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
$105.00 $85.00
Rarely in the wine industry do you see such a powerful partnership. The legend of Burgundy and President of Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Conti, Aubert de Villaine partners with his cousin, Larry Hyde “The King of Carneros“.
For the Belle Cousine project, the two get to really have fun with it and show off their winemaking prowess. Unfortunately for us, this ode to the Left Bank is the great Aubert de Villaine’s swan song bottling at HDV as the former DRC head looks to sail off into the sunset. Luckily for us though, the 2019 is an absolute stunner.
The name Belle Cousine is a reference to Pamela Fairbanks de Villaine, Larry Hyde’s lovely cousin who is the wife of Aubert de Villaine of Burgundy. It is Pamela who brings these visionary viticultural families from Burgundy and the Carneros region of Napa Valley together to make wines that express the character of place, with that rare minerality so dear to the Burgundian palate.
In an outstanding 2019 vintage in Napa, this one rises to the top. Antonio Galloni calls it, “one of the best wines” as well as starting his review by calling the wine “faboulous. Bright and focused.” It’s an age-worthy beauty with the kind of Cabernet Sauvignon backbone needed to help this one enjoy a gorgeous lifespan of at least 25-30 years.
This is a fantastic collectors item any year but given the rave review and it being Aubert de Villaine’s last ever ‘Belle Cousine’ it’s one of the ‘must-have’ bottles. I even got us a special price – the best in the country by a healthy margin!
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95 Points, Antonio Galloni – Vinous
“The 2019 Belle Cousine, 60% Cabernet Sauvignon and 40% Merlot from Hyde, is fabulous. Bright and forcused, the 2019 bistles with energy. Strong Cabernet inflections give this mid-weight red tons of aromatic presence to match its mid-weight personality. Dark red/blue fruits, mint, blood orange, spice, leather and mocha are some of the notes that emerge over time. Like all the best wines here, the Belle Cousine offers outstanding focus, clarity and freshness.”
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This is a sensational single-vineyard Merlot made from incredibly tiny clusters, full of some of the most elegant, intensely structured fruit from high atop Sonoma Mountain. Beautiful weight and balance with aromas of blueberries, black currants, sage and a hint of cocoa. It’s got a full, plush mouthfeel, pristine and vibrant fruit and a wonderful smooth finish. Thanks to Chad’s big bet on himself, he was able to make a knockout Sonoma Mountain beauty, without the need for any middleman, helping us to enjoy one of his best creations at an outstanding price.
95 Points, James Suckling – 94 Points, Wine Spectator – 93 Points, Wine Enthusiast
The new release is here from outstanding winemaking team of Michel Rolland, Charles Thomas, Andy Erickson and David Jelenik. This one always represents one of the best quality-to-price ratios in all of Napa Cab and in the stellar 2021 vintage, this really stands out as one of the best the Valley has to offer. It’s a racy mix of Coombsville fruit from Atlas Peak that absolutely roars out of the bottle. Always one of Napa’s great bargains and a must have even as the price starts to sneak up here a little bit.
This is Joe Wagner and Quilt’s inaugural Red blend called Threadcount. It is a total knockout at the price point for this style of wine. It’s a big voluptuous wine and very fruit forward. The nose is straight up dark chocolate dipped raspberries and it tastes of fresh-baked blueberry pie, spice, and a touch of toffee. It’s the kind of quality blend that you’ve come to expect from the family behind Caymus.
In the 2020 vintage in Gevrey-Chambertin, yields were super low and temperatures were hotter than most Burgundian winemakers are accustomed. Many picked too late when the sugars were high and the fruit really ripe, but that was not the play. Still, Ann remained as cool in those hot temps as she did so many years ago in Napa, concentrating more on acid levels than sugars and picking at just the right time. This wine is absolutely singing – it’s an age-worthy beauty that should be even better in 4-7 years.
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