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
$36.00
Perhaps no wine region has done more to boost its profile in the past 25 years than the Sta. Rita Hills in Santa Barbara. Once under the radar, the tirade of enormous scores, movie references (remember Paul Giamatti AKA Miles from Sideways), and critical praise have confirmed it as one of the best regions in the world for Pinot Noir (and Chardonnay for that matter).
The reason is actually pretty simple. It’s got a completely unique weather ecosystem unlike pretty much anywhere else in the world that allows for perfect ripening of Pinot Noir. The hot California sun provides the heat, but each afternoon – just as vineyards elsewhere in the state start to overheat and raisin the berries – cool Pacific breezes are drawn in from between the Purisima and Santa Rosa Hills. Some say the region is breathing.
Some of the nation’s very best vineyards are planted here. Sea Smoke, Sanford and Benedict, and Rita’s Crown to name a few. Tucked right in the middle are the pioneering vineyards of the Melville.
Founded by Ron Melville and winemaker Greg Brewer (Clifton-Brewer), the two built a little dynasty in the heart of Sta. Rita Hills. Year in year out, the duo produced wines consistently scored in the mid-90s by EVERY wine publication. Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate wrote that they are “continually blown away by what Melville Winery puts in a bottle”. Wine & Spirits Magazine has included them on their list of Top 100 wineries… in the World!
Now with Ron’s son, Chad, as head winemaker, the wines may be hitting an even higher level of excellence. The 2016 Melville Estate Pinot (Chad’s first vintage at the helm) is an absolutely stunning bottle of wine that shames Pinots at twice the price. Drawn from micro-lots of some of their most famous single-vineyards, Chad approaches this wine like he’s conducting the philharmonic. Super bright with vibrant cherry fruit and the deep earthy overtones that you find in only the very best Pinots.
Antonio Galloni was duly impressed – giving it 95 points and a gushing review. Galloni said the Estate Pinot had “beguiling aromatic complexity and nuance” and a “sense of translucent beauty.” This one’s a case buy.
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95 Points- Antonio Galloni, Vinous
The 2016 Pinot Noir Estate is a blend of the seventeen clones on the property. Freshly cut flowers, spice, mint, blood orange and dried flowers give the Estate beguiling aromatic complexity and nuance. There is a sense of translucent beauty in the 2016 that is fabulous, while the 40% whole clusters are very nicely integrated. This is such a tremendous wine.
92 Points, Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate
I’m the most proud of this wine,” Chad Melville says. “This includes all 16 clones, around 130 different lots. It’s like an orchestra, using what’s left from the single-vineyard blends. To be able to pull aside those other sweet vineyard spots to bottle separately and still have this wine keep kicking ass—I’m becoming a better farmer and learning the land.” Medium ruby in color, the 2016 Pinot Noir Estate has a very bright, sunny nose of tangerine peel, ripe red cherries, spiced cranberries and rhubarb with hints of tree bark, dried earth, oolong tea and crushed strawberries plus a white pepper hint. It’s light to medium-bodied with a silky texture, intense, juicy earth-accented red fruits, softly grainy tannins and a long finish.
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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.
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.
100 Pts, International Wine Report – 98 Pts, Parker’s Wine Advocate – 98 Pts, James Suckling
“The 2020 Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is truly sensational. It begins with striking aromas of fresh blackberries, blueberries and dark plums that are laced with fresh spring florals, mocha, sweet exotic spices, graphite and gravel nuances all taking shape. The palate is full-bodied and displays a remarkable combination of power and elegance throughout. This is beautifully structured and extremely expressive, as it possesses outstanding depth and concentration all they way through the long, finessed finish. Year after year, the Columbia Valley Cabernet is one of the most impressive wines, and there is no exception here, as it combines all the wonderful qualities of the 2020 vintage from Quilceda Creek into one expression. This is fantastic already and readers will be in for a real treat, as this simply marvelous wine will continue to deliver the goods for years to come.”
91 Points, Wine Enthusiast
Always the one with the most personality of the bunch, this is what Wine Enthusiast had to say about the 2021 release: “This extremely ripe and bold style of Pinot Noir will please those seeking such lushness. Dark in the glass, it begins with black cherry, toasty caramel and cola milk shake aromas.” The cool, coastal days and abundance of sunshine lines up perfectly for a wine that has a good natural acidic backbone, with bold fruit-forward flavors. In an easy 2021 vintage, Joe Wagner had a field day with this single-vineyard beauty.
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