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
$160.00
This one is pretty simple. We were given the incredibly rare opportunity to raid directly from the cellar of one of the most famous wineries in Napa, California, or anywhere on the planet. Today, Chateau Montelena — the iconic Napa brand known for being one of the best wineries in America for over 125 years is offering us up Library Cabernet selections at unbelievable prices.
In the 2005 vintage, Bo Barrett, known best as a risk taking, trailblazing winemaker and winner of the 1976 Judgement of Paris crafted a Calistoga Cabernet more closely related one of the Bordeaux counterparts he outpointed. The 2005 bottling is more elegant than forceful and a smooth, velvety masterpiece that will age gracefully and dazzle whenever you decide to pop the cork. Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate said it was, “still incredibly youthful.” Decanter gave it a rave 96-point review and called it, “one for collectors.” That’s an understatement. This is a home-run.
Out of stock
96 Points, Decanter
A long, cool growing season, with harvest from the end of September to the end of October, delivered fantastic flavour development. More Bordeaux-like than most in the tasting, it was highly aromatic, with a lush cassis, violet and graphite nose, and intense flavours of dark plum cherry fruit, cocoa, and notes of espresso. It’s expressive right now, yet the powerful tannins say it’s got years to go. One for collectors.
95+ Points, Vinous
Bright red-ruby. More reserved and medicinal on the nose than the flamboyantly expressive ’04, with cassis and violet aromas complicated by graphite and bitter chocolate. Very pure and silky on the palate, conveying a sexy subtle sweetness and a wonderfully complex meld of dark fruits, minerals and soil tones. The element of Cabernet Franc here adds to the wine’s mid-palate lift. This bottle was distinctly more pliant than an impressive but bound-up sample I tasted three years ago in my 2005 Napa Cab horizontal but is still extremely young. As broad and silky as this wine is, it stands out today for its energy. Goes on and on on the aftertaste, with the tannins utterly seamless and integrated. My best tasting of this vintage to date, as it is finally beginning to unwind.
95 Points, Parker’s Wine Advocate
Deep garnet in color, the 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate leaps from the glass with notes of crushed blackberries, black cherries and Bing cherries with hints of raspberry leaves, bay leaves and underbrush plus a waft of pencil shavings. Medium-bodied, nicely poised, very fresh and beautifully elegant, it has a solid frame of very fine-grained tannins and a very long, berry-laced finish. Still incredibly youthful.
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.
100 Pts, Lisa Perotti-Brown (Wine Independent) – 98 Pts, James Suckling – 98 Pts, Parker’s Wine Advocate
“Deep garnet-purple colored, the nose slowly unfurls to unveil beguiling floral notes of candied violets and rose oil over a core of creme de cassis, blackberry pie, and plum preserves, giving way to notions of licorice, Indian spices, iron ore, and crushed rocks. Full-bodied, the palate is jam-packed with taut, muscular black fruit layers, intertwined with gorgeous floral and exotic spice accents, and framed by firm, finely grained tannins with seamless freshness, finishing long and mineral-laced. Tightly coiled with so much latent energy waiting to explode, this is a spectacular expression of the vintage and Napanook vineyard. Still tightly coiled, give it a good 6-7 years in the cellar before broaching, and allow it a few hours in a decanter if consumed before 2032.”
91 Points, Vinous
“The 2018 Carema is a terrific introduction to these wines. Bright and airy in feel, the 2018 is laced with the essence of sweet candied cherry, game, licorice, tobacco, dried flowers and incense. In a nutshell, this is what Carema is all about. The 2018 is just a bit rustic and gamy, but it makes up for that with its personality and overall expression of the appellation.” -Antonio Galloni
Winemaker Kian Tavakoli (Opus One, Clos du Val) continues to excel even while others struggle. In 2017, he still managed to deliver a beautiful and opulent Napa Valley Cabernet that’s both dark and juicy. The wine hails from both Coombsville and Rutherford, giving it distinct characteristics and a lot of drive. 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. Fantastic Napa value.
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