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
$16.00 $14.00
Founded back in 1989, the overarching goal of Viña Zorzal is to rescue and promote the area’s indigenous varieties. They do this by meticulously dry-farming gnarly old vines throughout vineyards along the lower bank of the Ebro River, a distinct advantage when you’re trying to produce the freshest wines possible.
Their bread and butter is Garnacha (Grenache). I have had a few from this great winery now and they all share some of the same characteristics – they’re bright and fresh with tons of energy and pure, juicy fruit. They have some good weight, but they’re not heavy. Instead, they’re all medium- to full-bodied efforts that dance in the glass while still remaining light.
This newest release is the perfect intro if you haven’t had these wines, and if you have, this is what you love. A 2022 release that comes from vines 60+ years in age, it’s absolutely bursting out of the bottle with red and black fruits, notes of red licorice, and even some spicier notes towards the end.
The Wine Advocate gave it a rave 92-point score, a pretty impressive feat considering the release price. They called out a “juicy mouthfeel with good grip and tension” and even called out “a touch of honey and beeswax” in their tasting note. All this is to say that this little number has FAR MORE going for it than pretty much any Grenache you could possibly find for under $20/bottle.
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92 Points, Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate
The 2022 Garnacha was produced with grapes from the whole region – Corella, Cintruenigo, Fitero and now also Lerga – from their earlier harvest ever under very warm weather and it was fermented with 20% whole clusters and bottled early and unoaked. It contains ripeness, 13.42% alc., berry fruit, hints of licorice and a touch of honey and beeswax. It is primary and has a medium body and a juicy mouthfeel with good grip and tension, more serious than the nose points at, with some chalkiness and without any heaviness or heat. Purity. This is fresher than anticipated after a torrid 2022 summer.
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.
#24 Wine of the Year (2022), Wine Spectator
92 Points, Wine Spectator – 91 Points, James Suckling
“This supple red shows a core of cherry and plum fruit allied to olive, juniper and tobacco notes. Delivers well-integrated tannins and acidic structure, lingering nicely on the finish.”
In the 2020 vintage in Gevrey-Chambertin, yields were super low and temperatures were hotter than most Burgundian winemakers are accustomed. Many picked too late when the sugars were high and the fruit really ripe, but that was not the play. Still, Ann remained as cool in those hot temps as she did so many years ago in Napa, concentrating more on acid levels than sugars and picking at just the right time. This wine is absolutely singing – it’s an age-worthy beauty that should be even better in 4-7 years.
90 Points, Wine Spectator
Domaine Jaume Vinsobres Altitude 420 is an old-vine Grenache-Syrah blend from vineyards planted in Les Collines at some of the highest points in the Rhône. The Jaumes have farmed these dizzying elevations at their estate in Vinsobres for 100+ years. The 2020 is one of his best yet, pristine and fresh, a bowl full of berried-up fruit yet with the tension and length that belies its humble price. Incredible bang for the buck, tailor-made for anyone’s house red, and a slam dunk for any kind of meat on the bone.