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
$22.00 $17.99
2021 marks the 40th year since the Widmer family bought an outrageously beautiful abandoned estate in Chianti and decided to turn it into an organic and world-class state-of-the-art winery. Sparing no expense, and picking up vineyards along the way, the Widmers built a gravity flow winery in the heart of Tuscany and began to produce elegant, complex wines.
They also ensured their daughter – Barbara Widmer – would have the best wine education possible in case she ever wanted to be involved in the process– decades later, with their daughter running the show at all three estates, their investment on both fronts has more than paid off.
Many thought they had lost their minds when left the Chianti winemakers association “Gallo Nero” to focus on their IGT Toscana wines. Why would you miss out on the sure thing of putting Chianti on a label to make something that would sell for dimes on the dollar?
It was only in 1992 that these wines were finally allowed by Italian law and coincidently, that was the first year Brancaia’s wine was imported in the U.S. and met with immediate success (including a 91 point Wine Spectator score).
Their wines were just ahead of their time. Eventually, the SuperTuscan craze caught on and the accolades have become much more glowing and more frequent. The high ratings gave way to feature articles, like the WineSpectator feature of the “Young Leaders in Wine” with Barbara Widmer a big focus of the article. And then, of course, the Tre Bicchieri – arguably the highest award an Italian wine can receive.
Barbara’s ‘Tre” Toscana gets its name from the three grapes that go into the blend (Sangiovese, Cabernet and Merlot) and three Tuscan vineyards (Maremma, Castellina and Radda in Chianti).
It’s a lighter style of Super Tuscan, with seductive cherry, licorice, blackberries and dried herbs. This way-too-easy drinking Red understandably gets 90+ points every vintage but in the ideal, hot 2017 vintage, the ‘Tre’ got its highest score since the 2011 vintage.
Out of stock
93 Points, James Suckling
Good focus and intensity to the nose here, folding in licorice, dried herbs, black pepper and Chinese spices. Full body, plenty of density and richness, but a fine line of acidity and freshness. Structured and quite long on the finish.
92 Points (Editors’ Choice), Wine Enthusiast – 92 Points, James Suckling
Castello di Bossi’s 2019 Chianti Classico represents a particularly high note in a great year. Both James Suckling and the Wine Enthusiast awarded the wine 92-point scores, with the latter lobbing on a ‘Editors’ Choice’ designate and calling out the wine for its “savory, elegantly structured palate”. There really is so much to love about this wine. This one is beautifully concentrated yet manages to stay fresh and long on the palate, with long, silky tannins, a nice firm acidic base. The balance here is on point- with lots of fresh red fruit coming through amongst some bramble and sage.
99 Points, James Suckling – 96 Points (Cellar Selection), Wine Enthusiast
“The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Monte Bello is a more Cabernet Sauvignon-dominated blend of 82% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Merlot, 8% Petit Verdot, and the balance Cabernet Franc, all hitting 13.7% alcohol. As usual, it was aged in new American oak. It shows the higher Cabernet component and is deep purple-hued and tight and closed, with a primordial vibe to its dark blue and black fruit, smoked tobacco, vanilla bean, graphite, and cedarwood aromatics. Medium to full-bodied on the palate, it has terrific overall balance, building, ripe tannins, a good sense of freshness, and outstanding length. It reminds me slightly of the 2018 with its more elegant, streamlined profile, but I expect this to build with bottle age, and it should have 2-3 decades of overall longevity.” – Jeb Dunnuck
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.
This is a very, very special library offer from our friends at Val di Suga and is also a very limited one. There are only a few of these amazing six-pack collector’s boxes for sale. Two bottles each from Val di Suga’s three single vineyard sites. Val di Suga is the only Brunello producer that controls three separate estate vineyards located in three specific climate zones in the appellation. Each vineyard site has its own unique exposure and geo-climatic features which expresses itself in every bottle. Not to be missed. *Original wooden boxes come included.*
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