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
$24.00 $19.75
When your dad is Nicolas Catena, the grandfather of Argentinian wine and the most respected man in the industry, it’s easy to get a leg up and easily establish your own brand. Just slap the family name on the label.
But Ernesto Catena didn’t want people to buy his wine just because his last name was Catena– he wanted them to buy a wine they thought was truly great – even beautiful. So he started his winery as a clandestine project and kept almost every detail secret from prying eyes.
Sure, he was still trained by the best winemaker in the country, with all the family secrets passed down and with extra care and love given to his sons in their tours of the vineyards. But Ernesto is an artist– so it was important that he do his own thing, and above all else to do it for its own sake, its own inherent beauty.
Alma Negra or “black soul” was started like all great artistic endeavors – by throwing out all the rules. Ernesto found inspiration in the farming traditions of the Mayans and Incas with pre-Colombian structures, and leveraged organic and biodynamic practices. He wouldn’t give the usual metrics not required by law. No wood treatment. No brix at harvest. No varietal breakdown.
He simply labeled the wines Misterioso and each vintage he created one cuvee of each color of his wines: red, white, brut rose, and, of course, orange. Each was blended the old fashion way– without measurements or numbers but rather with all the senses.
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94 Points, James Suckling
This shows a compressed palate of blackberries and licorice with
hints of currants. Full-bodied. Svelte. So delicious to drink now,
but will improve with age. Cabernet franc, bonarda and malbec.
Enjoy now or hold in your cellar.
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92 Points, Vinous – 92 Points, James Suckling – 91 Points, Wine & Spirits
“The 2021 Malbec Reserva, from Vistalba, Lujan de Cuyo, was 60% aged in barrels for 12 months. Purple in color. The nose presents notes of fresh plum and violets, white pepper, strawberry, hints of spice and aromas from the aging process. It’s initially indulgent in the mouth, with good fat, and volume and a velvety texture. The flavors are bold and full-bodied. This 2021 overdelivers at the price.” -Vinous
93 Points, Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate
This is a Nicholas Faithful favorite. Even though it’s technically a non-vintage it was last disgorged in the 2020 vintage. La Cravantine, is a sparkling rosé of 100% Cabernet Franc, bone-dry, super fresh and with bubbles so tiny and fine, it puts most “real” Champagne to shame. Appealing strawberry and mineral scents are encased in a firm structure with a dry and spicy quality in the palate. This wine is incredibly versatile – perfect with just about any fish, fried food, or do like I do and enjoy it on it’s own.
#24 Wine of the Year (2022), Wine Spectator
92 Points, Wine Spectator – 91 Points, James Suckling
“This supple red shows a core of cherry and plum fruit allied to olive, juniper and tobacco notes. Delivers well-integrated tannins and acidic structure, lingering nicely on the finish.”
Stephan Steinmetz is a star in the Mosel wine region. His old vines are rooted in Kimmeridgian limestone, the exact same vein of rock that winds its way from Sancerre through Chablis and Champagne to its final out-cropping here in the Obermosel. His Elbling is glorious — both completely unlike anything I’ve ever had and also eerily familiar. The color is almost clear, some might call it silver. A stunning nose of green apples and lemon peel gives way to fresh pear and bright citrus fruits on the palate. It’s a stunningly focused wine with a healthy dose of minerality and acid zip, not unlike great Sancerre/Chablis and bone dry.
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