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
We’re all pretty familiar with Cakebread at this point – especially their Chardonnay which is made in an unapologetically Californian style. It’s enormous tasting profile and overt brashness is part of what has catapulted the brand to international stardom and brought with it hundreds of thousands of Cakebread acolytes.
Of all the Cakebread of recent memory, the 2018 Carneros may be the best of the bunch. Conditions were near perfect in Carneros. Early rains replenished the soils, and then conditions evened out into perfect harmony. No heat spikes kept growth nice and even – and then at the end of the season, the grapes were able to just be allowed to continue hanging.
The Carneros Reserve bottling cherry picks the family’s favorite lots to blend into a harmonious explosion – nearing a sensory overload. The nose is like sticking your face in a freshly baked peach/apple cobbler pie. Equally assertive flavors of melon, apples, and pears swim around the palate.
But the 2018 has a much more vibrant acidity than most vintages – probably due to the extended hangtime – making it the complete package. Everything you expect from a classic Cakebread but capable of pairing with rich dishes – creamy pasta, triple cream cheeses, or buttery prepared seafoods.
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95 Points, Jeb Dunnuck
“The 2018 Chardonnay Hyde Vineyard marks the beginning of winemaker Joe Nielsen’s tenure at the winery. Pouring a medium yellow with a light golden hue, it’s most reserved of the flight aromatically at the moment, with yellow chamomile flowers, ripe peach, beeswax, and white flowers. Full-bodied, it retains excellent tension and focus on the palate, with apricot, orange zest, and a savory finish with a bit of spice. I suspect this will come around and open with time. Drink 2024-2030.” -Jeb Dunnuck
The 2016 vintage in Napa was nearly perfect for winemaker Kian Tavakoli (Opus One, Clos du Val). With ideal weather all throughout harvest, he crafted the Faustini Money Road Chardonnay off the famous vineyard located in the coveted Oakville AVA. The picturesque vineyard off Oakville Crossroad is platinum rated, known for its ideal combination of soil & climate and the big A list names that routinely source fruit. Kian’s Money Road Chard is still youthful despite having a few years of age, probably as a result of its 18 months of slumber in 1/4 new Oak.
I’ve forewarned Nicholas Wines customers that the 2022 vintage in Burgundy appears to be outstanding. As such, I’ve been stocking up on as much as I can. This one though is a Saturday Nighter – a special wine for sure. It comes from Fourchaume (one of the most noted Chablis 1ers crus) and vineyards situated on long slopes facing the sunrise, which allow for rapid soil warm up – a huge key to making deep, concentrated Chablis. Here the soils are predominantly brown clay and only slightly stony. Most of them are fairly deep and well-draining. It’s one of those most special white wine locations in all of Burgundy. This is a classic.
Gold Medal (Best in Show), 2023 Mundus Vini International Tasting
The area has also been isolated from the rest of Spain for generations, which has kept the wine prices far lower than wines of this quality would be anywhere else in the world. That’s why, despite having the Torres family name on the bottle and the consistent huge press (including the Gold Medal & Best in Show at the 2023 Mundus Vini International Wine Awards in Germany), these wines can still be scooped up for under $20/bottle. It’s like the Sancerre pricing of yesteryear.
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