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
$135.00 $119.00
The old vines of the Levant face south-east and benefit from an exceptional terroir. They are between 60 and 85 years old. Their roots go down deep, and the diversity of the old vine stocks contributes to the complexity of the wine.
I was lucky to lock into just one case of this insanely good bottle from Pierre Larmandier in 2011 that Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate contends is one of the “wines of the vintage”. Kick off 2022 in style with this outrageously good Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs.
Revisited from the June 2019 disgorgment, Larmandier-Bernier’s 2011 Extra-Brut Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru Vieille Vigne du Levant continues to drink superbly, bursting from the glass with aromas of pear, peach, toasted almonds, white flowers, fresh bread and oyster shell. Full-bodied, layered and concentrated, it’s deep and fleshy, with superb concentration, racy acids and a long, saline finish. I have previously contended that Pierre Larmandier produced Champagne’s wines-of-the-vintage in 2011, and every bottle I open seems to confirm that. Indeed, if one were to taste only his wines, along with those produced by a small handful of other growers, one could easily think very differently about this unheralded year.
Larmandier-Bernier numbers among the Côte de Blanc’s—and Champagne’s—finest estates. Based in Vertus, the Larmandier family farm organically and harvest late, vinifying the resulting wines in wood. The result is vinous, elegantly muscular Champagnes that are concentrated but precise. In a region that still produces far too many meager, brittle wines, Larmander-Bernier reminds us of the plenitude and texture of which great Champagne is capable. The range begins with two non-vintage Blanc de Blancs: Latitude, broad and charming; and Longitude, more chiseled and incisive. Next come three vintage cuvées: Vieille Vigne de Levant, from Cramant; Les Chemins d’Avize, from the eponymous village; and the Terre de Vertus. Two perfumed rosé de saignée cuvées complement the portfolio, now joined by small quantities of still red and white Côteaux Champenois. As remarkable for their consistency as their quality, any wine that bears this family’s label is well worth seeking out. -William Kelley, The Wine Advocate
Out of stock
97 Points, Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate
Revisited from the June 2019 disgorgment, Larmandier-Bernier’s 2011 Extra-Brut Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru Vieille Vigne du Levant continues to drink superbly, bursting from the glass with aromas of pear, peach, toasted almonds, white flowers, fresh bread and oyster shell. Full-bodied, layered and concentrated, it’s deep and fleshy, with superb concentration, racy acids and a long, saline finish. I have previously contended that Pierre Larmandier produced Champagne’s wines-of-the-vintage in 2011, and every bottle I open seems to confirm that. Indeed, if one were to taste only his wines, along with those produced by a small handful of other growers, one could easily think very differently about this unheralded year.
Their newly released Chablis AC 2022 soars from the glass, redolent of green apple and citrus cream. The fruit is generous, and expansive on the palate with layer upon layer that just gets better with air. The finish is a mile long, with just great tension, speaking to Fèvre family’s old vine holdings in the chalky limestone of Fontenay-Près-Chablis.
98 Points, Jeb Dunnuck – 96 Points, Parker’s Wine Advocate
“The wine’s prominent vineyard signature or “sense of place” is its core driving feature, and this character is both clearly defined and focused in the wine’s flavor and structure. It shows real authority and great authenticity. Aromatically layered and complex with fresh raspberry and red cherry fruits, then rose petal and thyme, and an underlying mossy, woodsy edge. The wine’s fruit is initially crunchy and crisp before turning darker to sleek and succulent cassis and black cherry. As the wine expands, it grows in volume and mineral focus then finishes long, persistent, and penetrating, with great clarity of flavor and spicy intensity.”
The 2016 vintage in Napa was nearly perfect for winemaker Kian Tavakoli (Opus One, Clos du Val). With ideal weather all throughout harvest, he crafted the Faustini Money Road Chardonnay off the famous vineyard located in the coveted Oakville AVA. The picturesque vineyard off Oakville Crossroad is platinum rated, known for its ideal combination of soil & climate and the big A list names that routinely source fruit. Kian’s Money Road Chard is still youthful despite having a few years of age, probably as a result of its 18 months of slumber in 1/4 new Oak.
96 Points, Wine Enthusiast
“This radiant, bone-dry sparkler boasts racy tension that counters tangy citrus, yellow apple and saline mineral sensations. An extremely refined perlage and crisp acidity carry through to the pristine, mouthwatering finish. Lessini Durello Metodo Classico is one of Italy’s greatest sparklers and winemaker Diletta Tonello one of the denomination’s star producers.”
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