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
$85.00 $60.00
In a world where everybody is looking to make a quick buck and follow the next guy, consider this quote from Antonio Galloni about Booker Vineyard: “Proprietor Eric Jensen is one of the most daring winemakers in Paso Robles. Jensen is willing to take more risks than many of his peers, an approach that will continue to pay off big time.”
It’s true: Booker Vineyard is a pioneer of a new wave of wine in California. The days of just Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinot Noir are over, and Booker is leading the charge. The winery is on fire — I’m talking absolute critical darlings. As such, they’ve continued to do what they can to expand, buy up new vineyards, and try new things.
Not only do they make Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre, and Tannat in addition to Cabernet Sauvignon, but they even make a Tempranillo that I’d argue is probably the best one made in the states.
Their ‘Oublie’ Cuvee is the California version of a Châteauneuf du Pape, and it’s such a big and interesting wine. It’s a deep, dark, alluring wine with tons of personality, a seamless blend that brings so much more than just intense fruit to the table. There’s some spice, some floral notes, a little bit of minerality, and even some bramble there. It’s got it all.
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97 Points, Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate
The 2019 Oublié is a blend of Syrah, Mourvèdre, Tannat and Petite Sirah with a medium ruby-purple color. The nose offers gregarious mixed berry preserves and accents of potpourri, mint and fragrant earth. The palate offers juicy appeal and powerful fruit with loads of spice and floral perfume, bursts of freshness and firm, pleasantly rustic tannins, finishing very long.
95 Points, Vinous
Shimmering ruby. Highly perfumed aromas of fresh dark berries, cherry cola, pungent flowers and sandalwood, along with a hint of smokiness. Intense, sharply detailed blueberry, bitter cherry, candied lavender and exotic spice flavors show noteworthy energy and back-end lift. Closes juicy, focused and very long, with repeating blue fruit character and well-knit tannins lending subtle grip.
94 Points, Jeb Dunnuck
This cuvée used to be a kitchen sink-like catch-all, but today, it seems to always be a classic GSM-like blend. The 2019 boasts a deep purple hue to go with terrific blackberry and darker cherry fruits as well as notes of spice, chocolate, and ground pepper. Deep, rich, medium to full-bodied, and perfectly balanced, it has another 10-15 years of prime drinking.
#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.”
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.
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.”
In the 2020 vintage in Gevrey-Chambertin, yields were super low and temperatures were hotter than most Burgundian winemakers are accustomed. Many picked too late when the sugars were high and the fruit really ripe, but that was not the play. Still, Ann remained as cool in those hot temps as she did so many years ago in Napa, concentrating more on acid levels than sugars and picking at just the right time. This wine is absolutely singing – it’s an age-worthy beauty that should be even better in 4-7 years.