HOLIDAY

WALK AROUND WINE TASTING

Wednesday, November 14th
7:00- 8:30pm
$75 per person 
(tax and gratuity not included)
RESERVE: 732.345.9977

Tis the season! We are hosting a walk around tasting that showcases 12 "must have" wines for the 2018 holidays. Nicholas chose these wines with your holiday entertaining in mind, showcasing crowd pleasing varietals that complement holiday meals and cocktail events.

Fifty dollars of the $75 fee is put towards your first wine purchase.
Our world class Hors d’ oeuvres will be served.

TASTING WINES

Diebolt-Vallois Blanc de Blancs Brut Cuvée Nicholas
Since the day we opened the doors of Restaurant Nicholas, Diebolt-Vallois has been our house champagne and the wine that has been poured for any celebration. Melissa and I first enjoyed this wine in Paris at many of the Michelin two and three star restaurants that buy most of the wine Diebolt produces. We loved the elegant aromatics, its pristine fruit and the crisp, mineral finish that screams for food. We loved it so much, we asked Jacques Diebolt to bottle a special cuvée for the restaurant, one that would always display the characteristics that we fell in love with on that first trip to France. He happily agreed and continues to do so to this day.  Other than Melissa and I, there are very few things that remain constant at Restaurant Nicholas. I’m very happy Diebolt-Vallois is one of them.
Quinta de Couselo Rias Baixas O Rosal 2017
The Rosal Valley is unique to the Rias Baixas D.O. It’s the most coastal and the coolest of the 5 subzones that Albariño thrives in. Sitting on the Miño river which separates Spain and Portugal, Couselo’s soils contain slate which is extremely rare for the sub-zone. Acidic, well-drained soils that retain heat, great for making high-toned white wines, lend stony, ripe-lemon aromatics to this fine rendition of the classic Rosal blend; the grape varieties Albariño, Loueiro and Caiño Bianco  Pair with refined preparations of fish or roasted poultry.
Domaine Corsin Macon Villages 2017
Giles Corsin is one of the great farmers and vignerons of the Maconnais. His 8 hectare of immaculate, naturally tended vines are in the mid-slope of the hillsides vineyards above the villages of Davayé and Fuissé.  The Macon Villages is an incredible value as its two vineyard sources are located just outside the Pouilly Fuisse zone. This micro cuveé (400 cases) is vinified completely in stainless steel tanks and bottled early. It is an unadulterated version of Chardonnay, filled with mineral-laced green-apple/Asian pear aromas and flavors. Bracing acidity provides a super long finish and wonderful food-friendliness.
Domaine du Carrou Sancerre Blanc La Jouline 2016
This special micro-cuveé from Domaine du Carrou originates in the chalky-clay soil of the Sancerre village of Bué. Roger uses only the finest fruit from the oldest vines, at the smallest yields. This is Sauvignon Blanc that goes beyond the varietal description; wildly aromatic, with rich, multi-layered flavors on the palate and a long, lingering finish.
Domaine Barmes-Buecher Riesling Tradition 2016
Domaine Barmes-Buecher is from southern Alsace, just outside of Colmar. It is a biodynamic estate, an ancient and organic way of farming using no chemicals. This process, although incredibly time-consuming and expensive, allows the vines of Domaine Barmes-Buecher to be healthier and to produce riper, more balanced fruit than any of their neighbors. The secret to these aromatically dynamic wines is the strength and vitality of the vines from which they originate. The Riesling Tradition is sourced from the young vines within the commune of Wettolsheim; the vineyards Rosenberg and Grand Cru Steingrubler. The soil of Wettolsheim is a blend of limestone and granite, producing wines that are aromatically complex, mineral and structured. The 2016 vintage yielded dry, full-bodied wines that are both a terrific foil for richer cuisine.
Terre Bianche Dolceaqua Rossese 2017
Winegrower, Filippo Rondelli, tends 6 HA on precariously positioned terrasses 450 m above sea level on the Italian Riveria in Dolceaqua. The yields are naturally low; it isn’t easy grow grapes here. And he’s somewhat a local rock star; 85% of his production is sold out of the front door to private customers and local restaurants. There just isn’t much to go around on this side of the Atlantic. The Rossese, a native variety to Liguria, is a fresh, pretty red wine, redolent of violets, blackcurrants and savory herbs. The mid-palate is complex and layered, loaded with red berry fruit. The unique white clay of Dolceaqua lends a stony minerality to the wine; the finish is very fine and quite long. Great with turkey or roasted salmon. 
Domaine Cornu-Camus Hautes Côtes de Nuits 2017
