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
$120.00 $99.00
This are few things in the wine world better than boutique, small batch California Cabernets. The big over the top Napa Valley versions will run you $500-750/bottle easily, but I find they can sometimes be clumsy, made to be completely enormous to garner ooos and ahhs but not nearly as firm and structured as I like.
No, if you’ve been paying attention, I have always tried to lure people over to the dark side and the Santa Cruz Mountains with wineries like Ridge, Thomas Fogarty and Mount Eden. The reason is simple– it’s old-school California Cabernet, the altitude gives the wine incredible acidity and backbone and then wines come out perfectly chiseled and roaring to go.
Mount Eden has long been an iconic player in arguably the most underrated region in the country. Situated at 2000 feet above sea level on a mountain peak, you are literally above the clouds at this picturesque vineyard that Wine Spectator famously questioned might be the best in all of California.* If you want to get to the closest thing to heaven on Earth, I suggest a visit.
Especially considering the Cabernet that was sent to me a few months ago and which I have been patiently waiting on the sidelines to take the max amount allowed (3 stinking cases!) is easily one of the best domestic Cabs I’ve had in quite some time. It is an absolute joy to drink, the result of wine of the finer winemaking jobs in recent memory. Perfectly structured tannins, great weight, a little Merlot and Cabernet Franc to round it out. It’s Mountain Cab gold. I was so floored by this thing, I went to see if anyone reviewed it and shared my opinion, and found Antonio Galloni of Vinous felt the same way. So did Jeb Dunnuck who declared, “this will give Ridge’s Montebello a run for its money.” That’s pretty darn high praise!
*“IS MOUNT EDEN CALIFORNIA’S GREATEST VINEYARD? Every time I have a great aged Mount Eden wine – which is most of the time – I’m in awe of how well it develops. This is a unique property in the sense that all three of the major grapes grown there – Cabernet, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir – not only are distinctive and classy, but they age incredibly well. Suppose if one were to only collect wine from one vineyard, Mount Eden would be a tough choice to beat.” -Wine Spectator
Out of stock
97 + Points, Jeb Dunnuck
A brilliant, youthful unevolved wine that will give Ridge’s Monte Bello a run for its money, the 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon reveals a deep ruby/purple hue to go with a wonderful perfume of blackcurrants, blueberries, lead pencil, vanilla bean, exotic flowers, tobacco, and boquet garni. Needing plenty of air to show its best, it’s medium to full-bodied on the palate and has a concentrated powerful style, ripe tannins, flawless balance, and a great finish. A blend of 82% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc and the rest Petit Verdot and Malbec, aged in used French and American oak, it’s going to benefit from 4-6 years of bottle age and I suspect have 30-40 years of overall longevity.
97 Points, Antonio Galloni- Vinous
The 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon is going to need a number of years to come around. The only question is how many. In 2017, the Mount Eden Cabernet is shockingly opulent. Inky black fruit, bittersweet chocolate, spice, leather, and incense are all dialed up in this super-sized Cabernet. Even so, there is plenty of structure lurking beneath. I can’t wait to see how this ages.
Once again dialing up fruit from 1000-1500ft in elevation in the Dundee Hills, Chad’s 2021 is juicy, laser focused and roaring out of the gates. Chad tells me that similar wines (very similar wines) off this vineyard are raising their prices up to $55/bottle from $45 this year due to 2020’s lost year. But where most people are raising prices to recoup last year’s losses, the CHAD Pinot Noir price is somehow lower. A true gift from our favorite winemaker.
The second year of this elegant, silky smooth Willamette Valley Pinot Noir crafted by Bertrand de Villane of Domaine de la Romanée-Conti fame. Again it comes from the gorgeous Winter’s Hill Estate about 700 feet above sea level in the Dundee Hills. All indications are that the 2019 is going to be one of the best for Pinot Noir since 1991. A flawless summer that benefited from very little rain mixed with cool, breezy summer nights. With a round, supple mouthfeel and a sturdy backbone this will age gracefully for a decade plus. Bertrand’s wines just have a signature stamp that is unmistakably his. This is phenomenal.
With seemingly infinite access to some of the absolute very best vineyards in the most choice AVAs in the valley, the Wagner’s set out to make Quilt– a Cabernet blend from a patchwork of the top sites in Napa (Oakville, St Helena, Atlas Peak, Coombsville, Calistoga, and Howell Mountain.) The brand new 2019 edition is a beauty – deeply concentrated, rich and a truly show stopping Cabernet. It’s a dark, hedonistic blend that combines elegance with power and pairs the two together effortlessly.
95 Points, Vinous
“The 2021 Syrah-Grenache is another fabulous wine from Tyler and Rachel Eck. Bright, savory, and vibrant, the 2021 bristles with energy from the get go. Lively acids run through a core of blue/purplish fruit, lavender, cloves and menthol. The 2021 is deep and full of flavor yet also light on its feet. Today, it is positively stellar.” -Antonio Galloni
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