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
$39.50
The husband and wife team of Tyler and Rachel Eck are a force to be reckoned with in the Central Coast. Though the 2021 vintage represents only their 7th making wine under their brand Dunites, the pair are far from newcomers on the scene.
Instead, they launched a side project as a couple in 2015 to create a brand focused on making “risky wines” – pure, unadulterated juice with whole cluster fermentation, minimal or no sulfur usage, light extraction by foot stomping, bottling without filtering and aging in neutral barrels to put forth the truest expressions.
None of which would be possible if their focus was anywhere other than the San Luis Obispo Coast. This wind-battered appellation at the very edge of where grapes can ripen, contains vineyards precariously perched on the first ridge of mountains off the pacific, allowing for super clean fruit with remarkable purity, low pH and crackling acidity.
Even though they’re both young, Tyler and Rachel account for over a dozen wine positions throughout multiple countries. Rachel, after a stint in NZ is a vineyard manager who works with some of the top wineries in California (Paul Lato/Stephen Ross) and Tyler’s the current associate winemaker at Fess Parker, after working at Peay Vineyards.
Dunites is only in its infancy, but the writing is already on the wall. They’re a smashing hit. Every vintage, they’re treated to a hit parade of big scores and lavish praise from some of the most respected wine critics in the world. Antonio Galloni has called their wines “stunning” and “simply brilliant” and literally couldn’t find enough positive things to say about today’s bottle.
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95 Points, Vinous
The 2021 Syrah-Grenache is another fabulous wine from Tyler and Rachel Eck. Bright, savory, and vibrant, the 2021 bristles with energy from the get go. Lively acids run through a core of blue/purplish fruit, lavender, cloves and menthol. The 2021 is deep and full of flavor yet also light on its feet. Today, it is positively stellar.
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The newly released Fiancetto Howell Mt. Cabernet is a dream – a gorgeous, elegant dark-fruited Cabernet Sauvignon that is it picks up time in the glass, unfurls its full signature of cedar laced cassis nose and mid palate of chocolate-covered cherries and savory spices. Only four palates of this (224 cases) were made off a gorgeous, sprawling high elevation spot 1500 feet above sea level. It’s full and plush and finishes fresh and oh so long. The price is crazy for Howell Mountain Cabernet but that’s what Ry Richards and Fiancetto is all about.
The secret to Philippe’s tightly wound, complex Pinot Noir is a combo of ancient vines, natural farming techniques, and low yields. The wines are built to age, with incredible tension and length. And the secret to me securing his other-wordly 2017 old-vine Gevry-Chambertin can be chalked up to a great relationship and over a decade supporting superior Burgundian winemaking. The wine is scary good. The nose is wild, filled with spiced dark raspberries, red flowers, and baking spices. The palate is elegant and racy, with a dynamic tension that runs right through its minute-long finish. This is a high-toned, wound-up Pinot, that is starting to hit its prime and is really turning out to be a ‘must-have’ for true Burgundy lovers.
95 Points, Jeb Dunnuck – 95 Points, Lisa Perotti-Brown
The oft 100-point winemaker, Jayson Woodbridge had this to say when tasting his 2021 ‘Stargazing’ Sonoma Pinot: “The wine is vibrant and complex with subtle dark fruits and berries, grandmother’s cherry pie, minerals, and a slight touch of rain-soaked earth, intertwined with a balance and very pleasing easy-going luxury. Should have been priced higher but what the hell.” I have no doubt this clerical error will be addressed in the vintages moving forward. But for now, this is a cult Pinot for under $100/bottle.
It’s no surprise the Wine Advocate has called the Ventoux a “screaming bargain.” Carved off the left bank of the Rhone River, the 2020 Delas Ventoux is a gorgeous medium-bodied wine with wonderful crushed red fruits, a silky mouthfeel, tremendous structure and that signature Rhone spice on the finish. I haven’t had this wine available for a few vintages, but I figure it’s the perfect springtime Red to bring back in the fold!
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