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
$25.00 $20.95
My sense is that the winemakers of Saumur in the Loire Valley are probably still paying top dollar for the French version of the Yellow Pages because, Chenin Blanc, the native variety of Saumur, makes some of the best white wines in the world yet it flies very far under the radar of most consumers.
When I was at Jean Georges, the sommelier team needed to sell expensive white Burgs but when friends and family came in, they got special recommendations….with a wink and a nod from the chief sommelier, customers with connections to the staff were suggested special wines….wines that complemented Jean-Georges’ cuisine just as well as those Saturday night Burgundies and Bordeaux but over delivered in complexity and versatility at a Tuesday night price.
More often than not, the wines in Jean-Georges’s secret stash were Loire Valley Chenin Blancs from places like Saumur. The great ones – like this one from Villeneuve – are aromatically complex and deeply fruity with vibrant, mineral finishes. The 2019 Château de Villeneuve Saumur Blanc is the perfect example of what I mean. Aromas of ripe apple and melon mingled with ginger and honeysuckle elegantly lift from the glass, leading to a concentrated core of peach and apricot flavors. The finish is forever, super crisp and mineral with a dash of spice.
Out of stock
A ridiculously good, chalky Chenin Blanc at a price point that can’t be beat.
Weight | 2 lbs |
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Vegetable dishes or salads or a good, old-fashioned cream based dish.
90+ Points, Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate
This one is electric, great minerality, great lemon lime and saltiness. It even has a little ageability. I’d drink this over the next few years. This is one of the absolute best expressions from the region (a Cru vineyard designate in 2011) and so perfect with anything out of the sea but in particular the raw bar. Crisp and clean stone fruit with some pear, and a lot of personality. This is a great new discovery wine to check out.
The 2016 vintage in Napa was nearly perfect for winemaker Kian Tavakoli (Opus One, Clos du Val). With ideal weather all throughout harvest, he crafted the Faustini Money Road Chardonnay off the famous vineyard located in the coveted Oakville AVA. The picturesque vineyard off Oakville Crossroad is platinum rated, known for its ideal combination of soil & climate and the big A list names that routinely source fruit. Kian’s Money Road Chard is still youthful despite having a few years of age, probably as a result of its 18 months of slumber in 1/4 new Oak.
Every year, Pierre Sparr’s Alsacian Riesling is one of the top scoring wines in the under $20 category. There’s a consistency there and consumers know they can count on a Riesling that is aromatic, fruity, elegant, clean and vibrant. Pierre Sparr wines are extremely food-friendly especially in the widely praised 2021 vintage where quality rose to an all-time high. It’s a bone-dry beauty with layers of citrus fruits, framed by wet stone and mineral character that adds dimension.
Jean-Claude Janin’s Domaine des Terres de Chatenay estate has 7 hectares of naturally farmed, old-vine Chardonnay with his vines rooted in some of the most mineral soil in all of Burgundy. The resulting wines are electric renditions of white Burgundy, with high-toned, floral aromatics, a deep concentration of green apple and pear fruit and a laser-like finish that is stony, a touch saline and a mile long. The 2022 is an extra notable year – despite a lower than normal yield, the quality across the board in Burgundy is exceptional.
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