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Wine Scores
Below is a listing of the wine review scores we frequently reference in our notes. While these sources remain an excellent source of information, we always recommend that you trust your own palate. Scores in these publications often represent the personal taste of an individual critic, which may not always coincide with your own. We have a huge team of excellent wine professionals that can match wines you've had in the past with new arrivals that meet your flavor profile.
- Allen Meadows - Burghound
- Connoisseurs Guide
- Gambero Rosso
- Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
- International Wine Cellar
- Wine & Spirits
- Wine Enthusiast
- Wine Spectator
- The Wine News
- Malt Advocate
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Staff Favorites - Kirk Walker
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Reviews
2006 Beronia Tempranillo Rioja
Review Date: 11-19-2009
This is a terrific everyday Rioja. Dark fruits, medium bodied and a touch of earthiness. This is a wine that you'll want to buy more than a couple bottles of, it is so food friendly that you'll end up reaching for it a couple times a week if you are not careful.
Price: $12.99
2007 Ridge Vineyards "Lytton Springs" Dry Creek Zinfandel
Review Date: 11-19-2009
This is one heck of a Zinfandel! the rumor has it that the 07 vintage is the best Zinfandel vintage since the early 80's. This is a wine full of vibrant fruits and intense spiciness. This wine possess great structure, it was so good I couldn't resist a second glass!
Price: $29.99
2004 Talenti Brunello di Montalcino
Review Date: 11-19-2009
Dark, full, rich and intense. Need I say more? How about an hours worth of decanting and this is the ultimate 04 Brunello for you to be drinking right now. You can cellar it for 5 to 7 years if you want to, if you can!
Price: $44.99
2004 Tenuta di Sesta Brunello di Montalcino
Review Date: 11-19-2009
This is the first vintage that I have tried from this producer, and wow! This is the real deal at a great price. Dark pure fruits that are supported by great tannins and acid. The finish build with the classic sotto bosco that you would expect from Brunello. Good now with a rich meal but will get better with a few more years in bottle.
Price: $34.99
2008 Domaine Renaud Mâcon-Solutré
Review Date: 11-18-2009
One of my favorite direct import Macons. This always exhibits the best minerality and great finish. This is a great everyday white burgundy!
Price: $12.99
2008 Alamos Chardonnay Mendoza
Review Date: 10-16-2009
South America is the place for value! Here is a wine, that tasted blind you would say, classic California Chardonnay, and then guess in the $15-$20 price range! Ripe fruit, rich palate with butter and toasty oak. Best bang forthe buck for big Chardonnay in the store!
Price: $10.99
Antech "Emotion" Cremant de Limoux Rosé
Review Date: 10-16-2009
A must try for anyone who likes Sparkling Rose! This beautifully colored wine offers plenty of delicated red berries, soft mousse and long dry finish. It is just elegant! Buy it buy the case, you cannot have enough of this around!
Price: $14.99
2006 Fontodi Chianti Classico
Review Date: 10-16-2009
This is fantastic chianti. Rich and dense but with enough structure to carry it gracefully along the palate. Red and dark fruits, with a savory earthiness, this is Sangiovese at its best. Not a simple pasta wine, think lamb ragu, bistecca florentina, roasts.... Oh and it will get better over the next couple years, it you can keep your hands off of it!
Price: $27.99
2007 Undone Pinot Noir
Review Date: 10-16-2009
This is an everyday priced pinot done right. Bright, elegant with delicate and pure wild strawberry and cherry aromas. The palate follows the same theme as the nose bright fruits, a touch of spice and just a wiff of earth. Ideal for everyday cuisine, roast chicken grilled sausages, take-out...
Price: $10.99
2008 Elsa Torrontes Mendoza
Review Date: 10-13-2009
Bright and fresh. It is like summer in a bottle. Perfect for recalling this past summer's adventures.
Price: $7.99
2005 Santa Martina Toscano Rosso
Review Date: 10-2-2009
Here is any every day Supertuscan from the owners of Cabreo and Nozzole Chianti labels, there is no shortage of know how here! This is a blend of 40% Sangiovese, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot and 20% Syrah. Bright, almost juicy red fruits and dark berries with just a touch of earth on the nose. Clean and pure on the palate, with just the right amount of acidity to carry the fruit onto a surprisingly long finish with just a dusting of earth that trails the fruit.
