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
$40.00 $38.00
I’ve been imploring all of my readers who love their red wines to load up on 2019 Bordeaux in particular. The values are absolutely incredible. It’s one of those years like 2009 and 2010 that yielded so few bad wines, but the wineries that always make really good wine made REALLY good wine in 2019.
One of those places is Chateau Cantemerle. For a while now, this is one of the first places investors, enthusiasts and value hunters look for the best wines in Bordeaux. The wines are always delicious and they’re always highly scored as long as I’ve been around. Jeb Dunnuck calls them “an incredibly consistent estate that always delivers a quality wine”.
For Cabernet lovers, the quality-to-price ratio is insane.
Château Cantemerle is a dynamo Left Bank estate in the Haut-Medoc appellation of Bordeaux. They were originally credited as a fifth growth estate in the 1855 classification, a designation that has been met with heavy and harsh criticism. Most view it with an asterisk since its an estate that has for decades exhibited incredible quality relative to anyone in a classification remotely close.
The estate has spared no expense to get to where it is today. They even famously brought over Mexican vineyard workers from California to assist in grafting and replanting vineyards due to their expertise in Cabernet Sauvignon. Today they have more than 220 acres planted under vine with more than half that production dedicated to Cabernet. Snag these while you can!
Only 3 left in stock
95 Points, James Suckling
A red with lots of currant, blackberry, fresh-herb and tobacco character. Hints of mushroom, too. It’s full and layered with polished, chewy tannins and a bright and fresh finish. Very long and focused. Give it time to come together. Very classic character here. Best after 2026.
95 Points, Wine Enthusiast
This grand classed growth has produced a richly structured wine that is balanced by ripe black fruits. It shows spice from the touch of Petit Verdot in the blend, as well as fine acidity and freshness that give it poise and a vibrant finish.
94 Points, Decanter
Green pepper and herbaceous notes on the nose with minty eucalyptus alongside ripe cherry and blackcurrant aromas – so classic. A lovely mouthfeel here, smooth, well defined and preise. Quite direct, serious and darkly fruited – such a concentrated core – but with smooth tannins, a soft sweetness and freshness that lifts the overall frame. Balanced with succulence. Makes a lasting impact and impression. A great value pick.
94 Points, Neil Martin, Vinous
The 2019 Cantemerle has a fruit-driven bouquet with opulent blackberry and blueberry fruit, certainly one of the most floral in the flight with pressed violets developing in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with very supple tannins, fleshy and rounded, though I am looking for more tension and precision on the finish. This is a really fabulous Cantemerle that surely represents outstanding value. No excuse not to have this in your cellar.
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.
93 Points, Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate – 93 Points, Jeb Dunnuck
“Vignon’s 2019 Chateauneuf du Pape delivers even more than I hoped for based on a previous sample. Hints of garrigue, roses, cherries and raspberries appear on the nose, while the palate is full-bodied, silky and long, with an intense, almost briny finish. The assemblage is 50% Grenache, 10% each Mourvèdre and Syrah, plus smaller proportions of seven other permitted varieties, while the élevage includes foudres, demi-muids, concrete and wooden tanks, plus terracotta amphorae.”
With seemingly infinite access to some of the absolute very best vineyards in the most choice AVAs in the valley, the Wagner’s set out to make Quilt– a Cabernet blend from a patchwork of the top sites in Napa (Oakville, St Helena, Atlas Peak, Coombsville, Calistoga, and Howell Mountain.) The brand new 2021 edition is a beauty – deeply concentrated, rich and a truly show stopping Cabernet. It’s a dark, hedonistic blend that combines elegance with power and pairs the two together effortlessly.
100 Pts, International Wine Report – 98 Pts, Parker’s Wine Advocate – 98 Pts, James Suckling
“The 2020 Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is truly sensational. It begins with striking aromas of fresh blackberries, blueberries and dark plums that are laced with fresh spring florals, mocha, sweet exotic spices, graphite and gravel nuances all taking shape. The palate is full-bodied and displays a remarkable combination of power and elegance throughout. This is beautifully structured and extremely expressive, as it possesses outstanding depth and concentration all they way through the long, finessed finish. Year after year, the Columbia Valley Cabernet is one of the most impressive wines, and there is no exception here, as it combines all the wonderful qualities of the 2020 vintage from Quilceda Creek into one expression. This is fantastic already and readers will be in for a real treat, as this simply marvelous wine will continue to deliver the goods for years to come.”