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
$22.00 $18.50
My friend, Sergio Germano, the gentle giant of Serralunga, Barolo, came to town a few Augusts ago to taste me on all his new releases. I was excited to show off my new pizza oven to a real Italian. My plan was to make a few pizzas and a leg of lamb, making what I thought would be the perfect pairings with Sergio full-bodied, powerful wines.
Mother Nature did not cooperate, giving us a torrential downpour that never let up. I had to make a quick audible on lunch. Not so easy on a Monday afternoon. I decided on Yumi, one of my favorite local restaurants. Despite the food being completely incompatible with Sergio’s wines, I knew he’d appreciate the delicacy and precision of Shuenn’s sushi. Throughout the wine world, there are no greater foodies than the Piemontese….
Our plan was to taste all the wines first then dive into a multi-course sushi extravaganza. But our plan was quickly derailed as he conversation at the table slowed the tasting to a crawl and some truly great sushi dishes started arriving at the table. O-toro tartare, live scallop, shimaji with jalapeno, each dish was terrific both visually and on the palate. Sergio was blown away.
On the wine side, we were only a third of a way through his high-toned, structured red wines but I noticed a curious thing happening. I’d eat a piece of fish and then taste a wine no sommelier would ever suggest to go with it like Sergio’s Barbera d’Alba and you know what? It was good, really good. When I mentioned how odd that was, Sergio knew exactly what I was talking about, he chuckled and in that deep baritone, heavily accented, he said “I guess great food and great wine will always find a way to find each other.” It was a great lunch.
Out of stock
Fresh off its feature as one of Wine Spectator’s ‘Exciting California Values Under $25’, winemaker Matt Cline looks to stay hot with his release of the 2019 Contra Costa Zinfandel. This one is a beauty crafted off old-vines that are now between 110-140 years in age. There’s a ton of darker fruits that drive this one with a dusting of baking spice. The fruit is pure, fresh and long making it both delicious on its own or terrific with a burger, BBQ ribs, or grilled leg of lamb. Crazy cheap for what is in the bottle, load up!
90 Points, Wine Enthusiast – 90 Points, Decanter
Arguably their best quality to price wine is the Chianti Classico. It’s a bold and incredibly expressive Sangiovese that blends together a number of different parcels from around the estate. It’s got a beautiful silky smooth center with bright red fruits and even a tad of rusticity. A wine like this was just made to be enjoyed at the dinner table. With already a 90-point review from both Decanter and Wine Enthusiast, I’m assuming Antonio Galloni and company will come in with similar high praise, but I couldn’t wait around.
96 Points, Wine Enthusiast
The gorgeous and full-bodied Goldridge Vyd Pinot Noir is made with fruit grown from 30+ year old vines and harvested in small lots before aging in 45% new French oak. It’s expertly blended to showcase the harmony of the fruit as well as the bright aromatics and luscious blackberry/red berry fruit that have made it a standard-bearer for the Russian River Valley.
Winemaker Marjorie Gallet’s Effet Papillon Rouge is a terrific blend of Grenache, Syrah and Carignane, harvested from the iron rich soil just outside of Rivesaltes at the base of Pyrenees. This one is a vibrant wine, with aromas of wild black raspberries and sweet spices. The mid palate is rich and velvety, with a core of sweet black fruit that finishes fresh, long and silky. At the price, it’s one of the easier no-brainer case buys we offer.
Reviews
There are no reviews yet.