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
$44.00
Starting their own Napa Valley-based project in 1980, the Rombaeurs had to bottle their Chardonnays at the Stag Leap Cellars winery until theirs was built. By 1982, they had finished their own state-of-the-art winery, an incredible spot which would serve as the winemaking home for Dominus, Neyers, Spottswoode, Duckhorn, Merryvale, and Corison, amongst others, for decades to come.
Though having their own winery was huge, arguably the biggest breakthrough for the Rombauer family came in 1990 when they first purchased grapes from the Sangiacomo family, some of the most iconic Napa Valley winegrowers of all time. From there, it was game over for the competition.
Just two short years later, Rombauer Chardonnay would be featured on the coveted Wine Spectator Top 100 list, the first of six trips to the Top 100 (!) for this iconic bottling. By 2004, they would be named to Wine + Spirits Magazine’s annual ‘Top 10 Most Popular Restaurant Chardonnays,’ a spot which they have held for Every. Single. Vintage. Since. A true driving force.
This is the first year that I’ve been able to offer up this special bottling — a Chardonnay style that competitors have been trying to replicate for 30 years yet still fail to make nearly as well. 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 perhaps it’s the sheer drinkability of it all. Either way, it’s a Chard that people adore.
In stock
92 Points, Wine Enthusiast
Butter, oak and vanilla flavors dominate the aroma and flavor of this full-bodied, heavily oaked wine. It has a dessert-like quality that is honeyed on the palate and lingers sweetly on the finish. For fans of this bold style, it’s a big win.
Gold Medal (Best in Show), 2023 Mundus Vini International Tasting
The area has also been isolated from the rest of Spain for generations, which has kept the wine prices far lower than wines of this quality would be anywhere else in the world. That’s why, despite having the Torres family name on the bottle and the consistent huge press (including the Gold Medal & Best in Show at the 2023 Mundus Vini International Wine Awards in Germany), these wines can still be scooped up for under $20/bottle. It’s like the Sancerre pricing of yesteryear.
I’ve forewarned Nicholas Wines customers that the 2022 vintage in Burgundy appears to be outstanding. As such, I’ve been stocking up on as much as I can. This one though is a Saturday Nighter – a special wine for sure. It comes from Fourchaume (one of the most noted Chablis 1ers crus) and vineyards situated on long slopes facing the sunrise, which allow for rapid soil warm up – a huge key to making deep, concentrated Chablis. Here the soils are predominantly brown clay and only slightly stony. Most of them are fairly deep and well-draining. It’s one of those most special white wine locations in all of Burgundy. This is a classic.
Glistening pale yellow-green to the rim, infused with mouth-watering aromas of ripe apple, pear and quince, and crushed almonds with honey and rich creamy middle and a fantastic rush of acidity and minerality that are present throughout. A calling card of Bonhomme’s Vire-Clesse, if you closed your eyes and took a sip, it would have you convinced you were drinking Meursault at least a 3x price tag.
Elena Walch’s newly released 2022 Pinot Bianco continues to be the best example of Pinot Blanc anywhere. She’s the undisputed queen. There’s so much energy in this new release. Super light in color, with a busy nose that boasts ripe aromas of citrus, granny smith apple with a hint of freshly mowed grass. Made entirely in stainless steel, the wine is expressive, fresh and finishes as clean and tight as can be. Definitely will continue the run of 90+ scores once this one is reviewed.