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
$39.00
A few winters ago, back when people traveled from one country to another, I received an incredible one on one education on the differences of the terroirs of Sancerre from the master himself, Dominique Roger. (I also was lucky enough to have his wife cook us a traditional dinner with about 20 different vintages of Sancerre white and red but that’s a different story).
I’m not gonna lie, I generally thought of Sancerre as a pretty simple, crisp white that offers incredible value, food friendliness and consistency. But I have changed my tune after walking through the vineyards with Dominique, freezing my butt off for over 4 hours.
Each site offered incredibly different soil and exposure just like in Burgundy. We walked through one vineyard that was so filled with chalk rock that the ground looked like the desert floor. You want to know why your wine tastes like minerals? This couldn’t have been more clear here!
Dominique said that he bottled this vineyard separately and naturally calls it Les Deserts. When I asked him why I’ve never tasted it, his answer was simple. “We don’t send it to America”. Naturally.
Once we were back in the cellar, I asked him if I could taste Les Deserts from the tank. Wow! Dead ringer for Premier Cru Chablis. It was that complex. How could I confuse Sauvignon Blanc with Chardonnay?? Well, it makes sense as the vines of Les Deserts are rooted in Kimmeridgian rock, the same soil you find in the best vineyards of Chablis.
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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.
93 Points, Decanter
Of course, the Trefethens’ Chardonnay history is well documented. It dates back to the Judgement of Paris and the 1979 Wine World Olympics hosted by the French publication Gault & Millau, where their Chardonnay finished first overall. That pursuit of excellence is still just as strong as ever, as evidenced by the family’s most recent Chardonnay bottling. It’s a 93-point beauty that absolutely dazzles, especially at its incredibly modest price tag.
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.
2021 #67 WS Top 100
If you’ve never heard of Bisci, let’s start here. Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate called Giuseppe Bisci’s Verdicchio “one of the finest I’ve ever tasted,” and noted that “Verdicchio is one of the joys of Italian oenology that rarely gets the respect it deserves, and few producers do it better than Bisci.” A staple at $85/bottle for both French Laundry and Eleven Madison Park. “Verdicchio is one of the joys of Italian oenology that rarely gets the respect it deserves, and few producers do it better than Bisci.” – The Wine Advocate
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