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
There are a lot of new things here. Some sampler packs, some individual bottles, some super highly rated wines and some that fly under the radar and a few bottles made by some of the top winemakers in their regions. As always, mix and match up to a case to get an additional 10% OFF your order. If you’re from out of town, make sure to get your Thanksgiving wine orders in by Friday, November 18th to ensure delivery before the big day!
For Chad, the 2022 vintage proved challenging, but nothing he couldn’t handle. The big frost in April took a toll on one of his go-to usual spots in the Dundee Hills. But he made some phone calls, talked to a few key people, and locked into some absolutely killer fruit from McMinnville a little further south down the Van Duzer Corridor where the frost had no impact. His newly released 2022 is a juicy, laser focused Pinot with tremendous energy and precision. A true gift from our favorite winemaker.
91 Points, Vinous
Eric Guido of Vinous just reviewed a number of Bele Casel wines last week and lobbed heaps of praise for each and every one of them. For this one in particular, he wrote a great review that I agree with on multiple fronts. For one, he called out ripe orchard fruits and candied citrus which I think helps set this one apart. In the dry category, you rarely get so much pure, juicy fruit as you do in this one. He also noted the “chalky minerality’ before calling out ‘the amazing length and freshness’ of this wine which called an ‘excellent entry into the dry category’.
Winemaker Patrick Brunet’s tiny Domaine Robert estate consists of 50-60 year old vines, deeply rooted in the granitic soils of Fleurie. What I love about him is that every vintage brings something new but it consistently stays excellent. For his 2022 cuvee, Patrick produced a concentrated, structured Beaujolais that’s roaring out of the gates but with the bones to improve in the bottle over the next decade. This is always a fantastic bottle to have around.
93 Points, Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate
This is a Nicholas Faithful favorite. Even though it’s technically a non-vintage it was last disgorged in the 2020 vintage. La Cravantine, is a sparkling rosé of 100% Cabernet Franc, bone-dry, super fresh and with bubbles so tiny and fine, it puts most “real” Champagne to shame. Appealing strawberry and mineral scents are encased in a firm structure with a dry and spicy quality in the palate. This wine is incredibly versatile – perfect with just about any fish, fried food, or do like I do and enjoy it on it’s own.
Now some of the best Pinot Noir in the world comes from the Yamhill-Carlton District (this small neck of the woods has earned its own AVA) and specifically from Shea Vineyards. Big name wineries clamor for fruit: Antica Terra, Beaux Freres, Bergstrom, Penner-Ash, & Sine Qua Non, to name a few. This Pinot is lights out and even given the pedigree, drinks several echelons higher. Blueberry, Blackberry, Blue Cheese (?!?), chanterelle mushrooms, lavender, mint – I could go on. It’s literally got it all, but I won’t spoil it for you.