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
$120.00
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.
Bo Barrett has always been considered a trailblazer in American winemaking, proving the doubters wrong when he said his Calistoga plot of land would be perfect for growing Cabernet Sauvignon. By 1976, when his white wine won at the famous Judgement of Paris in 1976, he was immediately recognized as a world-class winemaker. But over the years, it’s his Cabernets that have earned the most fanfare and clamoring for a chance to hold on to one of the best American collector’s items there is.
The 2009 is bristling with energy, a silky-smooth, elegant Cabernet Sauvignon that is drinking better than any 2009 I’ve had from anyone yet. It’s a truly fantastic effort and another bottle that you really should have in your cellar.
Out of stock
94 Points, Vinous Media
Bright ruby-red. Penetrating aromas of black cherry, dried flowers and brown spices. Not as silky as the 2004 through 2007 vintages but boasts noteworthy refinement and savory intensity, with fresh, harmonious acidity giving the wine good focus and finesse. Excellent depth here if not quite the flavor development of vintages like ’07 and ’04. Still, this conveys a thickness of texture and a faintly exotic quality and finishes with very suave tannins. The summer was rather cool but steady, and there was enough warmth in September to ensure ripe tannins without burning off needed acidity, noted Bo Barrett. A fairly elegantly styled Montelena Estate.
93+ Points, Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate
Montelena’s 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate wraps around the palate with serious depth. Even with all of its intensity, the 2009 has a silkiness that makes it incredibly delicious at this early stage. Red berries, flowers, tobacco and sweet herbs all flesh out on the generous, radiant finish. While many 2009s are a bit tight today, Montelena’s 2009 Estate is showing very nicely, although it is keeping some cards close to the vest. I imagine the 2009 will start to enter its prime drinking window around age 8-10 and drink well for at least another decade beyond that. Anticipated maturity: 2017-2029.
99 Pts, Vinous – 97 Pts (Cellar Selection), Wine Enthusiast– 97 Pts, Spectator – 97 Pts, Wine Advocate
Antonio Galloni called it, “hands down one of the wines of the vintage.” The Wine Advocate chipped in with “a refreshing, beautifully perfumed and skillfully crafted expression of the vintage.” Here’s what I’ll say: How could you do any better than securing a few bottles of a wine with 30-40 years of life left that is already showing better than giants such as Lafite, Margaux and Le Pin. There aren’t many years in Bordeaux’s history where one of the top 3-5 wines of the vintage was a $105 bottling and not one available at four figures.
The 2019 North Coast vintage in Napa and Sonoma for Cabernet Sauvignon is outrageously good. The big three wine critics have already come in calling it one of the best of the last few decades. Of course, Chad Alexander finds himself in the right place at the right time. If there’s someone who can churn out full-bodied, well-structured Cabernet Sauvignon that can compete with the big boys at a fraction of the price, it’s Chad. Cherry cola, blackberries, fig jam and a hint of sage on the palate with plenty of depth and complexity. This has a solid, juicy core and a smooth, lingering finish. This baby should drink well for two decades at least.
Obviously, I can’t tell you all the details of the vineyard source but I can let you in on a few of the details. Crafted using fruit from 1000-1500 ft in elevation, Chad’s 2019 is cool climate Pinot at its best– especially given the price tag. While similar wines (very similar wines) will fetch a $45 price tag, you can snag it today just less than half off that price on bottle one. There’s no surprise this is the #1 wine of the year in 2020.
The Adaptation Cabernet allows superstar winemaker Jeff Owens to make a Cabernet with other Bordeaux varietals from a collection of the top vineyards from across the valley. This is PlumpJack’s “Quilt” so to speak. It features Cabernet along the Silverado Trail in Stag’s Leap from their own Odette Vineyards as well as Heitz’s Trailside Vineyard, to go with fruit from St. Helena, Chaix’s vineyard in Rutherford, Merlot form mountainous terrain of Howell Mountain, along with fruit from Oak Knoll, and Carneros. Together, this blend comes together effortlessly Owens, who has woven a particularly juicy, dark-fruited Cab that will knock peoples’ socks off.
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