The Grape Tray will be open on Monday during the month of December

Grape Tray
Monday, 12/11 10:30 AM - 5:30 PM
Tuesday, 12/12 10:30 AM - 5:30 PM
Wednesday, 12/13 10:30 AM – 5:30 PM
Thursday, 12/14 10:30 AM – 5:30 PM
Friday, 12/15 10:30 AM – 5:30 PM
Saturday, 12/16 10:30 AM – 4:00 PM

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Vintage Reserve Wine
Tuesday, 12/12 12:00 noon – 6:00 PM
Wednesday, 12/13 12:00 noon – 6:00 PM
Thursday, 12/14 12:00 noon – 6:00 PM
Friday, 12/15 12:00 noon – 6:00 PM
Saturday, 12/16 12:00 noon – 4:00 PM

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On Deck for wine tasting next week at VRW:

Jeb Dunnuck 97 Points
2019 Merus Napa Cabernet Sauvignon

A killer bottle of Napa Valley magic, the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon from Merus is 97% Cabernet Sauvignon and 3% Petit Verdot. It’s a powerful, full-bodied, uber-ripe beauty that stays lively and balanced, with beautiful blue fruits, as well as smoked tobacco, chocolate, and scored earth-like aromas and flavors. A beast of a wine with a great mid-palate and velvety tannins, it should shed its considerable baby fat over the coming 4-6 years and have two decades of overall longevity. $180.

Wine Spectator 91 Points
Gaston Chiquet Brut Rosé Champagne NV
(2023 Review)

Boasts bright acidity and a zesty mousse, which create a vivacious frame for flavors of crushed blackberry and boysenberry, whole-grain toast and crystallized honey. Well-balanced and integrated, with a spiced finish. Disgorged March 2022. Drink now. 450 boxes imported. $60

Jeb Dunnuck 98 Points
2021 Melville Donna’s Syrah

The 2021 Syrah Donna's is all varietal and comes from the Melville Vineyard. Its vivid ruby/plum hue is followed by classic Syrah notes of ripe blackberries, mulberries, pepper, violets, and gamey meats. These carry to a full-bodied Syrah with ultra-fine tannins, a layered, multi-dimensional texture, and a gorgeous finish. This absolutely captivating Syrah is already impossible to resist yet is going to evolve for 15-20 years with ease. It's up with the finest vintages of this cuvée produced. Hats off to Chad Melville for a brilliant, world class Syrah! $60

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Taste 2021 Paul Hobbs Russian River Pinot Noir, 2018 Merryvale Napa Cabernet Sauvignon and 2019 Le Pich Napa Cabernet Sauvignon at Vintage Reserve Wine (VRW) for $15 per person.
Thursday, December 7th. Available 12:00 noon -5:45 PM

Vinous Media 95 Points
2021 Paul Hobbs Russian River Pinot Noir

The 2021 Pinot Noir (Russian River Valley) is dense, heady and explosive. All the classic Russian River exuberance comes through, but amplified in all of the good ways and none of the bad. Even with all of the richness and intensity, the 2021 retains good freshness as well as energy. A touch of whole clusters brightens the finish nicely. $80

Wine Spectator 93 Points
2018 Merryvale Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

This is textbook Napa Cabernet—ripe, forthright and well-defined, with cassis, bitter plum and blackberry fruit driving through over a racy graphite hint and lively savory notes. Reveals an alder toast accent on the finish. Rock-solid. Drink now through 2034. 3,516 cases made. $68

Antonio Galloni, Vinous 92 Points
2019 Le Pich Napa Cabernet Sauvignon

The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Le Pich is a terrific introductory-level wine from Julien Fayard. A rich, opulent wine, Le Pich offers up a compelling mélange of black cherry, plum, chocolate, cloves, new leather and licorice. This bold, sumptuous Cabernet delivers the goods, big time. The 2019 is one of the best editions of Le Pich I can remember tasting. Drinking Window: 2022-2034. $60

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Last Call for 2022 Vintage!

