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
$20.00 $15.00
The Zenato family has always been at the forefront of innovation in Valpolicella and often at odds with both tradition and the authorities – pushing boundaries to make the best wines possible regardless of what they’re forced to put on the label.
But this passion project doesn’t make any financial sense whatsoever. It’s drawn from one of the most precious and expensive vineyards in the entire region – the Costalunga Estate – the same vineyard (and grapes) from which Zenato crafts their seventy dollar Amarone.
The vineyard is a special place – perfectly positioned above Lake Garda – basking in the reflections off the lake allowing generally late-harvested Corvina to reach perfection year in and year out.
But the Zenato’s decided something was missing from the wines they were crafting off the vineyard that had to adhere to rigid and arcane wine laws. So they began to test breaking those rules. The effort took decades of experimentation but finally found perfection in a bottle made much like Amarone and from the same hillsides but cannot even bear the name Valpolicella.
Zenato Alanera combines three traditional Valpolicella grapes (55% Corvina, 25% Rondinella, 10% Corvinone) with the remainder an even split of Merlot and Cabernet. Half of the grapes undergo partial drying – including the Cabernet & Merlot – which is something I’ve never tasted before.
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93 Points, James Suckling
Loads of peppery and spicy, ripe cherry and berry character on the nose and palate. Hints of coffee and chocolate, too. Full to medium palate, where the spicy tannins push the fruit into a long finish. I like the full-throttle drive to this red. Will improve in the bottle. Drink or hold.
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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.”
The 2021 Napa Valley East side Cuvee is an instant classic. From the first whiff to the moment it hits the lips, its clear that this is a fabulously concentrated, serious wine: black in color, and featuring aromas of cassis, cedar and chocolate-tinged purple fruit. The mouthfeel is plush and voluptuous with a firm, solid finish that speaks to its potential for considerable aging.
92 Points, Vinous – 92 Points, James Suckling – 91 Points, Wine & Spirits
“The 2021 Malbec Reserva, from Vistalba, Lujan de Cuyo, was 60% aged in barrels for 12 months. Purple in color. The nose presents notes of fresh plum and violets, white pepper, strawberry, hints of spice and aromas from the aging process. It’s initially indulgent in the mouth, with good fat, and volume and a velvety texture. The flavors are bold and full-bodied. This 2021 overdelivers at the price.” -Vinous
It’s no surprise the Wine Advocate has called the Ventoux a “screaming bargain.” Carved off the left bank of the Rhone River, the 2020 Delas Ventoux is a gorgeous medium-bodied wine with wonderful crushed red fruits, a silky mouthfeel, tremendous structure and that signature Rhone spice on the finish. I haven’t had this wine available for a few vintages, but I figure it’s the perfect springtime Red to bring back in the fold!
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