February 16th, 2018 Newsletter - The Grape Tray

February 16th, 2018 Newsletter

2015 Alto Moncayo Veraton Garnacha

Winemaker Notes: Made from vines between 30 and 50 years old, and aged in barrels for 16 months. It is a wine with an attractive collection of balsamic notes, of chocolate and black fruits, very warm on the palate and an extremely pleasant finish. $29 Our Price $23.95 (Arrives this afternoon)

Presidents’ Day Holiday
We will be closed on Monday, 2/19/18

Wine Spectator 91
2016 NIK WEIS ST.-URBANS-HOF Riesling Qualitätswein Mosel From Old Vines

A pure, well-sculpted, off-dry version, with persimmon, lime and slate flavors coating the palate. Hints of orchard blossom and herbs add to the complexity, making you reach for another sip. Drink now through 2024. 4,500 cases imported.—A.Z. $19 Our Price $14.49

2016 Borsao Tres Picos Garnacha

Winemaker Notes: Very intense cherry red color with tones of purple. Great concentration of aromas of ripe red fruit with floral nuances on the nose. In the mouth, it is a well-structured rich wine that evokes tastes of blackberry, plum and tones of leather and vanilla, with soft and silky tannin. Mountain vineyards with an age of 35 to 60 years situated at an altitude of 600-700 meters, on stony, slimy soils with clay and limestone. $19 Our Price $14.69 (Arrives this afternoon)

2016 WillaKenzie Willamette Pinot Gris

Winemaker Notes: Extensive lees contact in stainless steel tanks allows this Pinot Gris to maximize fruit expression with notes of pear and papaya. The mouthfeel is rich, yet has a strong backbone of acidity which carries the wine to a long finish. $20 Our Price $16.95

Wine Spectator 92
ERNIE ELS Cabernet Sauvignon Stellenbosch 2015

Fleshy and inviting, showing layers of cassis, raspberry and blackberry paste inlaid with anise, singed apple wood and mint notes. Nice charcoal frame on the finish. Best from 2018 through 2023. 500 cases imported.—J.M. $24 Our Price $18.95

Antonio Galloni, Vinous 93 Points
2013 Keenan Napa Cabernet

The 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon is deep and powerful from the get go, with beams of supporting tannin and acidity that give the wine its sense of proportion. There is plenty of nuance in the dark fruit, along with terrific aromatic complexity, but today the tannins are imposing, to say the least. Readers should be prepared to cellar the 2013 for at least a few years, but even that may not be enough. This is another terrific example of the vintage. $56 Our Price $47.99

Wine Spectator 90
LAFOND Chardonnay Sta. Rita Hills SRH 2015

Buttery, with plenty of creamy accents to the ripe apple, pear tart and lemon curd flavors. The richly spiced finish has hints of savoriness and toasty notes. Drink now through 2021. 2,390 cases made. –KM $23 Our Price $18.99

Wine Spectator 91
LAURENT-PERRIER Brut Champagne La Cuvée NV

A delicate Champagne, with a refined mousse and finely honed acidity, this offers a subtle range of black currant, lemon zest, toast and chalk flavors that linger on the lightly spiced finish. Drink now through 2020. –AN $50 Our Price $34.99

Wine Advocate 94
2013 Laird Family Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Flat Rock

The 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Flat Rock Ranch, from another Yountville site, is softer than the Mast Ranch, with sweet tannin, dense purple color, plenty of crème de cassis, blackberry and blueberry. There is a nice floral element as well, and the wine finishes full, rich and impressive. Give it 3-4 years of cellaring and drink it over the following two decades. $80 Our Price $74.99

2015 Pruett Lucky Lauren Red

Winemaker Notes: Meet the mediator, as this is your go-to wine when you want to please everyone. A plush and generous blend that shows excellent structure and focus. Brooding dark raspberry and smoky mocha aromas combine with layered flavors of boysenberry, nutmeg and allspice. The tannins are plush with a long lingering finish. Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon blend. $29 (Arrives 2/20/18)

Wine Spectator 93
ALBAN Syrah Edna Valley Patrina Alban Estate 2014

Reveals pedigree, balancing an elegant structure with a distinctive personality. Blackberry and smoky meat aromas open to polished, complex flavors of dark plum, fruitcake spices and stony mineral that finish with refined tannins. Drink now through 2027.—T.F $48

Wine Advocate 93
2014 Galerie Cabernet Sauvignon Pleinair

The 2014 Napa Cabernet Sauvignon called Pleinair is a blend of 95.5% Cabernet Sauvignon and the rest tiny quantities of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. It is aged 20 months in 58% new French oak before being bottled unfined and unfiltered. This wine has a similarity to a top-flight St.-Julien from Bordeaux. Loads of Christmas fruitcake, cedar wood, tobacco leaf, black currants and spice box all jump from the glass and from the flavors of this round, juicy, medium to full-bodied wine with silky tannins. Drink it over the next 15 or so years. $60 Our Price $49.99

2015 Sea Smoke Southing Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir

Winemaker Notes: Each year, our goal for Southing is to create the ideal marriage of complexity and elegance. The ever-changing nose of the Southing exhibits dark fruits, such as Blackberry and plum skin, as well as some baking spice and fresh flowers (Violet & Lilac). The fine tannins and minerality are enhanced by our estate vineyard’s characteristic cool climate acidity. CA Market Price: $79-$195. (6 bottles available at $90/bottle)

Wine Spectator 93
SCHLOSS GOBELSBURG (SCHLOSSKELLEREI GOBELSBURG) Riesling Qualitätswein Trocken Kamptal 2016

Peach and grapefruit flavors hold court in this focused white, picking up accents of floral, apple and mineral. Intense and long, with a vibrant aftertaste echoing the complex flavors. Silky texture. Drink now through 2025. 650 cases imported. $20 (Arrives March 2018)

Local Collector Liquidation
Wine Advocate 98
2010 Araujo Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Eisele Vineyard

Araujo’s 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon Eisele Vineyard is a picture perfect example of the year. Vibrant, precise and beautifully chiseled, the 2010 boasts serious depth and concentration. The aromas and flavors are incredibly vivid in this textured, dazzling Cabernet Sauvignon. Hints of dark blue and black fruit, mocha, espresso and grilled herbs flesh out on the huge finish. Today the 2010 is unusually open, but it is almost certain to shut down in bottle over the next 6-12 months. The 2010 is a super-classic Eisele Cabernet Sauvignon from Araujo. Anticipated maturity: 2018-2035. CA Market Price: $319-$495 (3 bottles available at $319/bottle)

Wine Advocate 92-95
2011 Araujo Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Eisele Vineyard

The 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon Eisele Vineyard is simply beautiful. It is easily one of the most complete and compelling wines of the vintage. Rich, flashy and open, especially within the context of the vintage, the 2011 impresses for its depth and polish. Layers of blue and black fruit, savory herbs, mint and licorice come together in this complete Cabernet. A model of total class and elegance, the 2011 is simply remarkable for the year. This is one of the few wines of the vintage with real potential not just for the near-term, but also for the future. Anticipated maturity: 2015-2026. CA Market Price: $279-$550 (2 bottles available at $279/bottle)



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