August 4th 2017 Newsletter - The Grape Tray

August 4th 2017 Newsletter

Wine Spectator 91
SAINTAYME St.-Emilion 2014

This sports a slightly exotic core of raspberry and blackberry fruit, backed by a roasted apple wood note and a jolt of licorice on the finish, imparting up-front appeal and a bit of mid-term aging capacity. Drink now through 2024. 2,000 cases made. JM Liquidation Price $15.95 (Limited to stock on hand)

Wine Spectator 93
HENRIOT Brut Rosé Champagne NV

A beautiful range of aromatic spices accents the white raspberry, pastry and pink grapefruit notes in this harmonious rosé . There's tension to the knit of vibrant acidity and chalky texture, driving this to a lasting, minerally finish. Drink now through 2020. 1,000 cases imported. –AN $70 Our Price $58.99

Wine Spectator 92
WRATH Chardonnay Monterey Fermata 2014

Buttery and rich, featuring concentrated flavors of pear, apple compote and baked peach, with tropical notes. A full-bore style that is filled with spiciness. The finish lingers with cream and toasted coconut accents. Drink now through 2022. 446 cases made. –KM $35 Our Price $26.99 (Back in stock 8/9/17)

2014 Foley Estates Rancho Santa Rosa Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir

Winemaker Notes: Aromatics of juicy cherry cola, raspberry sorbet, and faint notes of black pepper awaken your senses. The aromas are accented by flavors of red cranberry, soft oak and vanilla bean with angular tannin and a bright acidity. Notes of toasted graham cracker, sweet cigar, and black tea come through on the finish. This 2014 embodies the classic, yet distinctive attributes for which Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir is known. $40 Our Price $26.95

2015 Oceana Chablis

Winemaker Notes: The 2015 Oceana Chablis presents as a delicate, pale yellow in color. You are immediately drawn into the glass as notes of lime and wet stone with hints of chalk and citrus blossom greet you on the nose. As you begin to taste, the palate follows the nose, and is well balanced between citrus notes and minerality, with a gentle reminder of kafir lime leaves. The bright acidity and spreading mid-palate lead to a lingering, stoney finish. The elegant balance found in this glass of wine make it a delight to enjoy on it’s own or paired with food. Pair with fresh uni or bigeye tuna tartare. $25 Our Price $21.99 Delicious!

2016 HOGWASH California Rose of Grenache

Winemaker Notes from Tuck Beckstoffer / Shawn Johnson: California Rose continues to rise in popularity and the 2016 Vintage of Hogwash by Tuck Beckstoffer is yet another great example of rose at its finest! The wine is purely and simply summertime in a glass. The 2016 Hogwash Rose displays a pale salmon-pink color and aromas of rose petal, bright cherry and pink grapefruit. Flavors of early season raspberry and strawberry lightly coat the mouth through a fresh, lively finish. It is a serious rose wine but one that does not take itself too seriously. $15 Our Price $12.69

Antonio Galloni, Vinous 97 pts
2014 Clos Fourtet Saint Émilion Grand Cru Classé, Bordeaux

A stunning, breathtaking wine, the 2014 Clos Fourtet is without question one of the stars of the vintage. Deep yet also wonderfully nuanced, it exudes energy and transparency. Enticing scents of violet, lavender, mint and chalk add to the wine's chiseled personality. The 2014 has gained considerable depth, volume and intensity since I tasted it from barrel as a young wine, but without losing its intensely mineral, understated personality. Today, it is exceptionally beautiful in every way. The blend is 89 % Merlot, 7 % Cabernet Sauvignon and 4 % Cabernet Franc. Tasted three times. 2020 – 2039. Our Price $83.95

Wine Advocate 95
2014 Arkenstone Napa Sauvignon Blanc Estate

The 2014 Sauvignon Blanc Estate, 92% Sauvignon Blanc and 7% Semillon, was fermented in equal parts new French oak, used French oak and a concrete egg. The wine is a killer example of this blend. It spent 18 months in barrel prior to being bottled. There are 630 cases. With terrific fruit intensity, fabulous aromatics of honeysuckle, fig, caramelized citrus, melons and an almost waxiness, this beautiful, precise, incredibly pure, medium-bodied Sauvignon Blanc is super-intense and a real big-time winner. Drink it over the next 4-5 years, although it’s purest certainly in it exuberant youth because of the aromatic fireworks. $75 (Arrives 8/9/17)


