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
$24.00 $20.50
There may be no other wine region in the world that is more like Napa than Argentina’s Mendoza Valley. Much like Napa – wineries are easily reachable from the wine capital city of Mendoza with many people simply biking from winery to winery. And much like Napa – there are a few very special AVAs with personality and quality in a totally different stratosphere.
The vineyards east of town are what put Argentinian wine on the map. Big operations that churn out drinkable but mass production wine in gargantuan quantities. Out of town heading to the south is the hit parade of tiny subzones making world-class wines – many that rarely make it stateside.
This is the area of tradition – where vines are typically much, much older having escaped constant replanting as wineries elsewhere constantly chased worldwide varietal trends. Arid Perdriel – with some of the oldest vines in the world can be found here – blocked from rain by the Andes. Las Compuertas with some of the poorest soils in the country are right here too.
But continue the drive just a bit further south and you’ll find the town of Agrelo and Catena winery. This is where the most complex wines in the entire country are grown – high up on the steep slopes overlooking the town and in the shadows of the mountains – combining the effect of extremely great drainage with the ‘rainshadow’ of the Andes.
Out of stock
91+ Points, Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate
As with many wines this time around, I got more than one vintage to taste, including the 2017 Appellation Agrelo Cabernet Sauvignon. Next to the 2016, you could see the different climatic conditions of the two vintages, with this 2017 coming through riper and rounder. In any case, it’s a textbook example of Agrelo, with juicy fruit and polished, sweet tannins. This is also a favorite in 2017 and shows a very classical Bordeaux-like profile, peppery, spicy and elegant.
91 Points- Stephen Tanzer, Vinous Media
Bright red-ruby. Cassis, leather, musky licorice, spices and tobacco leaf on the nose. The palate delivers captivating subtle sweetness and insidious flavor intensity, with its red and darker berry flavors showing excellent delineation. Harmonious acidity lifts the middle palate but the wine’s firm spine of dusty tannins calls for a couple years of patience. This serious Cabernet finishes with excellent length.
Chad’s 2020 McKinley Springs Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon is drop dead gorgeous and actually makes zero sense at all at this price. Dark purple to the rim with aromas of black fruits, violets, creme de cassis and a hint of spice. On the palate, full-bodied, round and juicy with elegance and the gorgeous, pure fruit– red and black currants, blackberries and a touch of sweet tobacco. It’s a delicious bottle of Cab.
98 Points, Parker’s Wine Advocate
“Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Las Piedras Vineyard opens with provocative ferrous, crushed rocks and tar notes over a core of crème de cassis, redcurrant jelly and raspberry leaves with a hint of wild fungi. The medium to full-bodied palate is taut with tension and jam-packed with pure black and red fruits, supported by firm, grainy tannins, finishing with uplifting mineral sparks. This energetic beauty needs some time. Give it a good 4-5 years in bottle and drink it over the next 25 years+.”
94 Pts, Jasper Morris (Inside Burgundy) – 93 Pts, Wine Spectator
This is an exceptional premier cru offering from one of the most famous, most collected Burgundy producers. Clos des Porrets is a monopole, purchased by the Gouges family in 1933. Grégory claims it produces wine with the best potential of long aging within his range of wines. It has old vines rooted in pink limestone and rich clay, producing dynamite Nuits Saint Georges. Aromatically complex, with violets, black cherries and a touch of Burgundian earth. This is truly extraordinary red Burgundy, an epic wine of power with finesse and just amazing potential.
Fresh off its feature as one of Wine Spectator’s ‘Exciting California Values Under $25’, winemaker Matt Cline looks to stay hot with his release of the 2019 Contra Costa Zinfandel. This one is a beauty crafted off old-vines that are now between 110-140 years in age. There’s a ton of darker fruits that drive this one with a dusting of baking spice. The fruit is pure, fresh and long making it both delicious on its own or terrific with a burger, BBQ ribs, or grilled leg of lamb. Crazy cheap for what is in the bottle, load up!
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