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.
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.
The 2021 Napa Valley East side Cuvee is an instant classic. From the first whiff to the moment it hits the lips, its clear that this is a fabulously concentrated, serious wine: black in color, and featuring aromas of cassis, cedar and chocolate-tinged purple fruit. The mouthfeel is plush and voluptuous with a firm, solid finish that speaks to its potential for considerable aging.
This is rich, opulent, stunning Pinot Noir with a higher pH and a deeper, richer complexion than their Willamette neighbors. It’s a dead ringer for Russian River Valley. Deep red ruby color to the rim with high-toned red berry fruit soaring right out of the glass. It’s incredibly fresh with tremendous depth backed by fine tannins, bright acidity and amazing purity of fruit on the palate. It’s a finessed and elegant Pinot with just intensity and length. At this price, it may be the best Pinot in the country.
97 Points (Cellar Selection), Wine Enthusiast
“Quietly powerful, dense with alluring oak spices and late-picked fruit flavors, this full-bodied, velvet-textured Cabernet-dominant blend is generous and inviting to drink, but also balanced and structured for the long haul. Concentrated, deep and layered, it is meant for drinking with appreciative friends or family in the future. Best from 2027–2040.”