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
$50.00 $27.00
Arguably the very best Crottin de Chavignol in the Loire Valley comes from the Cherrier Family. I also came to find out that the family also has 25 acres perfectly situated in the heart of Sancerre. The soil here is unique, incorporating all three soil types of Sancerre in a single bottle. It’s magical.
But in order to let their unique terroir shine through, they have to practice the ultimate restraint in both the vineyard and in the wine cellar. Beyond organic, the vineyards are tended entirely by hand with no additives at all. In the cellar, yeasts are all natural. There’s no fining. No filtering.
I never thought my knowledge of cheese would get my foot into the winery door but sure enough – 20 cases of their very top bottling just cleared customs earmarked for Nicholas Wines customers – and it’s 50% off the $50 release price. The L’Essentiel is hand-picked from the best parcels and aged an extra year in bottle prior to release.
The nose is some of the most intense Sancerre that I’ve sniffed in years, at first, expressing spicy minerality, before darting in multiple directions, finally landing on sweet peach. The flavor offers all that you’d expect from the very best Sancerre – minerality, stony peaches, all perfectly balanced on an acidic backbone.
Unfortunately, precious little of their wine makes it stateside. 25 cases are up for grabs. $50 on release – just $27 dollars today or add it into a case you get the best price in the country. Bring on the heat. Sip this one waterside and if you can – try it with a fresh goat cheese.
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Fresh goat cheese
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.
The newly released 2022 Domaine Laroche Chablis Saint Martin has some big shoes to fill as the last four vintages have earned 92-points or higher, but the early indications are that this is line with previous vintages if not even a little bit ahead at this stage. The problem is – there’s almost none to go around with much smaller yields. Still this is beautiful and crisp, with good focus, energy and depth. I get the signature green fruits on the nose, with some Asian pear, and a hint of jasmine blossom. There’s a beautiful mineral streak that highlights this one. It’s a fantastic White Burg for the price.
Stephan Steinmetz is a star in the Mosel wine region. His old vines are rooted in Kimmeridgian limestone, the exact same vein of rock that winds its way from Sancerre through Chablis and Champagne to its final out-cropping here in the Obermosel. His Elbling is glorious — both completely unlike anything I’ve ever had and also eerily familiar. The color is almost clear, some might call it silver. A stunning nose of green apples and lemon peel gives way to fresh pear and bright citrus fruits on the palate. It’s a stunningly focused wine with a healthy dose of minerality and acid zip, not unlike great Sancerre/Chablis and bone dry.
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.
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