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
$17.00 $12.00
The saying goes that if you want to find a good Rosé in Provence, all you have to do is walk to the next winery. To some extent, that’s true. Everybody’s favorite, pink wine, took off in Provence in the late 1990s creating one of the fastest growing trends in wine & spirits history.
In fact Rosé got so popular in the region, it now accounts for more than 90% of all the wine made there, a staggering number. And while there’s great Rosé wherever you go in Provence, to find my favorites, the smooth, dry, higher elevation Rosé, you have to go to the hills of Aix-en-Provence.
In the “city of a thousand fountains”, wineries such as Bieler Père et Fils have the advantage of nearly 300 meters in altitude, something much of the region can’t benefit from. At these heights, the cooler, windier nights keep the grapes in perfect balance.
The father-son duo of Charles and Philippe Bieler have been working together making wine for nearly 25 years. Philippe, the elder of the two, worked for 30 years at Chateau Routas, turning the small Provence winery into an international super star. His son Charles grew up watching his dad and then eventually working with him.
Their goal each year is to find the delicate balance between floral, herbal, wild red fruits, stone fruit and acid and to create the perfect harmonious blend. They make the Sabine Rosé each year as a blend of their best fruit sourced from within the sub-region. They’ve been working with the same growers now since their inception, a key ingredient into the continued excellence the father son pair has enjoyed.
Out of stock
90 Points, Vinous Media
Fresh red fruits, a hint of peach and a building floral quality on the nose. Silky and seamless in texture, offering juicy strawberry, nectarine and orange flavors that are sharpened by a spicy flourish. Finishes long and supple, with repeating spiciness and a touch of anise.
94 Points, Jeb Dunnuck
This is a historic estate that is one of the best and oldest in the region and arguably the first to bottle their own estate CDP. Their newly released 2020 Chateauneuf du Pape is a total gem – a seamless blend of mainly Grenache, Mourvedre and Syrah with a little Cinsault blended in. Wine Spectator called the wine, “silky” and elegant and Jeb Dunnuck took it up a step further when he declared the wine, “a big winner, with the vintage’s purity and elegance front and center” in his rave 94-point review.
90 Points, Vinous
As of late, the duo is making some of the very best Pink wines in all of France, maybe even the world. Certainly, there’s no one right now producing greater values than what the Bielers are able to create. Take their 2021 Provence Rose as a perfect example: a lights out, bone-dry yet succulent, food-friendly treat that continues the trends of 90+ point reviews. The late, great Josh Raynolds of Vinous gave this one 90 points, calling the wine “juicy, focused, and energetic on the palate.” A perfect summarization.
96 Points, Wine Spectator – 96 Points, Jeb Dunnuck – 94 Points, Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate – 94 Points, James Suckling
The vintage was a warm one – traditionally a very good thing for CDP – and third in a trio of odd vintages (2005, 2007, & 2009) that set new standards in the region. With some many varieties in the blend, especially late-ripening Grenache, the warmer years tend to allow all the grape varieties to ripen and great vineyard managers make several passes picking at optimal maturity.
94 Points, Decanter – 93 Points, Parker’s Wine Advocate – 93 Points, James Suckling
Massolino’s inaugural effort is superb. Typical of the very finest Nebbiolo, floral elements dominate the nose, here violets & rose with a touch of dark candy sweetness. The tannins are obvious but supple and refined, making this wine a much more approachable in its youth than you might expect. The 94 point Decanter review is worth reading below. Like most other Barbarescos from top vineyard sites, I expect these wines to reach firmly into the three figures in no time.
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