December 9th 2022 Newsletter - The Grape Tray

December 9th 2022 Newsletter

Wine Spectator 93 Points
DOMAINE EDEN Chardonnay Santa Cruz Mountains 2019

Rich and succulent, showing a broad range of flavors, from nutmeg-laced spices and candied orange zest to salted, toasted hazelnut, Fuji apple, lemon zest and dried thyme. Packs plenty of harmony on the long, expressive finish. Drink now through 2030. —M.W. $32 (Available GT and VRW)

Wine Spectator 93 Points
Dr. H. Thanisch Müller-Burggraef Riesling Kabinett Mosel Bernkasteler Badstube 2020

Brilliant aromas of jasmine, peach, lime and slate mark this exuberant Riesling. Charming, harmonious and vibrant, with a long aftertaste echoing the fruit, floral and mineral notes. Drink now through 2028. 1,000 cases made, 750 cases imported. $24 Our Price $21.99 (Available GT)

2018 Altamura Napa Cabernet Sauvignon

Winemaker Notes: Our hillside and valley floor estate vineyards in Wooden Valley are at elevations of 700 to 1000 feet. Soil types on the ranch which are similar to the Rutherford Bench and the mountainous regions of Howell Mountain, Pritchard Hill and Mount Veeder called for several different clones of Cabernet Sauvignon on a number of different rootstocks upon planting in 1986. The vines are dry-farmed and vertically trellised. $135 Our Price $129.99 (Available GT)

2019 Kenefick Ranch Chris’s Cuvee Cabernet

Winemaker Notes: Aromatics of raspberry hard candies, underlined by fine dark chocolate shavings and cigar box. The palate is dark berry preserve supported by woven dusty fine tannins. Good to drink now and will cellar well for the next 10-15 years. $65 (Arrives GT this afternoon)

Antonio Galloni, Vinous 93 Points
2019 Phelps Napa Cabernet Sauvignon

The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley) is absolutely gorgeous. Succulent red cherry, red plum, mocha, spice and leather are front and center. Soft contours and silky plush tannins give the 2019 its tremendous immediacy and overall appeal. The 2019 is a superb wine in its peer group $92 Our Price $79.99 (Available GT and VRW this afternoon)

Wine Spectator 94 Points
Echolands Syrah Walla Walla Valley 2019

Precise and elegantly structured, with multilayered boysenberry, forest floor and crushed stone flavors that build richness and tension toward refined tannins. Drink now through 2030. 800 cases made. $38 (Arrives GT late December)

James Suckling 100 Points
2019 Beaulieu Vineyards Georges de Latour Napa Cabernet Sauvignon

Wow! The aromas to this are really exceptional, with a tangerine edge to the blackcurrants, graphite, lead pencil, flowers and wet earth. It changes all the time. So expressive and refined. Full-bodied with great intensity and depth of fruit. The ultra-fine tannins display millions of layers. The texture on the palate is superb and lasts for minutes. This is the new 1974 George de Latour, which was a legend. Real Napa Valley red here. Drinkable now, to understand it, but truly great in five to six years and onwards. $150 (Back in stock GT and VRW)

2021 Hartford Court Russian River Pinot Noir

Winemaker Notes: Aromas of black cherry, blueberry, black currant, allspice and loam are followed by flavors of wild raspberries, dark berries and a crushed rock minerality. The dense entry is followed by a sweet and juicy mouth feel, supported by acidity, silky tannins and a subtle earthy finish. $40 Our Price $33.99 (Available GT and VRW)

Wine Advocate 94+
2018 Cliff Lede Napa Cabernet Sauvignon Magic Nights

Blended of 92% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Petit Verdot and 3% Merlot, the deep garnet-purple colored 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Magic Nights prances out of the glass with showy notes of crème de cassis, blueberry coulis and chocolate-covered cherries plus hints of garrigue, pencil lead and beef drippings. Full-bodied, the palate is jam-packed with muscular, energetic black fruits, supported by firm, ripe tannins and seamless freshness, finishing long and savory. $110 (Back in stock GT and VRW)

ANTONIO GALLONI 95 POINTS
2018 Merus Napa Cabernet Sauvignon

The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon is a dense, full-throttle wine. A blast of inky dark fruit, chocolate, spice, new leather, lavender, graphite, and dried herbs makes a strong opening statement. There's not a ton of subtlety, but the 2019 is undeniably beautiful and vivid. It's unapologetically flamboyant though, and will be appreciated most by readers who enjoy this style. $155 (Back in stock GT and VRW)

