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.
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92 Points, Vinous – 91 Points, Wine Spectator
Feudo Montoni has been one of the best producers in Italy for literally hundreds of years, most notably for their work with Nero D’Avola grape in Sicily. It’s a gorgeous expression at such a good price. The 2020 “Lagnusa” is the perfect pizza or Thanksgiving wine with juicy black fruits, grippy tannins and a wonderful, fresh and herbaceous finish. Vinous Media gave the wine 92 points and raved, calling it “remarkably fresh yet long, leaving the mouth watering while still resonating on hints of blackberry.” You’re going to love this.
91 Points, Wine Enthusiast
Always the one with the most personality of the bunch, this is what Wine Enthusiast had to say about the 2021 release: “This extremely ripe and bold style of Pinot Noir will please those seeking such lushness. Dark in the glass, it begins with black cherry, toasty caramel and cola milk shake aromas.” The cool, coastal days and abundance of sunshine lines up perfectly for a wine that has a good natural acidic backbone, with bold fruit-forward flavors. In an easy 2021 vintage, Joe Wagner had a field day with this single-vineyard beauty.
90-92 Pts, Parker’s Wine Advocate – 91 Pts (Editors’ Choice), Wine Enthusiast – 91 Pts, Decanter
The wines get consistent high praise but 2018 is truly something special. 90-92 from Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate. 91 points and an Editor’s Choice designation from Wine Enthusiast. 91 more from Decanter who provides “There is so much to enjoy in the smaller appellations this year. Drinking Window 2022 – 2031” and another 90 point score from James Suckling. This is a home run value – especially for the price.
The newly released Fiancetto Howell Mt. Cabernet is a dream – a gorgeous, elegant dark-fruited Cabernet Sauvignon that is it picks up time in the glass, unfurls its full signature of cedar laced cassis nose and mid palate of chocolate-covered cherries and savory spices. Only four palates of this (224 cases) were made off a gorgeous, sprawling high elevation spot 1500 feet above sea level. It’s full and plush and finishes fresh and oh so long. The price is crazy for Howell Mountain Cabernet but that’s what Ry Richards and Fiancetto is all about.
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