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
$28.00 $24.99
If you’re looking for that perfect summer white that punches way above its weight class, you simply cannot overlook what the Rias Baixas region has been able to produce over the past decade. Here in the Spanish Galacia, the coastal gems cut off these rocky vineyards produce some of the most food friendly wines that also seem to be the wine world’s answer for a scorching hot day.
When talking about wines that deliver the highest of QPR (quality/price ratio) scores, more and more I find myself reaching for crisp, minerally Spanish white wines that deliver remnants of that special Sancerre cut at far, far juicier price points.
For hundreds of years, the wines made in Rias Baixas have developed side by side with the region’s native shellfish – making it hard to find a better wine to pair with seafood. The area has been largely isolated from the rest of Spain for generations and that’s kept the wine prices far lower than wines of this quality would be from anywhere else in the world.
But as is always the case with a good thing, the press is starting to catch up. Two years ago Rias Baixas was Wine Enthusiast’s “2020 Wine Region of the Year”. But last year they got their biggest boost yet when one of their wines made its way onto Wine Spectator’s coveted 2023 Top 100 Wines of the Year list.
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92 Points (#57 Top 100 of 2023), Wine Spectator
A succulent white, with hints of petrol and brine serving as a minerally underpinning for concentrated flavors of poached apricot and yellow peach, mandarin orange peel, dried tarragon and Marcona almond. Crisp, lightly spiced finish.
92 Points, Wine Enthusiast
This is a huge favorite of folks in the Red Bank area. It’s a bold, unapologetic Chardonnay with juicy notes of peach, lemon sorbet, baking spice and vanilla with a rich, creamy middle and plenty of natural acidity to balance it out. The lemon vanilla finish is perhaps the wine’s calling card or the sheer drinkability of it all. Either way, it’s a Chard that people adore. It’s no wonder Wine Enthusiast called this, “a big win for fans of this bold style”.
Stephan Steinmetz is a star in the Mosel wine region. His old vines are rooted in Kimmeridgian limestone, the exact same vein of rock that winds its way from Sancerre through Chablis and Champagne to its final out-cropping here in the Obermosel. His Elbling is glorious — both completely unlike anything I’ve ever had and also eerily familiar. The color is almost clear, some might call it silver. A stunning nose of green apples and lemon peel gives way to fresh pear and bright citrus fruits on the palate. It’s a stunningly focused wine with a healthy dose of minerality and acid zip, not unlike great Sancerre/Chablis and bone dry.
Year in, year out Château Turcaud produces one of the best white wine values in the world. It’s long been found on Michelin-starred wine lists in Paris and we’ve had it at the restaurant since Day 1. If you’ve ever tried this stunning, classic Bordeaux of Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, Sauvignon Gris and Muscadelle, then you know why. The new 2022 vintage has arrived and it’s beaming with energy and pure stone fruits. This is a beauty as always.
95 Points, Jeb Dunnuck
“The 2018 Chardonnay Hyde Vineyard marks the beginning of winemaker Joe Nielsen’s tenure at the winery. Pouring a medium yellow with a light golden hue, it’s most reserved of the flight aromatically at the moment, with yellow chamomile flowers, ripe peach, beeswax, and white flowers. Full-bodied, it retains excellent tension and focus on the palate, with apricot, orange zest, and a savory finish with a bit of spice. I suspect this will come around and open with time. Drink 2024-2030.” -Jeb Dunnuck