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!
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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.
Lydia Cornu’s newly released Haut-Côtes-du-Beaune is quintessential Red Burgundy. It’s made from super old vines and a low yield, with no new oak in the aging process. The wine is an absolute joy to drink– a bowl full of berries on the nose, high-toned, racy fruit in the mid palate with the structure and length that is the hallmark of Cornu-Camus wines. It’s delicious now and will be delicious in a decade. It’s the kind of Red Burgundy value that is ridiculous hard to match.
2016 happens to be one of the highest rated ever (98pts, Wine Spectator) so it was no surprise that this year’s made the cut. The 2016 Riserva which was just released, is an intense version steeped in complex layers of flavor. It’s compact and well built with a touch of leather that compliments dark cherries, fresh licorice and a hint of cocoa all framed on a mineral backbone.
The 2021 Napa Valley East side Cuvee is an instant classic. From the first whiff to the moment it hits the lips, its clear that this is a fabulously concentrated, serious wine: black in color, and featuring aromas of cassis, cedar and chocolate-tinged purple fruit. The mouthfeel is plush and voluptuous with a firm, solid finish that speaks to its potential for considerable aging.
Winemaker Pascal Sirat consistently puts out some of the best value Bordeaux in the region but he may have outdone himself in what was a stellar 2019 vintage throughout the region. Just south of Pomerol, the vines at Panchille borrow deep in the soil. The resulting wines are ripe but fresh, with an aromatic complexity and stony finish usually reserved for wine twice the price. Daniel Boulud tells me it’s been the hottest bottle of wine at Bar Boulud for over a month, so I figured I’d better hurry up and secure my allocation! Don’t miss it.