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
$80.00 $69.00
To say that Argiano has the eyes of the entire wine world would be a bit of an understatement. The winery, always known for their quality and consistency and commitment to excellence sent shockwaves throughout the industry when their 2018 (not 2016, not 2019) Brunello di Montalcino was named #1 Wine of the Year by Wine Spectator in 2023.
Why is this winery so great?
Well first, there’s the property. Their estate is absolutely gorgeous – a magnificent, sprawling estate with magnificent windows, doors, vineyards, you name it. Argiano’s vineyards are located in the Montalicino area where a perfect microclimate assures a super ecological system. There’s also the underground cellar which has been around since the 16th century. It’s picturesque while also maintaining a constant temperature and humidity well away from the noise and light.
Then there’s the team. Sebastiano Rosa, the General Manager studied in California before working at Chateau Lafite Rothschild and Sassacaia prior to his hiring. Then there’s probably the most well known winemaker in Italy today, Dr. Giacomo Tachis, who is the oenologist. Ho hum, the only places that he’s worked has been Sassacaia, Tignanello and Solaia, to name a few!!!
But with the 2018 Brunello di Montalcino ranked the #1 Wine Spectator Wine of 2023, you know that all eyes were going to be on this historic estate for their 2019 release, a vintage that has been met with so much fanfare and anticipation, that it almost seems that it can’t live up to the hype. Almost.
The gauntlet was thrown when Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate recently got to taste the brand new 2019 release. They didn’t mix words: “The Argiano 2019 Brunello di Montalcino comes out stronger than the previous 2018 and 2017 vintages, thanks to the precision and focus of its fruit flavors in this balanced vintage.”
If the 2019 comes out stronger than the 2018 and comes from a better vintage… is this another Top 10 wine? Is it the first wine to ever repeat as #1? That remains to be seen. Wine Spectator hasn’t yet reviewed this wine. But when they do… all eyes will be on them. In the meantime, this is easily one of the all-time great releases from an iconic estate. Snagging a few bottles of this while you can should be a high priority.
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96 Points, James Suckling
Profound nose here with chili chocolate and sandalwood beneath the sweet blackberry background. A hint of violets, too. An opulent and densely packed palate with full body and concentrated blackberries. Very tight tannins rendered in a fine-grained and almost seamless way, with a lingering finish.
94 Points, Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate
A blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Petit Verdot, 20% Merlot and 5% Sangiovese, the hot-vintage 2020 Solengo (in a heavy glass bottle) is very rich and dense with firm textural support and a full-bodied style. The wine is bold and beautiful and so is the quality of the fruit; however, there is a lot of oak spice and toast to take in. That oak is good reason to put this bottle aside in your cellar for three or four more years.
This one comes from very old vines in eight different lieux-dits, with the largest portion coming from Le Fourneau. Harvest is all by hand, and this wine sees 18 months in barrels with only 10% new oak. Clement (rightfully) believes that keeping the oak primarily neutral here brings out the most authentic and intense expression of his Pinot Noirs. Take a sip or two of this and you will know exactly what I mean.
With seemingly infinite access to some of the absolute very best vineyards in the most choice AVAs in the valley, the Wagner’s set out to make Quilt– a Cabernet blend from a patchwork of the top sites in Napa (Oakville, St Helena, Atlas Peak, Coombsville, Calistoga, and Howell Mountain.) The brand new 2021 edition is a beauty – deeply concentrated, rich and a truly show stopping Cabernet. It’s a dark, hedonistic blend that combines elegance with power and pairs the two together effortlessly.
At J Vineyards, Nicole is nothing short of a magician, making 30 different skus or more each vintage between her Pinots, Chardonnays, and Sparkling wines. For the vineyard’s flagship Russian River Valley Pinot Noir, up to 100 individual small lots are combined to make this great wine. Somehow, the blend is effortless–a quintessential RRV Pinot that has those soaring aromatics, bright red fruits, clove, and nutmeg spice with perfect balance.
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.