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
$75.00 $55.00
When you talk about modern American wine pioneers, Josh Jensen’s name belongs near the top of the list. Perhaps no single person did more to elevate an entire region, than Jensen’s work in the Central Coast. His purchase of the Calera in 1975 was first met with confusion when he chose such a high spot in the remote Gavilan Mountains. “Would the grapes even ripen?”
But the vineyard he planted, Mt. Harlan would go on to have its own AVA, become the reference point for cool-climate Pinot Noir In the U.S. and would forever change the minds of foreign consumers who previously were convinced Americans could only make Cabs and oaky Chardonnay.
But Jensen was always playing with an ace up his sleeve. Having worked harvests at both DRC and Dujac – he believed he knew the secret for making the world’s best cool climate Pinot – precious limestone soils. His 324 acre purchase at 1800ft elevation in San Benito for just $18,000 was like striking gold, only it wasn’t gold he struck, it was limestone.
The remote location certainly came with a handful of operations headaches (running power and water through a neighbors property as the only access point for one), but for a determined man who knew what he was sitting on, nothing was going to stop Jensen from recreating DRC in California.
The gamble has obviously paid off. In addition to all the amazing wines that have come off the property over the last 40 years, Calera has also received some of the highest praise in the industry. San Francisco Chronicle’s Winemaker of the year. Cover of Wine Spectator. Four times named to Wine & Spirits Top 100 Wineries in the World & perhaps the highest praise of all for Josh – Robert Parker calling Calera “California’s Romanée-Conti.”
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94 Points, Wine Enthusiast
Aromas of dried cherry, dark-red flower, smoked meat and black plum pudding come together in subtle ways on the nose of this bottling. The palate picks up more spice in the form of star anise and gingerbread, with lingering acidity driving cranberry and vanilla flavors into the finish.
92 Points, Parker’s Wine Advocate
The 2016 Pinot Noir Ryan Vineyard aged 17 months in 30% new French oak. It has a pale to medium ruby-purple color and a nose of crushed blackberries, black cherries, underbrush, potpourri and red fruit sparks. Medium-bodied with a good core of earthy fruit, it has a sturdy frame and juicy freshness, finishing long and nuanced.
92 Points, Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate
Aged 10 months in 10% new French oak, the 2017 Pinot Noir Central Coast has a pale to medium ruby color and open, inviting aromas of wild blackberries, oolong tea leaves, dried cranberries and cherries with touches of underbrush, charcuterie, dried flowers and earth. The palate is light to medium-bodied with a firm, finely grained frame and earth-laced fruits, finishing with lovely freshness and spice.
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#3 Wine Spectator Top 100 Wines of 2021
96 Points, Parker’s Wine Advocate – 95 Points, Wine Spectator
We are one of the very few folks who have Wine Spectator’s #3 Wine of the Year. This is definitely not one to miss. The 2016 vintage showcases this prized vineyard in all its glory; notes of wild black fruit, thyme, mint, eucalyptus, and bay are lifted and enjoyed with the polished tannin and mouthwatering freshness of this wine. Regarded as one of the best vintages in the last few decades, the 2016 Martha’s Vineyard has been aged to perfection for immediate enjoyment at release and will continue to reward for the next 20+ years.
The secret to Philippe’s tightly wound, complex Pinot Noir is a combo of ancient vines, natural farming techniques, and low yields. The wines are built to age, with incredible tension and length. And the secret to me securing his other-wordly 2017 old-vine Gevry-Chambertin can be chalked up to a great relationship and over a decade supporting superior Burgundian winemaking. The wine is scary good. The nose is wild, filled with spiced dark raspberries, red flowers, and baking spices. The palate is elegant and racy, with a dynamic tension that runs right through its minute-long finish. This is a high-toned, wound-up Pinot, that is starting to hit its prime and is really turning out to be a ‘must-have’ for true Burgundy lovers.
The newly released Fiancetto Howell Mt. Cabernet is a dream – a gorgeous, elegant dark-fruited Cabernet Sauvignon that is it picks up time in the glass, unfurls its full signature of cedar laced cassis nose and mid palate of chocolate-covered cherries and savory spices. Only four palates of this (224 cases) were made off a gorgeous, sprawling high elevation spot 1500 feet above sea level. It’s full and plush and finishes fresh and oh so long. The price is crazy for Howell Mountain Cabernet but that’s what Ry Richards and Fiancetto is all about.
92 Points, James Suckling
Since the late 1990’s Penner-Ash has been viewed as one of Oregon’s top wineries making gorgeous wines in the Yamhill-Carlton AVA. In the 2021 vintage considered to be one of Oregon’s all-time great years, the 2021 Willamette Valley Pinot Noir that Lynn crafted is gorgeous, a silky tightly woven number that mixes red and black fruits with some sage and baking spices and a savory finish. It’s got some nice weight to it and structure which suggests it’ll age well for the next 10-15 years though it’s already drinking beautifully in its youth.
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