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
$40.00 $27.50
Every year, surrounded by the gorgeous mountainous backdrop of Mendoza, Argentina, Achaval Ferrer’s owners, Santiago and Roberto look to create something special. They view their work blending their Quimera as a balance between winemaking and architecture, designing a blend that highlights the unique Mendoza terroir with tremendous precision.
Each year the blend is very different based on what performed the best in the vineyard. In 2018, the two made a firecracker of a Big Red – an explosive Malbec/Cabernet Sauv heavy blend with Merlot and Cab Franc intertwined to add layers of depth, and intricacy.
The winery is known for their work with Bordeaux Blends. And their single-vineyard “Finca” bottlings are high-flying Reds known to be some of the finest expressions in all of Argentina. The problem is, they are all $125/bottle. Well worth it for true New World lovers, but still a commitment.
But their Quimera Red blend gives readers the best of both worlds – an exceptional premium Saturday night wine at a total Tuesday night price. I had this wine last week and it harkens back to those big, brash massive reds the Robert Parker was so fond if that always carried 98+ Wine Advocate scores with them.
So if you were a fan of the wines of Abreu, Bond, Colgin, Scarecrow, Screaming Eagle, etc… during their heyday, then this is a must buy and a steal. If you more into more delicate and subtle reds, then I might take a pass on this one.
Out of stock
95 Points, James Suckling
Blackberries with black truffles and violets on the nose. Full-bodied and very tight with firm, silky tannins that give this wine form and energy. Plenty of compressed and focused fruit at the end. Lots of blue fruit. Drink after 2024.
94 Points, Decanter – 93 Points, Parker’s Wine Advocate – 93 Points, James Suckling
Massolino’s inaugural effort is superb. Typical of the very finest Nebbiolo, floral elements dominate the nose, here violets & rose with a touch of dark candy sweetness. The tannins are obvious but supple and refined, making this wine a much more approachable in its youth than you might expect. The 94 point Decanter review is worth reading below. Like most other Barbarescos from top vineyard sites, I expect these wines to reach firmly into the three figures in no time.
99 Points, James Suckling – 96 Points (Cellar Selection), Wine Enthusiast
“The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Monte Bello is a more Cabernet Sauvignon-dominated blend of 82% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Merlot, 8% Petit Verdot, and the balance Cabernet Franc, all hitting 13.7% alcohol. As usual, it was aged in new American oak. It shows the higher Cabernet component and is deep purple-hued and tight and closed, with a primordial vibe to its dark blue and black fruit, smoked tobacco, vanilla bean, graphite, and cedarwood aromatics. Medium to full-bodied on the palate, it has terrific overall balance, building, ripe tannins, a good sense of freshness, and outstanding length. It reminds me slightly of the 2018 with its more elegant, streamlined profile, but I expect this to build with bottle age, and it should have 2-3 decades of overall longevity.” – Jeb Dunnuck
90 Points, Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate
Xavier Vignon’s brand spanking new CDR 100% is a thing of beauty. It’s already got a blessing from Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate who described this wine as, “Full-bodied, concentrated and supple”. This is a gorgeous and intricate blend that features all of the Southern Rhone appellations. This year, the blend was 40% Grenache, 25% Mourvedre, 15% Syrah, 7% Cinsault, 7% Marselan, 6% Terret Noir. Nobody can do it like the mad scientist, Xavier Vignon.
94 Points, Jeb Dunnuck
This is a historic estate that is one of the best and oldest in the region and arguably the first to bottle their own estate CDP. Their newly released 2020 Chateauneuf du Pape is a total gem – a seamless blend of mainly Grenache, Mourvedre and Syrah with a little Cinsault blended in. Wine Spectator called the wine, “silky” and elegant and Jeb Dunnuck took it up a step further when he declared the wine, “a big winner, with the vintage’s purity and elegance front and center” in his rave 94-point review.
Reviews
There are no reviews yet.