Price: $8.95
2007 Villa Pillo Toscana Borgoforte
Review Date: 10-2-2009
Villa Pillo is a very old Tuscan farm located in the heart of the Chianti region. The estate of 500 hectares was purchased in 1989 by John and Kathe Dyson, who also own Williams Selyem. They have planted new vineyards and orchards as well as modernize and refurbish the winery. A blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Sangiovese, aged for one year in French barrique. Bigger than the previous vintage, more fruit and more structure, this is a wine for red meat or maybe a deep fried turkey! Dark berries, black fruits and a savory earthiness on the nose and the palate, requires a 30 minute to one hour decanting, this is a very serious wine for a reasonable price.
Price: $11.99
2006 Etude Carneros Pinot Noir
Review Date: 9-24-2009
Unmistakably Californian, with subtle nuances that speak of a Burgundy. A wine with great fruit, earth spice and balance. A perfect wine for anytime, but aptly suited to the approaching autumn.
Price: $35.99
2007 Baricci Rosso di Montalcino
Review Date: 9-10-2009
This is amazing Rosso! Even better than the previous vintage. Rich and spicy with beautiful complex fruit tones. What I like most about this wine is it is a Rosso that wants to be a Rosso, not a Brunello. If you want the Brunello, buy that! This is for everyday consumption, bolognese sauces, game birds, grilled sausages...
Price: $19.99
2007 Domaine des Nembrets Denis Barraud Pouilly-Fuissé "Les Chataigniers",
Review Date: 9-10-2009
This is a cuvee from several of the estate vineyards. Unlike the previous wine, this wine sees a small percentage new oak. This is a serious wine for an extremely reasonable price. What is immediately noticeable it the minerality of this wine, starting on the nose it resonates though out the wine, especially on it vibrant finish! The palate is modestly generous with plenty of lemon and stone fruit tones that seemed to be etched into the wine. The touch of oak gives a hint of spice and there is a slight creaminess that adds depth and richness. This wine over performs for the price!
Price: $19.99
2008 Domaine des Nembrets Denis Barraud St-Véran
Review Date: 9-10-2009
This has always been a favorite of mine. These limestone rich soils always impart a hint of minerality that in the skillful hands of Denis adds depth and brings a little more focus and dimension to the fruit. The fruit tones are pure and range from bright pear to an almost juicy tropical. Modestly rich with good length there is also a real subtle nuttiness that adds a touch of roundness, this wine is will ideally pair with roasted chicken with plenty of fresh herbs, or more intriguingly an apricot chicken tangine!
Price: $14.99
2007 La Fortuna Rosso di Montalcino
Review Date: 9-10-2009
Every year La fortunas wine are get better. This is no exception. Dark fruit polished and delicious.
Price: $19.99
2007 Sella Coste della Sesia "Orbello"
Review Date: 9-10-2009
This is one of the more unusual wines that I have tasted recently. A blend of Nebbiolo, Barbera and Cabernet Sauvignon. At no point in drinking this wine can you pull out a note and go, a-ha nebbiolo or that's the cab! This is a wine that is greater than the sum of it component varietals. Fresh fruit, ranging from red berries to darker fruits with an intense mineral spice that is present from nose to finish. Medium full with moderate tannins and fresh acidity, this is a wine for braised meats, lamb and rich cheeses.
Price: $19.99
2007 Château de Montfaucon "Baron Louis" Côtes du Rhône
Review Date: 8-31-2009
Incredible wine. Every year this wine seems to get better and better. A Cotes du Rhone that exceeds the potential of the appellation!
Price: $17.99
Launois "Quartz" Brut Blanc de Blancs Champagne
Review Date: 8-31-2009
It is hard to choose a favorite Launois wine. All of them are so good. What makes the Quartz stand out, other than it being unique in that it has few ATM's of pressure in the bottle, is the brightness of the fruit. There is a dazzling purity that make you want more and more! The mousse is soft and you couldn't guess that there is less pressure, and the finish is terrific. Grab some while we still have it!
Price: $34.99
2008 Contesa Vino Sfuso Rosso
Review Date: 8-1-2009
I was real excited when I was told that we would be bringing in a Vino Sfuso, or bulk wine. I was hoping for a 3 to 4 liter bag in a box that we could sell for cheap, I was envisioning a big stack of it right by the door that would just fly out of the building. I was disappointed to see that it came in a traditional 750ml bottle, but for $6.99, I quickly got over it. This is made from 100% Montepulciano grown in the Marche. A vibrant nose with dark red and black fruits, the palate is dominated by lots of primary fruit tones and it has a modest finish with good acidity. It is a perfect café red. Grilled meats, earthy cheeses, and simple pastas all work with this little charmer, buy it by the case!
