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
$30.00 $26.50
My last trip to Santa Barbara was an eye-opening experience. First, I reunited with the best burger in America at In and Out. Thank God there are no East Coast outlets or my health and weight would be in serious jeopardy. When it comes to wine, traveling from the coast to Happy Canyon reinforced my belief that America’s best Chardonnay, Pinot and Syrah are being grown on the windswept hills of Santa Barbara County. All along those travels, at almost every serious vineyard we walked, we were led by Rueben Solorzano, better known in the circles of SBC best wineries, as the Grape Whisperer.
Rueben has managed to construct a viticultural empire over the last decade, working some the best sites in SBC. He knows those peaks, hillsides and exposures like the back of his giant hand and his M.O. is the same everywhere…..organic farming, little to no irrigation and low yields. One glance at Parker’s recent reviews of SBC wines and just about every 95 point+ wine came from vines worked by the Grape Whisperer. Ask any of those winemakers about the success of their wines and their first, second and third answers will all be about the man working the vineyard…so, when Ruben and Pete Stolpman came up with an idea to produce one wine every year that reflected some or all of the vineyard sites that Ruben was working, I was all in. Any chef knows, the end product can only be as good as the raw ingredients. From what I have tasted, pretty much anything involving Ruben has a massive headstart on the way to greatness.
In 2018 Rueben and Pete hit paydirt, producing a flashy, juicy BBQ red that critic Antonio Galloni calls “..simply irresistable” He followed that up with a 92 point score which pretty much guarantees the wine will disappear quickly. As it should, because the wine is stunning. The 2018 Para Maria de los Tecolotes Red Wine (affectionately named after Ruben’s wife and partner, Maria) is a Syrah-based blend that is near black in color, with a great nose of dark fruit and olive tapenade. But despite its color, this is not over blown and chunky, this is fine wine, an elegant, refined version of Syrah that’s right up anyone’s alley that drinks Burgundy or Pinot. Drink with just about anything but particularly good with anything off the grill, lentil dishes and if you really want to be reminded of SBC’s finest…..just a good juicy burger.
Out of stock
Don't worry! Enter your email and we'll notify you when it's available again or if we have very similar products from this producer.
92 Points (Editors’ Choice) Wine Enthusiast
It’s hard to find a better wine for the price than this blend of 80% Syrah and 20% Petite Verdot. Blistered black-plum, charcoal and fresh boysenberry aromas kick off the nose, while the palate blends black pepper, boysenberry and smoke. It is a versatile table wine, as apt for tacos and barbecue as it is for prime rib and roast lamb.
92 Points, Antonio Galloni – Vinous
The 2018 Para Maria de los Tecolotes is another gorgeous wine in this range from Stolpman. Syrah and Petit Verdot work together beautifully here. Hints of lavender, licorice and spice meld into a core of inky dark fruit in a mid-weight, fruity red that offers tons of near and medium-term appeal. The 2018 is simply irresistible.
Only logged in customers who have purchased this product may leave a review.
91 Points, Wine Enthusiast
Always the one with the most personality of the bunch, this is what Wine Enthusiast had to say about the 2021 release: “This extremely ripe and bold style of Pinot Noir will please those seeking such lushness. Dark in the glass, it begins with black cherry, toasty caramel and cola milk shake aromas.” The cool, coastal days and abundance of sunshine lines up perfectly for a wine that has a good natural acidic backbone, with bold fruit-forward flavors. In an easy 2021 vintage, Joe Wagner had a field day with this single-vineyard beauty.
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.
92 Points, Vinous – 91 Points, Wine Spectator
Feudo Montoni has been one of the best producers in Italy for literally hundreds of years, most notably for their work with Nero D’Avola grape in Sicily. It’s a gorgeous expression at such a good price. The 2020 “Lagnusa” is the perfect pizza or Thanksgiving wine with juicy black fruits, grippy tannins and a wonderful, fresh and herbaceous finish. Vinous Media gave the wine 92 points and raved, calling it “remarkably fresh yet long, leaving the mouth watering while still resonating on hints of blackberry.” You’re going to love this.
93 Points, Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate – 93 Points, Jeb Dunnuck
“Vignon’s 2019 Chateauneuf du Pape delivers even more than I hoped for based on a previous sample. Hints of garrigue, roses, cherries and raspberries appear on the nose, while the palate is full-bodied, silky and long, with an intense, almost briny finish. The assemblage is 50% Grenache, 10% each Mourvèdre and Syrah, plus smaller proportions of seven other permitted varieties, while the élevage includes foudres, demi-muids, concrete and wooden tanks, plus terracotta amphorae.”
Reviews
There are no reviews yet.