Pierre and Lydia Cornu naturally farm small parcels in Pernand Vergelesses, Haut Côtes de Beaune and the Haut Côtes de Nuits. The Cornu family has grown grapes here for 600 years! That expertise is important as the high elevation and cooler microclimates of these appellations require perfectly positioned vineyards and impeccable farming to produce consistently ripe grapes. The ’17 HCN is a wound-up, superb little red Burgundy. The wine is a joy to drink, a bowl full of berries on the nose, mineral-laced fruit in the mid palate with significant structure and length.
Domaine Florent Garaudet Monthelie Rouge 2015
It’s a scary proposition to start a business in your 20s. I know all too well; 20 years later I still can believe a bank was willing to loan Melissa and I any money at all. Florent Garaudet started in a similar way in the tiny Burgundian village of Monthelie in 2008 at the tender age of 23. He was cash-strapped but energized by a passion that only comes when your work is a labor of love. Oh yeah, he also happened to have some of the oldest vines in his region of Burgundy, a distinct advantage when pitching business plans to wine savvy Burgundian bankers. Florent insists with such great raw material to work with, his main job is just to not mess it up. Believe me, he is not messing it up…his Monthelie Rouge is an old-vine Pinot Noir, complex and long on the palate. Fantastic with earthy poultry dishes and braised meats.
Trousse Chemise Pinot Noir Hyland Vineyard 2016
In the fourth 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 2016’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.
Stolpman Vineyards La Cuadrilla Ballard Canyon 2016
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. The wine, La Cuadrilla, is much more than a stylish, elegant blend of Syrah and Grenache. Each year, the Stolpmans designate one block of the vineyard for the full time farm workers at the estate to manage entirely on their own. Staying within the general principles of the Stolpman farming philosophy, la cuadrilla or “the crew” make all the farming decisions, from pruning to harvest. In return, the Stolpmans give 100% of the profits back to the workers. Pete says it’s the best motivational tool they could have ever put into place; this piece of ownership breeds loyalty and immense pride in their work. The 2016 is wonderfully aromatic, loaded with garrigue-scented dark red berries. The mid palate is lush, with super fruit, and the finish is long, with very fine tannins. It’s a great choice for anything off the grill, from burgers to slow cooked, BBQ pork shoulder. Fresh and elegant, this is easy wine to drink, one of the food-friendliest American wines that I’ve come across in a long time.
Domaine Laurent Combier Crozes-Hermitage 2016
Combier wines are sourced from rganically farmed and low-yielding vines rooted in clay, sand and granitic soils., The fine aromatic range of the 2016 Crozes-Hermitage, from black olives to blackberries to Asian spices, is created by Combier’s superior farming and careful vinification (a mix of new oak barrels and stainless steel vats). A rich, silky texture and firm structure creates a wine that is delicious now yet will improve in bottle for up to 15 years from release date.
CHAD Proprietary Red Cabernet Blend Napa Valley 2016
Chad’s supple touch and blending prowess with Cabernet allows his 2016 Napa Valley Proprietary Red to completely over-deliver in quality-price ratio. It is aromatic and structured with a deep mid palate just singing with classic cassis and berry fruit. A good dose of Petit Verdot from a spectacular vineyard in Stags Leap contributes that perfect color and the hint of spice. This is a juicy, powerful Cabernet-based blend, displaying the complexity and length generally found in bottles twice its price. 
Beckmen Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon 2016
Crafted from the finest blocks of Cabernet grown at the Beckmen Estate Vineyard, this 100% Cabernet Sauvignon is fantastic. Aromas and flavors of high toned fruit, violets, vanilla, and nutmeg explode from the glass. A big texture and great structure keep the wine well balanced and smooth across the palate, with ripe tannins that carry the flavor on and on, through a long finish that lasts for over a minute.
Cerbaia Brunello di Montalcino 2013
“I love the combination of discreet, mature aromas and the lively red cherry fruit on the nose of this Brunello. Very pure and clean with serious but beautifully integrated dry tannins for 2013. Long and lively finish that makes you want to see what happens to this in 5-10 years — that is if you can resist it now.” JAMES SUCKLING – 93 pts 
Fabre-Montmayou Malbec Gran Riserva 2015
“(14.5% alcohol; aged for a year in new and second-use French oak): Bright, dark ruby-red. Fresh scents of dark fruits, mocha and chocolate lifted by a sexy violet topnote. Nicely concentrated, plush and elegant, and very fresh for a wine from Vistalba (I would have guessed that this wine included some Uco Valley fruit). This captivating Malbec finishes with firm but suave tannins and a solid structure for mid-term aging.” Steven Tanzer, Vinous Media, 92 Points

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