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
$25.00 $20.99
For three generations the Kracher family has led the way in the Seewinkel, a sleepy corner of Austria to the east of Lake Neusiedl, just an hour’s drive from Vienna. It was Alois Kracher Senior, back in the ‘50s and ‘60s who first realized the potential of the area for quality wine growing. Then in 1991, Alois Junior (Luis) set the world on fire with his ‘new’ style of dessert wine, focussing on finesse and balance more than just outright sweetness.
With multiple 100 point scores from the likes of Robert Parker and the Wine Enthusiast, the Kracher family quickly became the tops in Austrian wine. When über-somm, Aldo Sohm from Le Bernardin, decided to try his hand at winemaking, he went directly to Kracher to form a partnership. These wines are represented on nearly every 2 and 3 Michelin starred restaurants wine list across the world. So, there was no surprise from me when Kracher’s 2017 Zweigelt came out on top in a blind-tasting of red Burgundies with the wait staff at Barrel and Roost. Ed, our great, chop-busting GM at the restaurant, threw it in there just to throw me for a loop. And he did, I certainly didn’t guess that it was Zweigelt, a grape variety indigenous to Austria, but I did identify it as the best damn wine in a lineup of Burgundian 90-some pointers with price tags double or triple the price.
I also identified it as Pinot-like, with vibrant violet color, a pretty and complex nose of purple flowers and wild black raspberries. The finish was long and so fine, just firm enough to make it stand up to any cut of grilled meat. But there was something else, an unknown savory element, a bit of earth and spice that I just couldn’t put my finger on. Flat out delicious but just not Burgundy, something else, blessed with what we are calling the Teutonic Funk.
I know I am asking you to go out on a limb, it’s a weird variety from a county not generally associated with great red wine. But believe me, it’s worth the roll. Go for it!
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95 Points (Gold Medal), 2022 Decanter Wine Awards
The expert reviews on this incredible new release from Herve Fabre are insane. 90 points and a ‘Best Buy’ designate from Wine Enthusiast, 90 more from Suckling. Ditto from Vinous who called this “young, firm, with well-worked tannins and good structure”. But in a crowded see of nearly 20,000 wines at the Decanter Wine Awards in 2022 – this stole the show. The only 95-point, Gold medal Cabernet that you can get for under $20/bottle, its second straight year in the most rarified air.
92 Points, Vinous – 92 Points, James Suckling – 91 Points, Wine & Spirits
“The 2021 Malbec Reserva, from Vistalba, Lujan de Cuyo, was 60% aged in barrels for 12 months. Purple in color. The nose presents notes of fresh plum and violets, white pepper, strawberry, hints of spice and aromas from the aging process. It’s initially indulgent in the mouth, with good fat, and volume and a velvety texture. The flavors are bold and full-bodied. This 2021 overdelivers at the price.” -Vinous
Anne Sery describes her Trousse Chemise Cabernets as an ode to the Left Bank and her winemaking roots. It’s a beautiful and fresh Cabernet with aromas that leap from the glass with of black raspberry, violets, and creme de liquor notes. The mouth gives generous amounts of juicy black fruits at the core with hints of baking spice and a smooth, savory finish. This is a terrific partner for just about anything from hard cheese, to poultry, summer salads, you name it!
93 Points, Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate – 93 Points, Jeb Dunnuck
“Vignon’s 2019 Chateauneuf du Pape delivers even more than I hoped for based on a previous sample. Hints of garrigue, roses, cherries and raspberries appear on the nose, while the palate is full-bodied, silky and long, with an intense, almost briny finish. The assemblage is 50% Grenache, 10% each Mourvèdre and Syrah, plus smaller proportions of seven other permitted varieties, while the élevage includes foudres, demi-muids, concrete and wooden tanks, plus terracotta amphorae.”
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