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 $32.00
My never-ending quest to find phenomenal under $30 Napa Cabernet has taken a turn. It’s officially become my side-job, no longer just a hobby. As fires have raged through the valley – winemakers have had more important calls to take than mine and many have lost nearly everything – including many of the wines I might ordinarily be seeking.
For years, my first call for quality Cabernet has almost always been to Ry Richards (Sueno Profundo, Chappellet, Fiancetto). If you’ve read our last call email, you know that those are in short supply. But always one to help, Ry was who first made the introduction to Phil Titus.
Phil’s reputation preceded himself as one of Napa’s great Cabernet winemakers responsible for much of the success at Chappellet as well as Titus Vineyards, and Sonoma Loeb amongst others.
In particular, his work atop Pritchard Hill at Chappellet, turning around a winery that once struggled, but has since churned out countless 98-100-pt scores with a fleet of $$$ wines that are gobbled up by the wine list that takes years to get in.
But as I would find out, the project closest to his heart is the one with his brother Eric, making wines off the family’s 50 acre estate in the heart of St. Helena. They were some of the early ones, purchasing the estate in 1968 and immediately replanting the vineyard from obscure jug wine varietals to Bordeaux grapes and a few precious parcels of Zinfandel.
Out of stock
Soon to be Rated
With Herve and Fabre Montmayou wracking up NYT features, huge scores, gold medals and lifetime achievement awards, I’m left with one choice: get in now or be left in the cold. Waiting for the scores to roll in is a luxury that we know longer have with Fabre Montmayou. Good for the winery, but not so good for us. Rest assured though, the 2020 Cabernet Franc Herve sent me is fantastic, and will surely be minted with the same kind of high-flying praise as the vintage before it. But by that time, you’ll only have a bottle or two left in the cellar.
96 Points, Vinous
This is a gorgeous Estate Cabernet blend- richly aromatic with currents, plums, hint of violets and savory notes of cedar. At this young age it is showing all the depth of flavor and textural richness that are hallmarks of Diamond Mountain and Dyer Vineyard. It’s a classic vintage, hitting all the notes that you have come to expect from Dyer and Diamond Mountain. The grapes are grown in our 2.3 acre Diamond Mountain Vineyard in the Napa Valley.
Winemaker Kian Tavakoli (Opus One, Clos du Val) continues to excel even while others struggle. In 2017, he still managed to deliver a beautiful and opulent Napa Valley Cabernet that’s both dark and juicy. The wine hails from both Coombsville and Rutherford, giving it distinct characteristics and a lot of drive. Deep ruby to the rim with excellent concentration, notes of Bing cherries, raspberry pie and hints of vanilla. On the palate, big wonderfully jammy fruit with young but impressive tannins and great length. The finish leaves notes of black cherry, and baked blueberry pie. Fantastic Napa value.
93 Points, Parker’s Wine Advocate – 93 Points, Wine Spectator
“Another sensational appellation release is the 2014 Pinot Noir Santa Lucia Highlands. Coming from an early vintage that was over two weeks ahead of average, it has tons of spice, black raspberry, currants and blackberry characteristics, medium to full-bodied richness, a great texture and no shortage of depth or length. Already impossible to resist, drink it anytime over the coming 7-8 years.” -The Wine Advocate
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