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.
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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.
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This is a sensational single-vineyard Merlot made from incredibly tiny clusters, full of some of the most elegant, intensely structured fruit from high atop Sonoma Mountain. Beautiful weight and balance with aromas of blueberries, black currants, sage and a hint of cocoa. It’s got a full, plush mouthfeel, pristine and vibrant fruit and a wonderful smooth finish. Thanks to Chad’s big bet on himself, he was able to make a knockout Sonoma Mountain beauty, without the need for any middleman, helping us to enjoy one of his best creations at an outstanding price.
95 Points, Jeb Dunnuck – 95 Points, Lisa Perotti-Brown
The oft 100-point winemaker, Jayson Woodbridge had this to say when tasting his 2021 ‘Stargazing’ Sonoma Pinot: “The wine is vibrant and complex with subtle dark fruits and berries, grandmother’s cherry pie, minerals, and a slight touch of rain-soaked earth, intertwined with a balance and very pleasing easy-going luxury. Should have been priced higher but what the hell.” I have no doubt this clerical error will be addressed in the vintages moving forward. But for now, this is a cult Pinot for under $100/bottle.
Winemaker Pascal Sirat consistently puts out some of the best value Bordeaux in the region but he may have outdone himself in what was a stellar 2019 vintage throughout the region. Just south of Pomerol, the vines at Panchille borrow deep in the soil. The resulting wines are ripe but fresh, with an aromatic complexity and stony finish usually reserved for wine twice the price. Daniel Boulud tells me it’s been the hottest bottle of wine at Bar Boulud for over a month, so I figured I’d better hurry up and secure my allocation! Don’t miss it.
90-92 Pts, Parker’s Wine Advocate – 91 Pts (Editors’ Choice), Wine Enthusiast – 91 Pts, Decanter
The wines get consistent high praise but 2018 is truly something special. 90-92 from Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate. 91 points and an Editor’s Choice designation from Wine Enthusiast. 91 more from Decanter who provides “There is so much to enjoy in the smaller appellations this year. Drinking Window 2022 – 2031” and another 90 point score from James Suckling. This is a home run value – especially for the price.
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