Orders are available for pick-up at Restaurant Nicholas at 160 Route 35 South Red Bank, NJ 07701 during the following times:
Monday: 9:30-3:30; Tuesday – Friday: 9:15am – 9:00pm; Saturday: 11:00am – 9:00pm; Sunday: Closed
Showing 1–12 of 123 results
95 Points (Gold Medal), 2022 Decanter Wine Awards
The expert reviews on this incredible new release from Herve Fabre are insane. 90 points and a ‘Best Buy’ designate from Wine Enthusiast, 90 more from Suckling. Ditto from Vinous who called this “young, firm, with well-worked tannins and good structure”. But in a crowded see of nearly 20,000 wines at the Decanter Wine Awards in 2022 – this stole the show. The only 95-point, Gold medal Cabernet that you can get for under $20/bottle, its second straight year in the most rarified air.
#1 Wine of the Year Wine Spectator (2019 Vintage)
There’s not a whole lot to say about this one other than I wish I got a lot more. I was allocated two cases of half bottles of last year’s Wine Spectator Wine of the Year, in the brand new 2021 vintage. Multiple 100-point winemaker Thomas Rivers Brown crafts an absolutely gorgeous dark-fruited Cabernet Sauvignon in the new vintage that the folks at Schrader think is even better than their 2019. How is that even possible???
#2 Wine of the Year, Wine Enthusiast (2023)
97 Points, Wine Enthusiast – 95 Points, Parker’s Wine Advocate
“Here’s an exciting new submission from the house of Ratti. Serradenari is a large MGA and one of only a few cru sites that exist on the western slope under the village of La Morra. The 2019 Barolo Serradenari has a more botanical-smelling bouquet, and by that I mean that it has lavender bud, thyme, aniseed and the kinds of flowers and herbs that you might find in a fragrant garden. It is nuanced and delicate and framed by a light note of ash or crushed limestone.”
WS #4 2019 Wine of the Year, 96 Points, Wine Spectator
2016 was an incredibly special year in Napa Valley. It was essentially the 5th straight vintage of near perfect-conditions and a lot of the big boys produced some of their biggest, most elegant Cabernets to date. Groth’s was still one of the standouts in any group, a deeply concentrated, weighty Cab with sappy, juicy fruit and a carefully intertwined tannic structure. Absolutely gorgeous.
Chad’s 2020 McKinley Springs Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon is drop dead gorgeous and actually makes zero sense at all at this price. Dark purple to the rim with aromas of black fruits, violets, creme de cassis and a hint of spice. On the palate, full-bodied, round and juicy with elegance and the gorgeous, pure fruit– red and black currants, blackberries and a touch of sweet tobacco. It’s a delicious bottle of Cab.
Opus One due to the massive demand for the iconic wine has ballooned in prices to nearly $700/bottle. For that reason, I have no problem suggested the lights out second wine from this epic winery – the Operture. Overture is a multi-vintage cuvée of all five Bordeaux grape varieties, selected and seamlessly blended together to showcase the style and character of its big brother but in a much more approachable and ready to drink package. The new release combines the fantastic 2018 and 2019 vintages and does so flawlessly.
#36 Wine of the Year, Wine Spectator (2023)
92 Points, Wine Spectator
“A silky, succulent red, with pure blackberry and black cherry fruit shaded by a graphite note. On the elegant side, showing terrific harmony and finesse, with excellent structure and length.”
Once again dialing up fruit from 1000-1500ft in elevation in the Dundee Hills, Chad’s 2021 is juicy, laser focused and roaring out of the gates. Chad tells me that similar wines (very similar wines) off this vineyard are raising their prices up to $55/bottle from $45 this year due to 2020’s lost year. But where most people are raising prices to recoup last year’s losses, the CHAD Pinot Noir price is somehow lower. A true gift from our favorite winemaker.
95 Points, Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate – 95 Points, Vinous
“If you’re a Coleraine lover—and let’s be real, any self-respecting Cabernetphile is—then you’ll know that the Awatea Cabernet represents sensational value for the money. Slightly lighter framed and less dense/powerful than the Coleraine, and with an admirably open and lusty fruit profile, the 2020 Awatea Cabernets Merlot gives the people what they want. It leads with leafy, elegant, very fine Cabernet fruit laden with cassis, pomegranate, ferrous notes, a hint of iodine and loads of bramble and bay leaf. The palate is populated by very fine, powdery tannins that shape the flow of flavor. Gorgeous. The draw of flavor across the palate is sensational.”
92 Points, Wine Spectator
“A racy version, this boasts black cherry, blueberry, violet and iron flavors. A firm line of tannins works in concert with the acidity, while flashes of Mediterranean scrub peek through. Mouthwatering finish. Sangiovese and Merlot. Drink now through 2032.” -Wine Spectator
The ‘Appellation Series’ which is the family’s Estate Pinot Noir always shows strong accents from this unique terroir, but 2021 has turned out even more pronounced. These are the kinds of Pinots that now go for $35-$40/bottle all throughout the state. But this one is a total steal. It’s lively with bright cherry flavors and even a little bit of earth but it’s super well balanced and has a nice spiced finish. Great with food, but I think this is the kind of Pinot that can shine on its own. There’s plenty to like here.
The CJ Cabernet Sauvignon is one that is very close to the heart of superstar winemaker Philippe Melka. It comes from his home vineyard and is actually named after his kids. It explodes right out the glass with dark blackberry and black cherry notes, that play nicely with a hint of vanilla from the oak. It’s wonderfully built, a Cabernet that combines brute force and finesse to get a creamy, velvety expression. It’s got great balance and length to the finish and should be a force for the next 15-20 years, easily.