney Rock Cabernet Sauvignon Stags Leap District 2021

Super lush and polished in feel, with creamy-textured açaí, mulberry and cassis notes gliding through slowly. Laced with alluring hints of violet, iris and anise, this offers a melted licorice note on the finish, but the fruit wins out easily. Drink now through 2037. 13,363 cases made. $120

Wine Spectator 96 Points
CHÂTEAU DE ST.-COSME Gigondas Le Poste 2022

A massive wine, this starts out with a voluptuous, generous well of black cherry, anise and plum puree that soon reveals a simmering layer of molten iron. Serious and brooding, with savory, smoky power and bitterness, yet this shows finesse and beautiful integration. The powerful black tea tannins are built to go the distance and need a bit of time to mellow out. A blockbuster. Best from 2026 through 2040. —K.B. 30 cases imported. Published Price $75. Actual Retail Price $160

Vinous Media 94 Points
2020 Royal Nonesuch Farm York Mountain Rhône Blend

The 2020 Red from Royal Nonesuch Farm is savory and intense, blending dried black cherries with peppery rose and lavender. It flows easily across the palate, pleasantly sweet yet wonderfully balanced, with a stern mineral core to contrast. It lingers incredibly long and is full of primary concentration. A coating of fine-grained tannins frames the experience nicely. The Red is a co-fermented blend of 73% Grenache, 20% Syrah, 5% Graciano and 2% Clairette Blanche. (EG) $65

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Taste 2022 Pinot Noir: 2022 SEAN MINOR Sonoma Coast Signature Series, 2022 Résonance Willamette Valley and 2022 Sea Smoke Ten Sta. Rita Hills at Vintage Reserve Wine (VRW) for $20 per person.
Thursday, November 14th. Available 12:00 noon -5:45 PM

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

Wine Spectator 94 Points
Résonance Pinot Noir Willamette Valley 2022

Fragrant raspberry and fresh violet aromas lead to elegantly layered cherry, mineral and savory tea flavors, with a silky mouthfeel that slowly builds tension on the polished finish. Drink now through 2033. 15,299 cases made. $40

2022 Sea Smoke Ten Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir

Winemaker Notes: A brooding and intense wine. The aromas begin with notes of ground cacao, raspberry and Friar plum, followed by a mix of spices and a hint of lavender. Firm, mature tannins - evidence of Ten’s ageability - are followed by a long, velvety finish. CA Market Price: $125-$175

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Wine Spectator 94 Points
CHÂTEAU DE ST.-COSME Gigondas 2022

Expressive notes of pomegranate and raspberry show pretty lavender perfume alongside wafts of apple wood smoke and black pepper. Fine yet substantial tannins hold a firm grip, with graphite power building. Concentrated and firmly structured on a sleek, powerful frame. Tightly wound, this will be even better with a few years in the cellar. Grenache, Mourvèdre, Syrah and Cinsault. Best from 2026 through 2037. —K.B. $65 (Arrives GT this afternoon)

JEB DUNNUCK 95 POINTS
2021 Chappellet Cabernet Franc

Looking first at the 2021 Cabernet Franc, this beauty is based on 78% Cabernet Franc, 7% each Merlot and Malbec, and the rest Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot. Red and black currants, fresh figs, savory flowers, spicy wood, and some camphor notes all soar from the glass, and it's medium to full-bodied, with a pure, elegant mouthfeel, beautiful tannins, and outstanding length. This is a stunning Cabernet Franc to enjoy over the coming 15 years or more. $130 Our Price $109.95 (Available GT and VRW)

2019 Staglin Family Salus Napa Cabernet

Winemaker Notes: Welcome to High Definition Cabernet – the 2019 Salus is a generous and deliciously detailed display of exuberant dark fruits dynamically supported by a range of floral, earthy and herbaceous characters. Lifted floral notes slide into resinous rosemary underlain by tilled earth and powdered porcini mushrooms complexed with a puff of gunpowder, graphite and criollo cigar wrapper. Bursting blackcurrant and ripe raspberry deepened by crushed cacao nibs and fresh licorice root envelop the palate before sliding silkily through a delightfully delineated and lengthy exit. The hint of grip and grit on the finish portends a rewarding and delicious life for this wine. $115 (Available GT and VRW)

