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 $22.00
The 2018 vintage in Bordeaux is 2022’s belle of the ball. Last year, much was to be done about the 2016 vintage, with the wines hitting the market during tough financial times, and with excellent press. It was the chance to snag some of the best red wine values in the world for prices that haven’t been so approachable in many years. The good news for buyers is that conditions haven’t budged.
And with 2016s all but gone combined with the awful frost in the 2017 vintage which tarnished the reputation of Bordeaux’s 2017 reds, and all the sudden, a major onus will be on the 2018s that are just hitting the market. Luckily for Bordeaux lovers, they’re fantastic.
James Suckling called 2018, “a vintage of superlatives” and then didn’t hold back unleashing a few of his own. He called the vintage surprisingly exceptional with “beautiful wines produced”. Some in Bordeaux are calling it a miracle.
With one of the coolest, wettest springs in years, many winemakers on both the Right and Left Banks had to grapple with mildew and lost fruit. That’s when the miracle came. Sunshine. Lots of it. Buckets of it. Sunshine all summer long, which gave winemakers the luxury of picking when they wanted and watching their fruit mature without rushing anything in. As Suckling said in his review, “most of the winemakers knew they had an excellent quality vintage by the end of the summer.”
One of those winemakers is the Right Bank dark horse, Stephane Donze, whose big, silky Bordeaux blends I’ve been dialing up for years, as it’s hard to match the brilliance in the bottle for anywhere near the price. In good vintages, his wines shine. But when conditions are excellent, Donze’s Martinat simply cannot be ignored.
Out of stock
Soon to be Rated
With Herve and Fabre Montmayou wracking up NYT features, huge scores, gold medals and lifetime achievement awards, I’m left with one choice: get in now or be left in the cold. Waiting for the scores to roll in is a luxury that we know longer have with Fabre Montmayou. Good for the winery, but not so good for us. Rest assured though, the 2020 Cabernet Franc Herve sent me is fantastic, and will surely be minted with the same kind of high-flying praise as the vintage before it. But by that time, you’ll only have a bottle or two left in the cellar.
92 Points, Wine Enthusiast
The 2019 Wentworth Anderson Valley Pinot Noir is a beauty. Made with 100% Estate Grown, organically farmed fruit from Wentworth’s noteworthy Anderson Valley vineyard. It’s made from a variety of different clones: Dijon 115, 667 and Pommard 5, that seamlessly blend to make an exciting, full-bodied Pinot. You can taste the extra flair courtesy of the 1/4 wholecluster fermentation. This is fresh and juicy and fantastic to pair with food.
94 Points, Tasting Panel
The 2019 Renegade Red is a gorgeous California Red blend that’s plush, silky and juicy and happens to push 15% alc. You never taste it though, it’s well hidden within its rich, juicy texture accented by flavors of black cherry, boysenberry, cedar and cocoa. It finishes long with a hint of spice — a guaranteed crowd pleaser for sure. This is arguably the best rendition yet out of hotspot Paso Robles where it’s connected with a fresh new 94-point score that recognizes it’s immense value in one of the domestic bargains of the year.
In the excellent 2016 vintage in Napa, winemaker Kian Tavakoli (Opus One, Clos du Val) had little work to do. With ideal weather conditions throughout harvest, clusters came in dark and juicy from both the Coombsville and Rutherford Vineyards where this delicious Napa Valley Cab was crafted from. Deep ruby to the rim with excellent concentration, notes of Bing cherries, raspberry pie and hints of vanilla. On the palate, big wonderfully jammy fruit with young but impressive tannins and great length. The finish leaves notes of black cherry, and baked blueberry pie. This is a steal for the price.
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