Price: $6.99
2007 Marisa Cuomo Ravello Bianco
Review Date: 8-1-2009
This wine takes you immediately to the Amalfi coast. (I haven't been yet, so I am just imagining!) It tastes like the sea. Vibrant, racy, savory and just delicious! A blend of falanghina and 40% biancolella the fruit is almost indescribable flirting with tropical fruits but leaning distinctly towards the citrus. All of that backed with a real subtle saline like minerality, almost like the salty tang of the sea. Pair with almost anything from the sea, raw or cooked!
Price: $21.99
2007 San Francesco Cirò
Review Date: 8-1-2009
I have been waiting for K & L to carry a Ciro for a while. One of the most famous wines from Calabria. Made from Gaglioppo this is a medium bodied wine with dark earthy berry tones and modest acidity. Try this with cured meats the region is famous for its Capicola and pancetta. Pair with an entre, think braciole!
Price: $12.99
2007 Vinosia Primitivo di Salento
Review Date: 8-1-2009
This is everyday red that is anything but common. The nose is full of ripe fruits with and interesting spice note to it. The palate is medium bodied and round with soft easy tannins. The fruit profile leans more towards berry on the palate with a faint echo of that spice note that was found on the nose. This is an ideal Indian summer BBQ wine.
Price: $9.99
2007 Weingut Bürgerspital Würzbürger Abtsleite Silvaner Trocken (Dry) (cannot ship)
Review Date: 8-1-2009
One of the best Silvaners I have ever had! You have to look past the goofy shaped bottle, what is inside is fantastic. Vibrant, linear and balanced. It dances across the palate and then lingers on with a tremendous finish. Cool yellow fruits with a hint of something tropical and that earthy spice tone that is Silvaner. I know it is not a noble variety, but if more wine was made like this, the grape would be quickly elevated!
Price: $21.99
2006 Antech "Cuvee Eugenie" Cremant de Limoux
Review Date: 7-15-2009
Great everyday bubbles. Elegant with good fruit and toasty notes. Ideal party wine or for when you just need some fizzy booze!
Price: $9.99
2008 Domaine Begude Sauvignon Blanc Vin de Pays d'Oc
Review Date: 7-15-2009
Remember when Sancerre was reasonably priced? This is a wine that will take you back to those good old days. While not a mineral driven as most Sancerres it does posses some of that tell tale stony notes. Bright and fresh with vibrant citrus fruit, this could be your summer house white.
Price: $12.99
Kasumi Tsuru Shiboritate Namazake Genshu Sake 300ml
Review Date: 7-15-2009
Late spring and early summer mean one thing, well many things actually, but for our purposes now Namazake. Yes, the unpasteurized sakes, not to be confused with the unfiltered sakes that you'll find in our fridge up front. These Sakes are just more, more fruit, more texture, more depth, more expensive (not in this case!) Not just for sushi, try grilled tuna steaks, fried chicken or if your like me as a cocktail! The great thing about this is the 300ml sized bottle perfect for those who want to try something new but aren't ready to commit to a full bottle.
Price: $14.99
2007 Romanelli "Predara" Rosso Umbria IGT
Review Date: 7-15-2009
This is a medium to medium-full bodied Sangiovese blend with some Sagrantino and Merlot. While it is everyday priced it is not an everyday wine, only to be paired with the richest of pasta sauces this wine is a meat and potato wine. So fire up the grill and go to town!
Price: $11.99
2006 Tenuta Scilio Valle Galfina Etna Rosso
Review Date: 7-15-2009
This is a textbook introduction to the region and its varietals. Located on the North-Eastern side of Mount Etna, the farmhouse and cellars of Tenuta Scilio can trace back to 1815. The peculiar climatic conditions of the area, the volcanic soil and a low yield per vine are essential for the production of Etna’s famous wines. This blend of Nerello Mascalese and Nerello Mantellato, is rich, round and with a touch of tannic grip, just the thing to pair with grilled Tuna or rustic and Sicillian dishes featuring eggplant, tomatos and capers.