Jeb Dunnuck 94+ Points
2019 Venge Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Igneous

Classic Cabernet black fruits, tobacco, crushed rock, violets, and subtle herbal nuances all emerge from Venge’s 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Igneous, a medium to full-bodied, balanced Calistoga Cabernet that has beautiful purity of fruit. I like it today, yet it should age for 15+ years as well. $105 (Available GT and VRW)

Wine Spectator 93 Points
Coho Headwaters Napa Valley 2018

Ripe but fresh, this lets alluring boysenberry and mulberry notes stretch out slowly, with a mix of singed apple wood and anise playing a supporting role. Reveals light bramble and violet hints that peek in on the well-fruited finish. Shows good embedded energy. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot. Best from 2023 through 2035. 810 cases made. $60 (Back in stock GT this afternoon)

Jeb Dunnuck 99 Points
2019 Paul Hobbs Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard

More expressive and open-knit, the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard sports a similar ruby/purple to go with an incredible array of black raspberry, cassis, flowery incense, orange blossom, smoked tobacco, and exotic spice. As are all To Kolans, it's incredibly perfumed and complex aromatically, and it's one of those wines that changes every time you come back to the glass. Full-bodied on the palate, it offers beautiful richness and depth, a light, graceful mouthfeel, silky tannins, and a heavenly finish. It's another magical wine from this talented winemaker that readers will absolutely love. $570. Our Price $499.99 (Arrives GT 12/15/22) Limited

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Taste 2019 Alma de Cattleya Sonoma County Red, 2020 Faust Napa Cabernet and 2019 Hourglass Blueline Napa Cabernet at Vintage Reserve Wine (VRW) for $15 per person.
Friday, December 9th. Available 12:00 noon -5:45 PM

Jeb Dunnuck 93 Points
2019 Alma de Cattleya Sonoma County Red Blend

Lots of ripe blackberries, peppery herbs, and assorted meaty notes emerge from the deep purple 2019 Red Wine, which offers medium to full body, a kiss of iron and minerality on the palate, ripe tannins, and a great finish. This is one heck of a delicious, textured red to enjoy over the coming 4-6 years or so. $27

James Sucking 93 Points
2020 Faust Napa Cabernet Sauvignon

Aromas of tobacco, currants and iodine. Crushed oyster. Medium- to full-bodied with chewy tannins with spice, bark, and wet earth character. Fresh. Drink or hold. $60

Jeb Dunnuck 97 Points
2019 Hourglass Blueline Napa Cabernet Sauvignon

The 2019 Blueline Cabernet Sauvignon is another stunning wine in the lineup. Revealing a deep purple hue as well as beautiful cassis and blue-tinged fruits, it has lots of violet and lead pencil notes, medium to full body, perfect balance, and incredible tannins. A blend of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Petit Verdot, 3% Malbec, and the balance Cabernet Franc and Merlot, it's going to deliver the goods for upwards of two decades. $150

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Taste 2021 Fess Parker Sta. Rita Hills Pinot, 2021 Hartford Court Russian River Pinot and 2016 Eisele Altagracia Cabernet at (VRW) for $15 per person.
Saturday, December 10th. Available 12:00 noon -3:45 PM

2021 Fess Parker Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir

Winemaker Notes: This hand crafted wine represents the best of what Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir has to offer. Bursting with flavors of spice, cranberry, light blueberry and strawberry, it displays great balance and a lingering finish. 47% Rio Vista Vineyard, 25% Ashley’s, 14% Parker West Vineyard, 14% Sanford & Benedict Vineyard. $35

2021 Hartford Court Russian River Pinot Noir

Winemaker Notes: Aromas of black cherry, blueberry, black currant, allspice and loam are followed by flavors of wild raspberries, dark berries and a crushed rock minerality. The dense entry is followed by a sweet and juicy mouth feel, supported by acidity, silky tannins and a subtle earthy finish. $40

Wine Advocate 95 Points
2016 Eisele Vineyard Altagracia Cabernet Sauvignon

The Altagracia is produced almost exclusively from estate fruit this year and was bottled at the end of June 2018. Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Altagracia comes bursting forth with vivacious black cherries, blackberries, wild blueberries and cassis notes with touches of cinnamon stick, cloves, forest floor, violets and dusty earth with a waft of violets. The palate is medium to full-bodied, firm and grainy with loads of iron and mineral accents, finishing long and perfumed. $135

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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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