March 25th 2022 Newsletter - The Grape Tray

March 25th 2022 Newsletter

Wine Spectator 92 Points
ALLAN SCOTT Pinot Noir Marlborough 2020

Delivers a core of juicy, vibrant cherry, cranberry and pomegranate notes, with tomato leaf, spice, white pepper, tobacco and a hint of cocoa on the velvety finish. Drink now through 2040. 20,000 cases made, 1,000 cases imported. — MW $22. Our Price $19.99 (Available GT and VRW)

Jeb Dunnuck 94 Points
2018 Ledge MCA Cuvee

The MCA Cuvée from Ledge is one of the great values out there and it always delivers the goods. The 2018 sports a dense ruby hue as well as a beautiful, elegant, medium to full-bodied style. With lots of juicy red and black berry-like fruit, notes of peppery herbs and flowers, no hard edges, and the purity and freshness that's common in the vintage, it's ideal for drinking any time over the coming 7-8 years. $40 (Arrives GT this afternoon)

Jeb Dunnuck 95-97 Points
2018 Ledge Syrah Bien Nacido Vineyard

A new cuvée from a Grand Cru site in the Santa Maria Valley, the 2018 Syrah Bien Nacido offers classic salty, marine-like nuances as well as tons of meaty black fruits, olive, peppered game, and violet aromas and flavors. Full-bodied, seamless, and brilliantly put together, it’s another magical 2018 in the making. $65 (Arrives GT this afternoon)

Wine Spectator 93 Points
DONUM Pinot Noir Anderson Valley Single Vineyard 2018

Rich and well-structured, with an effusive blend of red fruit and spice flavors that feature loamy richness. Dark chocolate notes midpalate lead to a finish that lingers with hints of vanilla bean. Drink now through 2026. 730 cases made. — KM Internet Price $85 (Available GT and VRW)

2019 Frank Family Carneros Chardonnay, Half Bottle

Winemaker Notes: A vibrant citrus-led nose delves into nuanced flavors of baked apple, toasted oak, and brioche on the full-bodied palate. The rich mouthfeel is harmonized by a lasting thread of bright acidity that lifts and maintains freshness on the long finish. $19/375ml. Our Price $16.39/375ml. Magnums $69.99 (Available GT and VRW)

2020 Turley Juvenile Zinfandel

Winemaker Notes: Plenty of satiating spiced plum, blood orange, stone fruits with grippy tannins and well balanced acidity. Eminently drinkable now owing to the classic Juvenile texture. Plus, with this vintage of Juvenile we introduced new corks which essentially eliminate TCA! $25 (Available GT and VRW this afternoon)

Jeb Dunnuck 93 Points
2019 Hartford Russian River Chardonnay

Readers looking for a pure, impeccably made Russian River Chardonnay should check out the 2019 Chardonnay Russian River Valley from Hartford Court. It has classic pineapple and honeyed orchard fruits, a rich, medium-bodied mouthfeel, good acidity, and subtle toasty, nutty background nuances. It's ideal for drinking over the coming 4-5 years $30 Our Price $23.99 (Available GT and VRW)

Wine Advocate 93+ Points
Roederer Brut Collection 242

Roederer's Brut Premier was created in the 1980s to prove to consumers that we could deliver consistent quality with a blend that compensated for less than perfectly ripe vintages," explains Jean-Baptiste Lecaillon. "We were blending in pursuit of maturity, of ripeness. The concept behind the Brut Collection is the opposite: we're looking for freshness—and we are embracing singularity, something we're emphasizing by enumerating each year's blend." This project has been in the making since 2012, when Lecaillon set aside 21,000 liters of wine to constitute a perpetual reserve aged in large tanks without malolactic fermentation. Sourcing has evolved too: less must is coming from cooperatives, and only vineyards cultivated without the use of herbicides inform the blend. A dedicated team oversees all this, visiting every grower three times per year. And vinification is parcel by parcel to deliver a maximum of blending components. Iteration 242 is based on the 2017 vintage (56%), supplemented by 34% reserve wines from the perpetual reserve established in 2012 and 10% foudre-aged reserve wines. $55 (Available GT and VRW)

Wine Spectator 93 Points
DONUM Pinot Noir Carneros Single Vineyard 2018

Lithe and powerfully spiced, with a mix of wild berry, plum tart and dried cherry flavors that are backed by firm acidity and fine-grained tannins. Finishes with a pure, minerally essence. Drink now through 2024. 1,700 cases made. — KM Internet Price $80 (Available GT and VRW)

Wine Spectator 94 Points
HARTFORD COURT Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast Land's Edge Vineyards 2018

