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
$180.00 $140.40
The town of Abruzzo in Central Italy is nicknamed the green region of Europe thanks to its three national parks, 38 protected areas (more than ⅓ of the whole town) and the numerous lakes and mountains scattered throughout town. It’s often an overlooked area, less travelled than the big name regions, though for many wine lovers, Abruzzo is like El Dorado– the holy grail of big red wines, all available at Tuesday Night prices.
Within Abruzzo, the winery Barba is tucked away on the hill ridges above the Vomano river, where a mild daytime climate with long sunny dates gives way to cool nights influenced by the nearby Adriatic Sea. The soil is heavily influenced by Plio-Pleistocene deposits, serving as the essential building blocks for deep, full-bodied red wines with tremendous character.
At Barba and throughout Abruzzo, Montelpulciano is king. Nothing can top the inky dark wines with wonderful black fruit aromas and tremendous natural structure and firm, chewy tannins.
In the 2015 vintage, Abruzzo, much like the rest of the Italian wine regions flourished. Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate in their vintage review of Abruzzo, called it “a happy vintage that was easy to farm, and generous from all points of view.” That’s been true of every 2015 that I’ve tasted, but especially true with the samples I got from Barba.
Out of stock
This year, the Eastside Cuvee hails from a primo vineyard just off the Silverado Trail– perfectly positioned next to neighbors Caymus and Frog’s Leap and just down the road, Quintessa. Amongst the elite, Carl Roy’s team locked into some incredible fruit, with gorgeous blackberry jammy opulence, firm grippy tannins and that signature Rutherford earthiness to the finish that many try to emulate but can only be produced off the special soil from which this beauty was created.
95 Points, Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate
“Once again, Fabio Motta knocks it out of the ballpark. The 2016 Bolgheri Superiore Le Gonnare is another super rich and densely concentrated Tuscan blended wine from this classic vintage. This blend of 85% Merlot and 15% Syrah is soft and velvety. In fact, the wine plays its best cards in terms of the supple and soft nature of the mouthfeel and tannins. The wine is partially aged (only 20%) in new oak. Only 6,600 bottles were made total.”
The 2019 North Coast vintage in Napa and Sonoma for Cabernet Sauvignon is outrageously good. The big three wine critics have already come in calling it one of the best of the last few decades. Of course, Chad Alexander finds himself in the right place at the right time. If there’s someone who can churn out full-bodied, well-structured Cabernet Sauvignon that can compete with the big boys at a fraction of the price, it’s Chad. Cherry cola, blackberries, fig jam and a hint of sage on the palate with plenty of depth and complexity. This has a solid, juicy core and a smooth, lingering finish. This baby should drink well for two decades at least.
In the excellent 2016 vintage in Napa, winemaker Kian Tavakoli (Opus One, Clos du Val) had little work to do. With ideal weather conditions throughout harvest, clusters came in dark and juicy from both the Coombsville and Rutherford Vineyards where this delicious Napa Valley Cab was crafted from. Deep ruby to the rim with excellent concentration, notes of Bing cherries, raspberry pie and hints of vanilla. On the palate, big wonderfully jammy fruit with young but impressive tannins and great length. The finish leaves notes of black cherry, and baked blueberry pie. This is a steal for the price.
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