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.
91 Points, Wine Enthusiast
Always the one with the most personality of the bunch, this is what Wine Enthusiast had to say about the 2021 release: “This extremely ripe and bold style of Pinot Noir will please those seeking such lushness. Dark in the glass, it begins with black cherry, toasty caramel and cola milk shake aromas.” The cool, coastal days and abundance of sunshine lines up perfectly for a wine that has a good natural acidic backbone, with bold fruit-forward flavors. In an easy 2021 vintage, Joe Wagner had a field day with this single-vineyard beauty.
93 Points, Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate – 93 Points, Jeb Dunnuck
“Vignon’s 2019 Chateauneuf du Pape delivers even more than I hoped for based on a previous sample. Hints of garrigue, roses, cherries and raspberries appear on the nose, while the palate is full-bodied, silky and long, with an intense, almost briny finish. The assemblage is 50% Grenache, 10% each Mourvèdre and Syrah, plus smaller proportions of seven other permitted varieties, while the élevage includes foudres, demi-muids, concrete and wooden tanks, plus terracotta amphorae.”
90 Points, James Suckling
Damien has crafted a delicious Médoc, full of character with dense black currant and cherry fruit, cedar, tobacco and wonderful complexity. It’s silky complexion is what pushes it over the edge (and, of course, the price!) It doesn’t hurt that it comes from a 95-point Left Bank vintage that the Wine Advocate declared, “outstanding.”
90 Points, Wine Spectator
Domaine Jaume Vinsobres Altitude 420 is an old-vine Grenache-Syrah blend from vineyards planted in Les Collines at some of the highest points in the Rhône. The Jaumes have farmed these dizzying elevations at their estate in Vinsobres for 100+ years. The 2020 is one of his best yet, pristine and fresh, a bowl full of berried-up fruit yet with the tension and length that belies its humble price. Incredible bang for the buck, tailor-made for anyone’s house red, and a slam dunk for any kind of meat on the bone.