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
$20.00
Inflation seems to have hit CDP more than even top-flight Bordeaux. Wines I used to recommend priced in the $30s are now in the $60s. The occasional splurge for Hommage a Jacques Perrin (I just looked into that) is going for $400! CDP in the $20s, well, those don’t even exist any more.
So in my pursuit to bring Grenache back down to reality, I had to get off the beaten trail. My pursuit led me off the coast of Italy to the large island of Sardinia. Here the Grenache grows in arid, sandy soil that forces the roots deep into the soil for resources, naturally keeping yields tiny and flavors concentrated. Then – just like the more westerly end of CDP, those vines find deep layers of limestone adding refreshing minerality.
The 2018 Mora & Memo “Nau” Cannonau 2018 is drawn from a single 30-year-old parcel on the family-owned estate. Big and brash – just like CDP can be in warmer vintages – Mora & Memo’s Cannonau (Italian for Grenache) is outstanding. Perfectly balanced with luscious red fruits, the only thing better is the price. Ours is the lowest price in the country on cases (if you can find it).
But snatch this one up now, because the critics have caught on. Ian D’Agata of Vinous recently gave this one 94 points and a glowing review. Luckily, I was already locked in for our 20 case allocation. Read the review below.. After you’ve hit the buy button.
Out of stock
94 Points, Vinous Media
Deep ruby-red. Aromas and flavors of red cherry, tar, smoke, and orange peel. Big juicy and dense, boasting insidious sweetness and outstanding acid-fruit balance, this finishes long and powerful. Multilayered yet very easy to drink. Well done.
Dried meats, Antipasta, poultry, pork, mature, hard cheeses.
100 Points, Decanter
“Finely textured, with a nuanced perfume that fills the glass and takes you to the intense underbrush of Tuscany. Succulent and yet savory, this has a lilting freshness that is overlaid with ripe berry fruits, sage and white pepper spice, and clear minerality in terms of its scraping texture that makes your mouth water on the finish. Feels light and sculpted and yet has an intensity that skewers you to the spot. This is a great wine, with scope and imagination that doesn’t want to let you go. Genuinely stands out among the wines of this tasting, and these are a fine array of wines. As with Colore, Bibi Graetz selects only old vines, the youngest 50 years old from five different vineyard sites across Tuscany, all farmed organically.”
Now some of the best Pinot Noir in the world comes from the Yamhill-Carlton District (this small neck of the woods has earned its own AVA) and specifically from Shea Vineyards. Big name wineries clamor for fruit: Antica Terra, Beaux Freres, Bergstrom, Penner-Ash, & Sine Qua Non, to name a few. This Pinot is lights out and even given the pedigree, drinks several echelons higher. Blueberry, Blackberry, Blue Cheese (?!?), chanterelle mushrooms, lavender, mint – I could go on. It’s literally got it all, but I won’t spoil it for you.
95 Points, Decanter
On the nose, herbs and lavender dominate, as notes of meat stew swish in the background. As it continues to open up, various black fruits continue to emerge. The palate is marked by bright acids (perfect for fatty cuisine), black cherry and touch of leather. This is a perfect candidate for the cellar and will be a stellar pull over the next decade.
Soon to be Rated
With Herve and Fabre Montmayou wracking up NYT features, huge scores, gold medals and lifetime achievement awards, I’m left with one choice: get in now or be left in the cold. Waiting for the scores to roll in is a luxury that we know longer have with Fabre Montmayou. Good for the winery, but not so good for us. Rest assured though, the 2020 Cabernet Franc Herve sent me is fantastic, and will surely be minted with the same kind of high-flying praise as the vintage before it. But by that time, you’ll only have a bottle or two left in the cellar.
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