James Suckling 91 Points
2022 Domaine de la Solitude Cotes du Rhone Blanc

Effusive nose of ripe melon, apricot and orange blossom. Medium-bodied with ample ripeness, but a light-footed personality with lively acidity. A cuvee based on 60% Viognier. $19 Our Price $14.99 (Back in stock GT and VRW 12/9/23)

2019 Staglin Family Salus Napa Cabernet , 750ml and Magnums

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. $115/750ml and $249/magnum. (Back in stock GT 12/8/23)

ANTONIO GALLONI 93 POINTS
2019 Dehlinger Altamont Russian River Pinot Noir

The 2019 Pinot Noir Altamont is a gorgeous wine. At present, the Altamont is quite closed, as if all of its energy is focused inward. Wild red cherry, lavender, rose petal, kirsch, mint and blood orange all run through the 2019. There's lovely depth and density here. $65 (Back in stock GT)

James Suckling 91 Points
2022 Tablas Creek Patelin de Tablas Rouge

Raspberries, fresh cherries, redcurrants and bay leaves on the nose follow through to a medium body with finely grained tannins. Suave and playful with bright acidity, crunchy fruit and a fresh, fruity finish. 54% syrah, 29% grenache, 13% mourvedre, 3% counoise and 1% terret noir. $22 (Arrives GT this afternoon)

2022 Morgan Metallico Chardonnay

Winemaker Notes: Metallico’s aromatics are intense with green apple, pear, and apple blossom. The palate has ripe fruit flavors of sweet lemon rind and quince. This wine encompasses a light-medium body with bright acidity and a long finish. $24 Our Price $19.99 (Available GT)

Wine Enthusiast 92 Points
Morgan Cotes du Crow's 2020

This is a smashing deal every vintage, and this year's blend of 58% Grenache, 35% Syrah, 4% Mourvèdre and 3% Tempranillo doesn't disappoint. Fresh but savory aromas of roasted red fruit and baking spice drop into a tightly wound palate of snappy red currant and light pepper that rides a zippy acidity through the finish. $22 Our Price $17.49 (Available GT)

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Taste 2022 Ghost Block MorgaenLee Sauvignon Blanc, 2019 Charles Krug Generations Cabernet and 2021 JAX Estate Napa Cabernet Sauvignon
at Vintage Reserve Wine (VRW) for $15 per person.
Friday, December 8th. Available 12:00 noon -5:45 PM

2022 Ghost Block MorgaenLee Sauvignon Blanc

Winemaker Notes: Beautiful aromatics of grapefruit and white peach jump from the glass followed by subtle tropical fruit notes of guava and papaya. $25

Wine Enthusiast 97 Points
2019 Charles Krug Generations Napa Cabernet

Quietly powerful, dense with alluring oak spices and late-picked fruit flavors, this full-bodied, velvet-textured Cabernet-dominant blend is generous and inviting to drink, but also balanced and structured for the long haul. Concentrated, deep and layered, it is meant for drinking with appreciative friends or family in the future. $85

2021 JAX Estate Napa Cabernet Sauvignon

Winemaker Notes: Full-bodied and well proportioned, this wine carries through to a vibrant and lively finish. Dark aromas of ripe blackberries, currants and a hint of spice. This Cabernet Sauvignon coats the palate with dense layers of black cherry, cocoa nib, forest floor and soft hints of cedar. $60

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Taste Gloria Ferrer Blanc de Noir Rose, Pierre Péters Brut Blanc de Blancs Champagne Cuvée de Reserve and Bollinger Brut Rosé Champagne at Vintage Reserve Wine (VRW) for $20 per person.
Saturday, December 9th. Available 12:00 noon -3:45 PM

Connoisseurs' Guide 90 Points
Gloria Ferrer Blanc de Noir Rose

92% Pinot Noir; 8% Chardonnay. This engaging, nicely crafted Blanc de Noirs does an exceptionally nice job at being fruity and fresh and moderately yeasty all at the same time. It smacks mildly of juicy cherries while showing plenty of creamy autolysis and is enlivened by perky acidity and a full, frothy mousse. It stands out from its similarly priced, large-production cousins and is an outand- out steal when found at a discount as it routinely is. $30

Wine Spectator 93 Points
Pierre Péters Brut Blanc de Blancs Champagne Cuvée de Réserve NV (2023 Review)

Firm and minerally up front, with well-honed acidity and notes of smoke, chalk and oyster shell transitioning as they're integrated with a creamy range of crunchy pear, ripe green apple, pink grapefruit pith and almond skin flavors, which expand through the midpalate and lightly spiced finish. Elegant, but with good complexity and focus throughout. Disgorged May 2023. Drink now through 2028. 2,165 cases imported. $75

Wine Spectator 93 Points
Bollinger Brut Rosé Champagne NV (2023 Review)

Sleek and elegant, this finely knit rosé Champagne offers flavors of ripe cherry, blood orange granita and slivered almond, with aromatic accents of graphite, star anise and verbena. Long and creamy on the vibrant finish. Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier. Drink now through 2028. 1,025 cases imported. $140

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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