A refined and minerally style, with lithe acidity supporting well-knit flavors of cherry and raspberry. The plush finish lingers with creamy accents and plenty of spicy and toasty notes. Drink now through 2026. —K.M. $50 Internet Price $42.99 (Available GT and VRW)

2019 Vine Cliff Napa Black Label Cabernet

Winemaker Notes: Our 2019 Vine Cliff Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is a Full-bodied wine with crushed baking chocolate, stewed cherries and baking spices on the nose. Dried herbs and firm tannins compliment this wine through a rich finish. $75 (Available GT and VRW 3/31/22)

Wine Advocate 97+ Points
2019 Corra Napa Cabernet Sauvignon

Made from 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, the deep garnet-purple colored 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon explodes with vivacious scents of crushed blueberries, chocolate-covered cherries and blackcurrant pastilles with hints of menthol, unsmoked cigars and cardamom. The concentrated, full-bodied palate (15% alcohol) has a solid foundation of firm, fine-grained tannins with seamless freshness and a long, spicy finish. 350 cases were made. $160 (Available GT) Limited

Wine Advocate 97 Points
2019 Tan Fruit Chardonnay Vojtilla Vineyard

Vojtilla is a small, four-acre vineyard in the Chehalem Mountains that sits at around 5,000 to 6,000 feet in elevation and, says Jim Maresh, is influenced by the nearby Willamette River. Harvested in October this vintage, the 2019 Chardonnay Vojtilla Vineyard comes from Dijon clone vines planted in 1991, and it was matured in about 25% new Damy barrels. It has a stunning perfume of quince paste and mushrooms, pastry and flowers, and the palate is satiny, plush and pure, with a seamless tangy streak and long, powerful finish. $65 (Available GT) Limited

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Friday Wine Tasting, 3/25/22 (Available all day during operating hours) $15 per person and must be 21 or older to attend.

2020 Lewis Napa Valley Reserve Chardonnay

Lime skin, fig and green pear, followed by balsam and toasted brioche, our 2020 Napa Reserve Chardonnay opens with enticing aromas. Loaded with tree fruit and generously proportioned the palate is luxuriant and long with vanilla-laced lees at the finish. $80

Wine Spectator 93 Points
SALVESTRIN Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 2019

This is chockablock with winey dark currant and juicy plum pâte de fruit notes, laced with hints of licorice root, tar and roasted apple wood. Offers ample structure, but it's racy and well-embedded in the fruit. Really vibrant throughout. Best from 2023 through 2036. —J.M. $50

Jeb Dunnuck 94 Points
2018 Vineyard 29 Cru Napa Cabernet Sauvignon

Plums, Asian spices, tobacco, and lead pencil notes emerge from the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Cru, which hits the palate with medium to full-bodied richness, a beautifully polished, elegant texture, and outstanding length. This is another gorgeous 2018 displaying notable purity, balance, and length as well as richness. It can be drunk any time over the coming 15+ years. $65

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Saturday Wine Tasting, 3/26/22 (Available all day during operating hours) $15 per person and must be 21 or older to attend.

Jeb Dunnuck 96 Points
2019 Hartford Court Four Hearts Vineyard Chardonnay

Another Russian River release, the 2019 Chardonnay Four Hearts Vineyard brings plenty of ripe tropical fruit as well as medium to full body, a supple, layered mouthfeel, nicely integrated acidity, and building spice, toast, and green almond nuances. It's another thrilling, brilliant Chardonnay from this estate. Drink bottles over the coming 5-7 years. $55

Antonio Galloni, Vinous 98 Points
2019 Sinegal Napa Estate Cabernet Sauvignon

The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon is every bit as magnificent as it was last year. A heady, statuesque wine, the 2019 captures all the pedigree of the vintage. Inky red cherry fruit, mocha, licorice and spice race across the palate. The 2019 is bright, deep and powerful, with exceptional balance and tons of class. It's a stunning wine, to say the least. The move towards a slightly less pushed style, with less overt oak signatures, has paid off big time. This is a fabulous showing. $80

2019 Lewis Reserve Napa Cabernet

Winemaker Notes: The 2019 Reserve Cabernet is an extraordinary wine that projects with the phrasing and voice of a vintage Martin D-45 guitar. Cascading berry fruits are fleshy and broad with an ornate overlay of dark chocolate, granite and espresso forte topped with Adirondack spruce. Powerful, rich and resonant at its core, the wine sustains supple character to the final note. $190

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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
Monday-Friday 10:30 AM-5:30 PM
Saturday 10:30 AM-4:00 PM



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