2007 Blason Franconia (was $11.99)
Review Date: 7-9-2009
Friuli is best known for its white but the reds are something to seek out, just like this! Grown elsewhere in Europe as Blaufrankisch. This is a perfect every day red. Medium bodied with just enough soft tannins to give it some grip. Fruits that range from red to black, a touch of earth and spice. Crack open a bottle before dinner; it is good as an apertivo but even better with the meal. Grilled pork chops, summer minestrone, a burger and homemade mac and cheese .... really almost anything!
Price: $9.99
2007 Brooks Willamette Valley Pinot Noir
Review Date: 7-9-2009
Delicious and afordable! It is always a treat to find a reasonably price pinot that has everything that I want from a Pinot. Fruit, earth, a touch of spice and enough acidity to tie it all together. Good complexity, great texture and surprisingly long finish.
Price: $18.99
2008 Domaine Begude Pinot Noir Vin de Pays d'Oc Rosé
Review Date: 7-9-2009
Pinot Rose! Elegant and crisp think Sancerre Rose but more reaonsably priced! Light strawberries, cherries and a hint a mineral. Perfect for a warm summer evening with antipasta!
Price: $12.99
La Caudrina La Selvatica "Asti"
Review Date: 7-9-2009
This is the best Asti I have ever had! It is happy in a glass. Text book Muscat aromatics but softer, prettier, almost elegant. Perfumy but in a sofisticated way. Light round and soft on the palate with a delicate sweetness. I have drunk more of this just by itself, it never seems to last until the cheese or dessert course!
Price: $19.99
Launois "Cuvée Reserve" Brut Blanc de Blancs Champagne
Review Date: 7-9-2009
It is hard to miss this wine with its great packaging, but more importantly it is the juice between the bubbles. Ever since I started working for K & L, first bottle I took home was this wine!, I have been a big fan. Broad rich on the palate with a great bead. The flavors lean towards white Burgundy, what's not to like?
Price: $34.99
2007 Posta Arignano San Severo Rosso Puglia
Review Date: 7-4-2009
Super tasty everyday Southern Italian Rosso. Mostly Montepulciano with a touch of Sangiovese, this wine has plenty of multidimensional fruit, earth modest tannin and just enough acidity to keep it focused. Rich enough to pair with a meatsauce light enough to wash down grilled poultry.
Price: $9.99
2007 Corbera "Isola d'Oro" Nerello Mascalese
Review Date: 1-30-2009
A reasonably priced Nerello Mascalese! I am incredibly fond of this varietal; it offers a delicate complex alternative to the rich and robust Nero d'Avola. It is almost Burgundy, but for half the price of most Bourgogne Rouge! Ripe, dark berries with modest tannins and a dusting of mineral earthiness. Don't let the price point and it's youth fool you, this is seriously good wine!
Price: $9.99
2004 Rocca di Montegrossi Chianti Classico "San Marcellino"
Review Date: 8-22-2008
I will apologize up front, I'm going to buy a lot of this, so there will be fewer bottle for the rest of you! This is great wine from a single vineyard that looks as if it were glazed with exfoliating Galestro soil! This is amazing sangiovese. Pure is the first word that comes to mind to describe it. It has that classic dark cherry fruit that is highlighted by savory sotto bosco spiciness. The wine is intense, with a broad mid-palate and just enough tannin to give it a firm gentleman farmer’s handshake. The acidity gives this wine a brilliant core from which the fruit and earth really shine. The finish is great, it just goes and goes. The best thing is that this wine will really satisfy anyone looking for immediate gratification, but if you can wait, this wine will be unspeakably incredible in 10 years (I can’t wait!).
Price: $39.99
2004 Rocca di Montegrossi "Geremia"
Review Date: 8-22-2008
This blend of cabernet sauvignon and merlot appears to be the love child of a third-growth Pessac-Léognan and a great Pomerol estate conceived on Tuscan holiday! This wine is concentrated and intense, with lots of dark fruit as well as gravelly earthiness and spicy oak tones, all in harmony. It has a long, elegant finish that is ideal for lying down for a few more years, say three or four. If you must drink it now, decant it for a couple of hours and have a great time.
Price: $39.99
2005 Domaine Desertaux-Ferrand Côte-de-Nuits-Villages Vieilles Vignes
Review Date: 5-21-2008
This is darker, richer and really showcases that dark fruit/berry Côte de Nuits character. This wine is just as charming, but carries more weight and round ripe fruit on the mid-palate. It has more fruit, more body and more aromatics and it is well worth the extra money. Drink it now or even put it away for a couple of years (or both); you will not regret it!
Price: $24.99
