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
$30.00 $18.99
Very few wineries have anywhere near as rich a history in California. Famous winemakers from Dave Ramey to Bill Knuttel have led the winemaking at Chalk Hill, followed by Courtney Foley and now the extremely formidable Michael Beaulac (formerly with Merry Edwards, St. Supery and Pine Ridge). But even amongst the titans that came before him, it seems Beaulac is poised to bring the famous winery to even new heights.
Just last year, they saw their Sonoma Coast Chardonnay on Wine Spectator’s annual Top 100 list for wines of the year – an incredible honor especially given the modest price tag, but it’s probably a sign of what’s to come. The last 10-15 years has been non-stop experimenting with different chardonnay clones, as well as vineyard transformations to get to this point. And they’ve got all the resources in the world to be great.
With an insane 1300-acre property with 300 planted acres at their disposal as well as wilderness areas, and a culinary garden, Chalk Hill has become as much a destination as they have a winemaking juggernaut.
But one wine that will never be rated, nor see a top 100 list is the one we have today. That’s not a bad thing – it’s just their ‘secret Chardonnay.’ It’s never released to the general public or retail, only a few hundred cases are made each year to service the restaurant industry. But luckily for us, I’ve got a restaurant.
Out of stock
Don't worry! Enter your email and we'll notify you when it's available again or if we have very similar products from this producer.
Only logged in customers who have purchased this product may leave a review.
We’re nearing the end of what was a flawlessly crafted, high energy coastal Chardonnay release from one of California’s hottest spots. It’s still every bit as bright and refreshing as you could want and it hits with clean, pristine green apple fruits, pears and citrus notes with a hint of that limestone-influenced minerality. It’s a fantastic wine for all seasons, the perfect pair with mixed seafood, summer tomatoes, corn and freshly caught fish.
Just in time, we got back Vincent Ricard’s all-time great white wine bargain. This is a crisp, clean and flat out delicious Loire Valley Sauvignon Blanc. The protege to the Silex-style of Dagueneau – who over the last 15 years has produced flawless and beloved white wines that at last count were on the wine lists of over 36 Michelin-starred restaurants. This is a great house white and one that can surely hold its own with just about everything on the table.
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.
2022 was an absolutely perfect vintage in this respect and unfortunately, I think it will be one of the last, if not THE last. As winegrower Jean-Marc Brocard reported to Decanter: “When we taste the wines, we feel that the balance between acidity and ripeness is very good. It’s a classic style of Chablis. In the end, even after such a heat during summertime, we stay in a cool year reference.” He also alluded to the ageability of the vintage, saying “Let’s give them time, we must let nature do its work.”
Reviews
There are no reviews yet.