SUMMER

WALK AROUND WINE TASTING

FRIDAY, JUNE 2ND

7:00pm-8:30pm
$75 per person
(plus tax and gratuity)
RESERVE: 732.345.9977

We are kicking off summer with a tasting that features wines perfect for sipping by the pool, back yard or beach club. Nicholas chose these wines with summer ingredients in mind, picking varietals that pair with fresh fish, grilled meats and seasonal vegetables.
To compliment our selection of wines, our world class hors d’ oeuvres will be served.  
Fifty dollars of the $75 fee is put towards your first wine purchase.

TASTING WINES

Bele Casel Asolo Prosecco Superiore
Prosecco is the classic apertivo of Italy. Its fruity aromas, bright acidity and effervesnce make this style of wine a perfect way to start an evening, make a toast or to accompany lighter appetizers. Prosecco is a grape variety indigenous to the Veneto region of Northeast Italy, and the Asolo subzone is one of the finest sites for Italy’s most famous sparkling wine. Bele Casel is a small, family-run, organically farmed winery who strives to make aromatic and concentrated Prosecco. It’s a great way to start any party.
Brunori Verdicchio di Castelli di Jesi San Nicolò 2015
The vineyards surrounding the medieval fortified village of Jesi are planted to the white variety Verdicchio. They are blessed with a beautiful, maritime climate; Jesi is a major tourist attraction and Adriatic Sea resort for many Europeans. The Castelli di Jesi Classico zone is the best area for aromatic and lively white wines, its sandy soil is interlaced with fossilized shellfish, allowing for great minerality to show through in its best wines. The Brunori family have been farming naturally in this area for three generations; their top vineyard, San Nicolò, is widely regarded as the top cru in their zone. In 2015, this great vineyard site produced wine of structure and fleshiness, with beautiful aromatics and a lovely nutty finish. Pair with anything from the sea or roasted poultry.

Domaine Ricard Sauvignon Blanc Touraine Le Petiot 2016

This fresh and vibrant Sauvignon originates from vineyards on the southern bank of the Cher River in the Loire Valley. The vines are tended organically in flint-laden, calcareous soil which lends a freshness and minerality to the wine. Proprietor and winemaker, Vincent Ricard, vinifies the wine in tank to preserve the inherent fruitiness of the grapes. Le Petiot is great choice for a “cocktail” wine or aperitif. Pair with all types of seafood and goat cheese.

Fabrice Gasnier Chinon Blanc Le Coteau de Sonnay 2014
The Gasniers are biodynamic farmers producing  aromatically complex wines with great extraction and brimming acidity. The Le Coteau de Sonnay is a single vineyard of  low yielding Chenin Blanc vines which create some of the most spectacular wines in the Loire Valley. Sweet, floral aromas and exotic fruit flavors are tightly wrapped by wonderful vibrancy, creating a wine that pairs perfectly with all types of seafood, cream sauces, sushi, foie gras and of course, chevré.
Stolpman Vineyards Rousanne Ballard Canyon 2015
Situated on the limestone hills of Ballard Canyon in Santa Ynex Valley lies the organic estate of the Stolpman Family. The limestone is an utter rarity in California and it is one of the secrets to their aromatically complex, dynamically vibrant wines. Their estate Roussanne is a rich, hedonistic white, with lime blossom and honeysuckle in the nose, leading to flavors of peach and apricot. Best with rich seafood.

Domaine Francois Raquillet Mercurey Blanc Vieilles Vignes Blanc 2015
Tucked into the limestone-laden, green hills of Mercurey, lies the 12 hectare estate of François Raquillet. Just south of Chassagne Montrachet, Mercurey in the hands of François becomes Burgundy with a much deeper level of complexity, concentration and age-worthiness than most of his peers. The combination of old vines, low yields and organic farming creates incredible aromatic complexity and a lush texture generally found only in wines with much greater price tags. The Mercurey Blanc 2015 is the product of 60 year old Chardonnay vines, rooted in mineral limestone hillside vineyards. Vinified entirely in oak, this is floral, elegant white Burgundy with a crisp,  mineral backbone.

L’Oliveto Russian River Valley Chardonnay 2014
Sourced from several old vine, chardonnay vineyards nestled in the Russian River Valley. This wine is a combination of Bazzano Vineyard, Louvau Vineyard, and a young rising star- Fidelis Vineyard. The palate is creamy yet bright with flavors of Asian pear, lemon and baking spices. The finish is crisp, long and refreshing.

Keller Riesling Limestone 2016
This tiny estate in the Rheinhessen produces aromatically intense, incredibly pure Riesling. Klaus-Peter Keller’s natural farming, low yields, and non-interventive style of wine-making allows for crystalline, fruity wines that are flat-out delicious! Enjoy this wine with sausages, fleshier fish, roasted poultry, and cream sauces.