Vinous 91
2016 Château de Trinquevedel Tavel Rose

Deep orange-pink. Pungent, expressive aromas of dried red berries, orange pith and succulent herbs; floral and mineral elements emerge as the wine opens up. Concentrated cherry and blood orange flavors show very good clarity and energy thanks to a core of juicy acidity. Lingers with strong tenacity on the sappy finish, which leaves a suave candied lavender note behind. $19 Our Price $14.99

2014 Renteria RUSSIAN RIVER VALLEY Pinot Noir

Winemaker Notes: This 2014 Pinot Noir is a beautiful wine that captures the terroir of the Russian River Valley. Generous notes of red cherry and fresh wild strawberry sail over a hint of baking spices, dusty earth and sweet tannin. The mouthfeel is rich, round and juicy, the bright acidity carrying the nuanced flavors through an echoing finish. $48

2015 Orin Swift Machete Petite Sirah

Winemaker Notes: A brooding hue and viscous consistency, powerful aromas of crème de cassis, boysenberry, and ripe cherries are complemented by a soft minerality and hints of dark chocolate. The entry is smooth with dark plums and a charred meatiness that floods to create a velvety texture that lingers. $48


In Stock!
2013 Silver Oak Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Winemaker Notes: Our 2013 Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is garnet in color with a ruby red rim, it has an alluring nose of blackberry bramble, baking spices and black olive. Aromas of vanilla, cassis and sage fill the glass, revealing the influence of American oak barrel aging. On the palate, notes of raspberry are complemented with lingering acidity and a finish of dusty, silky tannins. Given proper cellaring, this wine will provide drinking pleasure through 2036. $75 Our Price $69.99

2012 Oraison Châteauneuf-du-Pape

Notes from our Oenologist, Sylvain Colson: Though thirteen different varieties of grapes, including seven red varieties, are authorized for this appellation, I have chosen four which will lend a multitude of aromas and flavors to this Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Grenache gives smoothness and richness, Cinsault, fruit and freshness, while Syrah gives lovely length which is balanced by the tannins of the Mourvèdre grapes. Tasting notes: This wine’s beautiful deep, dark color reveals aromas of jammy fruit and prune underscored by a touch of licorice and roasted notes. Structured and full-bodied on the palate with well-integrated tannins. This is a rich, delectable wine with great ageing potential. $40 Our Price $19.99 (Back in stock!)

Wine Spectator 93
ANTHEM Cabernet Sauvignon St. Helena Beckstoffer Las Piedras Vineyard 2012

A classically styled Cabernet that's firm in structure and taut in focus and flavor, with a direct core of gravel and cedary oak—scented dark berry, licorice and savory herb flavors. Ends with drying, gripping tannins but also dense fruit and oak flavors. Drink now through 2028. 400 cases made. –JL $95 (Arrives 8/8/17)

Wine Spectator 95
REVANA Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley Terroir Series 2014

Pure, rich, dense and driven by extracted blackberry, boysenberry, licorice, currant, cedar and cigar box nuances. Most impressive for the direct and authoritative presence. Best from 2020 through 2038. 1,300 cases made. –JL $105 (Arrives 8/9/17)

Wine Advocate 96+
2014 Spottswoode Napa Cabernet Sauvignon

This first-growth estate in St. Helena has produced a 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon that is a blend of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cabernet Franc and 5% Petit Verdot. It is certainly one of the wines of the vintage. Gorgeously opaque purple, it offers up notes of spring flowers, blueberries, blackcurrants, some baking spice and graphite. It is full-bodied, concentrated and rich, with layers of fruit. The wine builds and builds on the palate, with a great finish of 45+ seconds. This is a sensational 2014 to drink over the next 20+ years. $190 (Arrives 9/1/17)


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