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 $40.00
2021 was a hot draught year where the mountain AVAs in Napa were in the best position to thrive. With their higher elevations and cooler temperatures, growing seasons were extended and complexity and concentration went through the roof. Almost uniformly, the wineries with holdings in the most coveted mountain sub-regions turned out deep, powerful wines infused with dark fruit cores and sumptuous tannins. Most commanded $75+/bottle. But luckily, I have Pritchard Hill winemaker Ry Richards on speed dial.
A Nicholas Wines favorite, Ry capitalized on the power and potential of mountain Cabernet in 2021. His newest release is easily the best he’s ever fared with his Carl Roy Atlas Peak bottling. It’s a tiny lot – just 170 cases were produced – but it was enough that Ry could still cook up something special. He crafted a wound-up, wildly complex wine that demands attention (and a big Bordeaux glass if you have one).
The 2021 Atlas Peak Cabernet is a classic. It’s black in color, with a dynamic nose of cassis, cedar, and chocolate-tinged purple fruit. The wine is fabulously concentrated with a firm, solid finish that speaks to its potential for considerable aging. Ry hit this one out of the park.
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As soon as you take the first sip on this one, you can easily see the Burgundian connection. Doglia’s Ruche di Castagnole Monferrato 2022 is medium bodied with scents of fresh cut lavender. On the palate, it’s an absolute delight, full of flavor but with an acid backbone that make it perfect to pair with almost any cuisine. Notes of wild fruits and a touch of pepper are just so good. This is a silky smooth, delicious bottle of wine.
2019 WE CS #7
97 Points, James Suckling – 94 Points, Jeb Dunnuck
Far Niente’s beloved Napa Valley Cabernet comes from a who’s who of the best vineyard sites throughout Napa Valley. It’s a seamless Cabernet blend sourced from Oakville, Stag’s Leap, Diamond Mountain, St. Helena, Calistoga, Oak Knoll and the winery’s estate fruit in Yountville. The 2021 vintage is a particular high note – it’s a must-have for Big Red, Napa and Cabernet lovers.
95 Points, Jeb Dunnuck – 95 Points, Lisa Perotti-Brown
The oft 100-point winemaker, Jayson Woodbridge had this to say when tasting his 2021 ‘Stargazing’ Sonoma Pinot: “The wine is vibrant and complex with subtle dark fruits and berries, grandmother’s cherry pie, minerals, and a slight touch of rain-soaked earth, intertwined with a balance and very pleasing easy-going luxury. Should have been priced higher but what the hell.” I have no doubt this clerical error will be addressed in the vintages moving forward. But for now, this is a cult Pinot for under $100/bottle.
WS #4 2019 Wine of the Year, 96 Points, Wine Spectator
2016 was an incredibly special year in Napa Valley. It was essentially the 5th straight vintage of near perfect-conditions and a lot of the big boys produced some of their biggest, most elegant Cabernets to date. Groth’s was still one of the standouts in any group, a deeply concentrated, weighty Cab with sappy, juicy fruit and a carefully intertwined tannic structure. Absolutely gorgeous.