Poggio al Sole Rosato Primavera 2016
Although this is a rosé of Chianti, the fine, light, pink color and fine, dry finish makes it completely aware that winegrower, Giovanni Davaz, has enjoyed a few bottles of great Provencal rosé in his time. He’s still loyal to Chianti in his effort, Primavera is 80 % rosé of Sangiovese. But he leans on the Provencal foundation of so many great Rosés, Mourvedre, to give aromatic complexity and low ph balance to his wine. It’s an unique combo for sure but this “Super Tuscan” of Rosé is really something else, a flat out delicious bottle of wine. Drink with everything all spring and summer long. Preferably, outdoors.

Gianni Doglia Barbera d’Asti Bosco Donne 2016
Finding great value in the shadow of Italy’s two great wine growing areas, Barolo and Barbaresco, requires getting off the beaten path. One of my favorite places to look for great Tuesday nighters are the sandy, limestone-laden hills of Asti. Although it is better known for the Moscato, Barbera should be its calling card because in very few places of the world does it thrive like it does here. Gianni Doglia naturally farms a tiny estate in the picturesque hamlet of Castagnole Lanze. His Bosco Donne cuvee of Barbera is the product of 50 year old vines, vinfied without oak to preserve it’s incredible fruit. Black in color to the core, bright and wonderfully aromatic, this is food-friendly red wine that can double just as well all on its own. Great choice for a house red, don’t miss out.

Trousse Chemise Pinot Noir Hyland Vineyard 2015
In the third year of her new project, Trousses Chemises, winemaker, Anne Sery, has made a range of truly spectacular Pinots. The Hyland Vineyard wine is the product of a high elevation vineyard smack dab in the middle of the Van Duzel Corridor, the only gap in Oregon’s Coastal Range. This gap allows the cold air of the Pacific to flow eastward into the Willamette Valley, greatly moderating summer heat. These vineyards were in the very best position to take advantage of 2015’s warm, dry days because at night, the high elevation of Van Duzel breezes kept things cool. Anne’s 2015 Hyland Pinot is bright with a terrific, freshly crushed fruit quality. The finish is long and mineral making me think this is a wine that will do well in a proper cellar. If you can’t resist the fruit, and it is hard, believe me, pair with roasted salmon or poultry.

Xavier Vignon Ventoux 2015
Oenologist and consultant to hundreds of estates in the south of France, Xavier Vignon was in a very unique position to source the very best grapes in 2015. His wild-berry, juicy  Ventoux comes from old vines of Grenache and Syrah, aged 20% in barrel and 80% in concrete tank. It offers lots of lavender, thyme, olive, white pepper and black raspberry notes on the nose. Medium-bodied, pretty, focused and with fine tannin, drink it anytime over the coming 3-4 years.

Beckman Vineyards Syrah 2014
The vineyards of the Beckmen estate enjoy high elevation and the cooling influence of the Pacific Ocean which allows for long slow ripening of their grapes. The Syrah is silky, full-bodied and wildly aromatic, reminiscent of raspberry, tar, white pepper and smoked meat. Really concentrated, fruit-dominated wine like this demands a big glass to capture the aromatic intricacies.

Château Reverdi Listrac-Medoc Cuveé Robin 2008
The vineyards of Château Reverdi are classic Medoc; old-vines planted in gravelly, well-drained soil. Its position in the far north the appellation, allows for long, slow ripening. Mineral soil lends complexity and structure. The 30 year-old Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot vines are farmed naturally.  The wine is a deep ruby with purple hues and has an earthy nose of cedar, lead pencil and cassis. This wine defines the underrated 2008 vintage; serious aromatic intensity, deep, dark color, superb fruit and a long, long finish. With nine years of bottle age, this is just starting to hits stride.

Carl Roy Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley East Side Cuvee 2014
The 2014 Carl Roy Cab shares telltale characteristics from two Grand Cru slices of the Valley; the volcanic soils of Rutherford and the gravelly parcels that define St Helena. That black color and powerful fruit in the mid-palate are dead-ringers for Rutherford while the aromatic complexity and fine tannins are classic signs of St Helena. Together, it’s the complete package. The 2014 Carl Roy Cabernet Sauvignon has a classic fruit nose of crushed cassis and graphite. This is rich, powerful Cabernet, just jammed with black-cherry and blackberry fruit, tightly framed by those fine tannins.  It’s a perfect wine for autumn, just delicious with any holiday roast of beef or the perfect gift for any Cabernet lover. And since its from Carl Roy, the price is unbelievable…

Sueno Profundo Cabernet Sauvignon Stags Leap District 2014
Ry Richards refined his hand crafting complex, vibrant Cabernet Sauvignon under the tutelage of Phil Titus at Chappellet Vineyards. At Sueno Profundo, Ry’s new brand, the goal was the same…crafting lush Cabernet with fine tannin that speak to its place of origin. The Stags Leap District cuveé comes from two well-drained vineyards loaded with pebbles and gravel. That gravelly loam is key here, roots dig deep in poor soil, bringing terrific minerality and freshness up to the grapes. The vineyards position on floor guarantees excellent sun exposure allowing for superb concentration. The result is a knock-out Cabernet, loaded with fresh, juicy black fruit, perfect with grilled beef or with just a hunk of cheese. 500 cases produced.

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Nicholas  |  160 Route 35 South  |  Red Bank NJ 07701  |  732.345.9977