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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
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
$180.00
Recently, I tasted one of the best Sauvignon Blancs in recent memory. Not only that – but it’s something new and exciting, in a region that we rarely see: Pouilly-Fume. Unsurprisingly, this wine is and has been a by-the-glass staple at Gramercy Tavern. After being blown away by this wine, I can only assume that every single New York City Sommelier who gets to taste this one salivates over it and orders as much as they can, so I knew I had to act fast.
It turns out that exceptional Pouilly-Fumes at great prices that also happen to have 92-points from the world’s toughest critic are in extremely high demand. But luckily, when I tasted this new vintage two weeks ago, I bought every bottle I could for us – 10 cases of liquid gold.
Jonathan Didier Pabiot’s ‘Leon’ Pouilly Fume is an absolutely gorgeous white wine that is still in its infancy. That’s what’s so amazing. It’s a wine that can be aged for years that is still a teeny bit tight and yet it already shows flashes of sheer brilliance.
With the holy trinity of soil types at his disposal (Kimmeridigian marl, chalky Porlandian, and clay-silex on flint), the ‘Leon’ Pouilly-Fume is grown off some of the very best dirt in France. This Cuvee (named for Pabiot’s son) is made from the old-vines grown on terre blanche terraces overlooking the Loire. The Wine Advocate in their rave 92-point review called it, “a rich and round, very elegant and aromatic Pouilly-Fume with good mineral and fruity freshness and a long, intense and tensioned finish that reveals fine tannins and crisp grip.” They are right on the money.
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92 Points, Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate
The former Florilège comes with a new name this year. Predominantly from limestone soils but also silex, the 2020 Pouilly Fumé Léon offers a clear, deep, fresh and spicy, quite complex and iodine bouquet with great precision and mineral intensity. Aged in stainless steel, concrete and 20% oak barrels (228 and 500 liter), this is a rich and round, very elegant and aromatic Pouilly-Fumé with good mineral and fruity freshness and a long, intense and tensioned finish that reveals fine tannins and crisp grip. This is a substantial wine with excellent aging potential. Bottled in March this year with 13% stated alcohol and a natural cork.
This is about as special as it gets for white wine. My other Leflaive is declassified P-M but this is the real thing from the best White Burgundy producer by far. The Leflaive family’s roots in the region date back to 1717, but the wines rose to prominence under the stewardship of Joseph Leflaive. For decades and decades, they’ve been the top dog in the region – even DRC will tell you who makes the best whites! Their 2020 Puligny-Montrachet is a gorgeous, effortless bottling with a fantastic mineral streak that cuts through the abundant pure citrus fruit.
Jean-Claude Janin’s Domaine des Terres de Chatenay estate has 7 hectares of naturally farmed, old-vine Chardonnay with his vines rooted in some of the most mineral soil in all of Burgundy. The resulting wines are electric renditions of white Burgundy, with high-toned, floral aromatics, a deep concentration of green apple and pear fruit and a laser-like finish that is stony, a touch saline and a mile long. The 2021 is an extra notable year – despite a lower than normal yield, the quality across the board in Burgundy is exceptional.
The newly released 2021 Domaine Laroche Chablis Saint Martin has some big shoes to fill as the last three vintages have earned 92-points or higher, but the early indications are that this is line with previous vintages if not even a little bit ahead at this stage. The problem is – there’s almost none to go around with much smaller yields. Still this is beautiful and crisp, with good focus, energy and depth. I get the signature green fruits on the nose, with some Asian pear, and a hint of jasmine blossom. There’s a beautiful mineral streak that highlights this one. It’s a fantastic White Burg for the price.
This is crafted from old-vines rooted in deep limestone, and dry, limestone-infused clay. The limestone imparts the fine aromatics and crisp tension you find in his wine while the old-vines and clay provide a creaminess in the mid-palate, creating an incredibly balanced summer white. The 2020 Menetou Blanc from Domaine de Loye is loaded with aromas and flavors of white flowers, lime-blossom and citrus fruit. The mid-palate is generous, just great fruit and it finishes long and fine.
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