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
$90.00 $80.00
Alain Voge was referred to by his peers as “truly remarkable” and “the ultimate pioneer.” He was known for leading the way not only in Cornas but also for his St-Peray wines as well. It’s hard enough to be a star in one region, let alone another that’s completely different. Tragically, he passed away a few years ago.
One of the ‘grandfathers of Syrah,’ Voge had an illustrious wine career during his 81-year life. He somehow managed to greatly expand the already stellar reputation of his grandfather (same name) who founded the winery all those years ago.
I had a chance to taste some of the recent Alain Voge selections, which were unfortunately the last ever made by the iconic winemaker.
It’s amazing how powerful the wines are. It’s even more amazing how perfectly chiseled and representative they are to their unique Northern Rhone terroir.
His old-vines bottling comes from some of the gnarliest 80-year old vines you could ever lay your eyes on. That’s where the magic happens. It’s an incredible bottling that rivals elite Cote Rotie, and does so for a whole lot less. It’s full-bodied, with layers upon layers to peel back, and it only gets better with every second it sits in the glass. It’s a baby that I would think has another 15-20 years ahead of it, easily.
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97 Points, Jeb Dunnuck
The older vine cuvée, the 2020 Cornas Les Vieilles Vignes is 100% Syrah. It’s similarly inky hued and offers up full-bodied aromas and flavors of ripe black cherries, graphite, bouquet garni, and iron. It’s deep, concentrated, and powerful on the palate, with flawless balance, building yet silky tannins, and a great, great finish.
95 Points, Wine Spectator
Concentrated and polished, with good energy, this hefty red features a core of sweet black cherry, singed tobacco, wood spice and mulled plum, all wrapped around a spine of iron. Reveals incense and violet notes, and though the tannins aren’t too grippy, this still needs time for its tightly wound layers to unfurl. Best from 2025 through 2035.
95 Points, Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate
Voge’s 2020 Cornas Vieilles Vignes was reassuringly excellent, with gently lifted, floral scents of violets, cassis and crushed stone. Full-bodied, deep and powerful, concentrated and rich but still almost painfully unformed, this needs time in the cellar. It’s a blend of several parcels, aged in barrel but with just 15% or so new oak.
As soon as you take the first sip on this one, you can easily see the Burgundian connection. Doglia’s Ruche di Castagnole Monferrato 2022 is medium bodied with scents of fresh cut lavender. On the palate, it’s an absolute delight, full of flavor but with an acid backbone that make it perfect to pair with almost any cuisine. Notes of wild fruits and a touch of pepper are just so good. This is a silky smooth, delicious bottle of wine.
Winemaker Pascal Sirat consistently puts out some of the best value Bordeaux in the region but he may have outdone himself in what was a stellar 2019 vintage throughout the region. Just south of Pomerol, the vines at Panchille borrow deep in the soil. The resulting wines are ripe but fresh, with an aromatic complexity and stony finish usually reserved for wine twice the price. Daniel Boulud tells me it’s been the hottest bottle of wine at Bar Boulud for over a month, so I figured I’d better hurry up and secure my allocation! Don’t miss it.
100 Pts, International Wine Report – 98 Pts, Parker’s Wine Advocate – 98 Pts, James Suckling
“The 2020 Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is truly sensational. It begins with striking aromas of fresh blackberries, blueberries and dark plums that are laced with fresh spring florals, mocha, sweet exotic spices, graphite and gravel nuances all taking shape. The palate is full-bodied and displays a remarkable combination of power and elegance throughout. This is beautifully structured and extremely expressive, as it possesses outstanding depth and concentration all they way through the long, finessed finish. Year after year, the Columbia Valley Cabernet is one of the most impressive wines, and there is no exception here, as it combines all the wonderful qualities of the 2020 vintage from Quilceda Creek into one expression. This is fantastic already and readers will be in for a real treat, as this simply marvelous wine will continue to deliver the goods for years to come.”
The 2021 Napa Valley East side Cuvee is an instant classic. From the first whiff to the moment it hits the lips, its clear that this is a fabulously concentrated, serious wine: black in color, and featuring aromas of cassis, cedar and chocolate-tinged purple fruit. The mouthfeel is plush and voluptuous with a firm, solid finish that speaks to its potential for considerable aging.