Decanter Journal 98 Points
2021 Fortunate Son The Warrior Napa Cabernet Sauvignon

This is the first step into Hundred Acre territory—an entry point before graduating to the higher prices of the main label. It’s pretty profound. The aromas are intense, with gorgeous scorched earth, sagebrush, blood orange, and flamed grapefruit zest. Jayson Woodbridge often talks about walking through the vineyard and inspecting each cluster. He will do 5–7 passes, picking just a fraction of the fruit with each pass—perhaps only 1/10th—ensuring that all the fruit is perfect. Rich, earthy notes of black truffle come through, with the wine being full-bodied, underpinned by a deep vein of fragrant, mineral-scented tannins, salty crushed stones, and a framework of racy acidity that promises longevity. This is an iron fist Cabernet, profoundly structured with exotic layers of fruit, spices, florals, and a wealth of ironstone minerals. Swelling with full-bodied richness, it offers creamy-textured blackberry and cherry fruit, liquorice and hints of un-smoked tobacco. Jayson Woodbridge, the founder of Hundred Acre, purchased the David Fulton Vineyard in St. Helena on Fulton Lane. A winery on-site now serves as the home of Fortunate Son, with 6 hectares of Cabernet Sauvignon vines managed by Jim Barbour. In 2023, Woodbridge appointed his son Cameron as cellar master. Jonathan Cristaldi (at Novato, California, 18 Sep 2024) Drinking Window: 2024 - 2040 $400 (Available GT)

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Taste 2022 Benchland Select Sonoma Chardonnay, 2021 Matthews Cabernet Sauvignon Columbia Valley and 2021 Kenefick Ranch Napa Cabernet Sauvignon Chris's Cuvée at Vintage Reserve Wine (VRW) for $15 per person.
Friday, November 15th. Available 12:00 noon -5:45 PM

2022 Benchland Select Sonoma Chardonnay

Winemaker Notes: This limited production Chardonnay is sourced from a Knights Valley vineyard neighboring Peter Michael. Beautiful roasted almonds and Bartlett pears on the nose. Full bodied with notes of vanilla finishing with stone fruit and Meyer lemon $50

Wine Spectator 93 Points
Matthews Cabernet Sauvignon Columbia Valley 2021

Precise and expressive, with handsome flavors of blackberry, bay leaf and espresso that build richness and structure toward refined tannins. Drink now through 2031. 7,364 cases made. $45

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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Taste Roederer Estate Brut Anderson Valley NV, Roederer Brut Collection 244 and 2019 Sea Smoke Sea Spray Blanc de Noirs at Vintage Reserve Wine (VRW) for $20 per person
Saturday, November 16th. Available 12:00 noon -3:45 PM

Wine Spectator 93 Points
Roederer Estate Brut Anderson Valley NV

Dynamic yet sleekly elegant, with rich strawberry and apple flavors that are accented by spiced cinnamon and yeast roll as this dances toward the vibrant finish. Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Drink now through 2026. 85,000 cases made. $32

James Suckling 94 Points
Roederer Brut Collection 244

The first impression is as invigorating as a sea breeze. I love the interplay of mirabelle, grapefruit and lychee fruit with minty freshness and waxiness from lees contact. And all this is welded to a beautifully proportioned palate with plenty of structure, the acidity bright and the mousse animating. Very salty finish that pulls you back for more. A cuvee of 41% chardonnay, 33% pinot noir and 26% pinot meunier. Of these, 15% fermented in oak and 85% in stainless steel. The final blend contained 36% reserve perpetual and 10% reserve wines of the 2012 - 2018 vintage from oak. The dosage is 7 g/l. $70

2019 Sea Smoke Sea Spray Blanc de Noirs

Winemaker Notes: The Pinot Noir for this méthode champenoise sparkling wine comes from specific blocks on the estate vineyard, which are picked early – before the winery's regular pinot noir harvest begins. Sur lie aging in barrel and extended bottle aging en tirage add to the wine’s complexity. Sea Spray is fresh and alive on the palate and finishes with impressive length. 100% Pinot Noir. $100

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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