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
$35.00 $29.99
I met “Crazy” Richard Luftig in the fall of 1999 just as I was leaving the city and opening Restaurant Nicholas. He was the Wine Director of Felida at the time; he gave me a dizzying dissertation on the subtleties of the Chianti sub zones while I ate lunch at the bar.
To be fair, I never call him Crazy Richard; that credit goes to some of my friends on the distribution side of the business because Richard drives them absolutely crazy. There are very few people in this business as uncompromising and passionate as Richard when it comes to choosing wine for any of the great wine programs that he as run over the last 20 years. Considering his discriminating palate and the impossibly high standard he has always set for wine, I was understandably excited when he first told me about his idea of actually making wine himself. His project, Pied à Terre, is the realization of his dream and the culmination of his considerable experience as a professional wine buyer in New York City.
Like you’ve heard me say in these pages over and over again, it’s nearly impossible to find affordable, high quality Cabernet from California. While there were, and still are, a lot of inexpensive wines from California on the market, we’ve both found it incredibly difficult to find high-quality, soulful and truly balanced ones. Thanks to Rich, we can now add Pied à Terre to our very short list of affordable California Cabs because great wines doesn’t have to cost $500 per bottle. Not a crazy idea…
We ran the Pied à Terre 2015 last year with great success and with a long list of reorder requests that we can finally honor, reach out to Melissa if you want to reload. But today I am happy to be one of the first to talk about a new expression of Cabernet that is sure to be just as popular as the original. This is a very refined, clean Cabernet but also a richer, more opulent expression. It’s the perfect natural homage to the genius of David Bowie, a personal favorite of Richard’s. In his words, it’s a glam-rock Cabernet!
2019 was an absolutely stellar vintage in the Napa Valley as it was throughout all of the west coast. Cooler temperatures and moderate weather led to a long growing season, allowing grapes to ripen smoothly. This long growing season produced wines with great structure and concentration without being overripe. Both quality and quantity match classic vintages like 2007, ’10 and ’13, and the much lauded predecessor, the 2018 vintage.
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90 Points, Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate
Xavier Vignon’s brand spanking new CDR 100% is a thing of beauty. It’s already got a blessing from Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate who described this wine as, “Full-bodied, concentrated and supple”. This is a gorgeous and intricate blend that features all of the Southern Rhone appellations. This year, the blend was 40% Grenache, 25% Mourvedre, 15% Syrah, 7% Cinsault, 7% Marselan, 6% Terret Noir. Nobody can do it like the mad scientist, Xavier Vignon.
95 Points, James Suckling – 94 Points, Wine Spectator – 93 Points, Wine Enthusiast
The new release is here from outstanding winemaking team of Michel Rolland, Charles Thomas, Andy Erickson and David Jelenik. This one always represents one of the best quality-to-price ratios in all of Napa Cab and in the stellar 2021 vintage, this really stands out as one of the best the Valley has to offer. It’s a racy mix of Coombsville fruit from Atlas Peak that absolutely roars out of the bottle. Always one of Napa’s great bargains and a must have even as the price starts to sneak up here a little bit.
The newly released Fiancetto Howell Mt. Cabernet is a dream – a gorgeous, elegant dark-fruited Cabernet Sauvignon that is it picks up time in the glass, unfurls its full signature of cedar laced cassis nose and mid palate of chocolate-covered cherries and savory spices. Only four palates of this (224 cases) were made off a gorgeous, sprawling high elevation spot 1500 feet above sea level. It’s full and plush and finishes fresh and oh so long. The price is crazy for Howell Mountain Cabernet but that’s what Ry Richards and Fiancetto is all about.
#3 Wine Spectator Top 100 Wines of 2021
96 Points, Parker’s Wine Advocate – 95 Points, Wine Spectator
We are one of the very few folks who have Wine Spectator’s #3 Wine of the Year. This is definitely not one to miss. The 2016 vintage showcases this prized vineyard in all its glory; notes of wild black fruit, thyme, mint, eucalyptus, and bay are lifted and enjoyed with the polished tannin and mouthwatering freshness of this wine. Regarded as one of the best vintages in the last few decades, the 2016 Martha’s Vineyard has been aged to perfection for immediate enjoyment at release and will continue to reward for the next 20+ years.
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