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
$34.00
In the late Fall of 1984, as the dollar hit all-time highs against the French Franc, a young American importer booked two R/T tickets to Paris Orly. Believing it was now or never, he then did one better, and reserved a table for two at Taillevent, Jean-Claude Vrinat’s 3-star restaurant at ADDRESS.
As the maitre d’hotel led the importer to his table, the 29 year-old importer felt like an imposter on a Hollywood set. The Taillevent clientele was dressed in Armani and Zegna, while he and his friend were clad in faded sports coats with frayed lapels and slacks that still bore the creases from the 7-hour flight the night before.
The Taillevent Carte des Vins was world renown, a thick tome, replete with an exhaustive selection of classified growth Bordeaux, including pages and pages of back vintages of First Growth Chateaux Lafite, Mouton, Haut Brion and Latour. But as had always been the case since since the importer first visited Burgundy in the summer of 1979, he passed over the Bordeaux and went to white Burgundy section of the wine list — dozens of pages filled with carefully cellared bottles from the greatest estates in the Cote de Beaune.
His eyes were like saucers as he scoured back vintages from Leflaive, Lafon, Roulot, Ampeau, Niellon, Sauzet and Ramonet. But it wouldn’t be long before he realized that even with the dollar at 9.64 to the French Franc, his palate was far more adventurous than his bank account.
The sommelier approached our table, clad in classic black on white, his silver tastevin tasting cup draped around his neck. He smiled politely, eyed our frayed lapels and intuited our predicament.
“You appear to be a white Burgundy connoisseur. May I suggest something unusual for you to try?”
“Please.”
“Consider the 1978 Macon-Vire from Andre Bonhomme. It’s the only Chardonnay from the Maconais at Taiillevent, and we held the wine in our cellar for five years before putting it on the list. It’s magnificent.” Then he stopped, smiled. And winked! “Honestly, it’s like village Meursault at one-third the price… only BETTER!”
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Gold Medal (Best in Show), 2023 Mundus Vini International Tasting
The area has also been isolated from the rest of Spain for generations, which has kept the wine prices far lower than wines of this quality would be anywhere else in the world. That’s why, despite having the Torres family name on the bottle and the consistent huge press (including the Gold Medal & Best in Show at the 2023 Mundus Vini International Wine Awards in Germany), these wines can still be scooped up for under $20/bottle. It’s like the Sancerre pricing of yesteryear.
2022 was an absolutely perfect vintage in this respect and unfortunately, I think it will be one of the last, if not THE last. As winegrower Jean-Marc Brocard reported to Decanter: “When we taste the wines, we feel that the balance between acidity and ripeness is very good. It’s a classic style of Chablis. In the end, even after such a heat during summertime, we stay in a cool year reference.” He also alluded to the ageability of the vintage, saying “Let’s give them time, we must let nature do its work.”
94 Points, James Suckling – 93 Points, Decanter
“Soaring lemon cream aromatics accented by notes of sea spray, lemongrass and beeswax mark this coastal Chardonnay from Flowers on the Sonoma Coast. The palate is fresh and linear. Oyster shell salinity, bee pollen and grilled lemon make for a savoury balance with delicate crushed chalk minerality.”
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.
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