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Staff Favorites - Jeff Garneau
Jeff Garneau
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Jeff has been a member of the sales staff in our Redwood City store for the past four years. His first introduction to wine was as a waiter in an upscale Italian restaurant in Hanover, NH more years ago than he likes to admit. He slowly made his way west to wine country, working his way across the US as a graduate student in geography, a public sector researcher in regional economic development, and briefly, in the wake of the Anderson-Enron scandal, a records management coordinator for one of the remaining Big Five accounting firms. Finally, surrendering to the inevitable, he accepted a position in the wine business here at K&L. His goals for the next four years include drinking more wines from Italy and France and trying to limit the number of open bottles on the dinner table on any given night to fewer than six.
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Reviews
2009 Coufran, Haut-Médoc
Review Date: 08-18-2017
Chateau Coufran lies just north of St-Estèphe in the village of Saint-Seurin-de-Cadourne. There are 76 hectares of vineyards planted entirely on gravel soils close beside the Gironde River. Atypically for a Left Bank property, the grape varieties planted are almost entirely Merlot (85%), earning Coufran the nickname “the Pomerol of the Médoc”. I had the good fortune to taste a barrel sample of the 2009 Coufran at the chateau in 2010. The owner, Eric Miailhe, confided at that time that he considered it the finest wine he had ever made. Now, five years after bottling, the wine truly shows the strength of the outstanding ’09 vintage – very fresh with lively acidity and very fine, but still firm tannins. There is plenty of sweet fruit here with notes of fresh picked blackberry and damson plum. A terrific value from one of the great vintages of the decade.
2016 Léoville-Barton, St-Julien
Review Date: 06-06-2017
Year on year, Leoville Barton continues to deliver wines that are firm, structured, and uncompromisingly tannic in their youth. The 2016 is very much on point with substantial, though very fine, tannins. What is particularly striking is the sheer intensity of the color, from palate-staining purple to nearly inky black. Loads of black fruit here as well. Superbly ripe with notes of fresh blackberry and hints of richer cassis. Like many of the Left Bank wines in 2016, Cabernet Sauvignon very much takes the lead here. Patience will be required but this ought to age magnificently.
2016 Branaire-Ducru, St-Julien
Review Date: 05-09-2017
Chateau Branaire-Ducru is consistently one of the best values in Saint Julien. I love it for its elegance and for its classic appeal. I confess I have quite a few bottles in my cellar from various vintages. I plan to add a few more from this remarkable 2016 vintage. Patrick Maroteaux and his team really outdid themselves, producing one of the best wines from this appellation. Wildly aromatic and deeply colored. Bright, fresh, and very lively with fine tannins. Perfectly ripe, sweet fruit. Balanced. Precise. Complete.
Cappelletti "Sfumato Rabarbaro" Amaro (750ml)
Review Date: 05-03-2017
This wonderful Amaro from Cappelletti is smoky and earthy, sweet and classically bitter. Try it on its own as a digestivo to end a hearty meal or get creative with some of your favorite cocktails. Personally, I am a huge Negroni fan. I have been looking for some time for an Amaro I could pair with Mezcal. As soon as I tasted the Sfumato Rabarbaro Amaro I knew I had found the secret ingredient for my Negroni Sfumato (I thought “Smoke & Mirrors” would be a fun title as well but the rest of the staff seem set on "Smoky Negron"). Try equal parts Sfumato Rabarbaro Amaro from Cappelletti, Cocchi Vermouth di Torino, and your favorite mezcal. I used the Mezcalero "Los Nahuales" Special Edition Sierrudo-Cuishe Mezcal from Los Danzantes. Amazing!
Price:
$21.99
Luxardo Bianco Bitter Liqueur (750ml)
Review Date: 01-06-2017
Like many cocktail aficionados and lovers of all things Italian, our staff members here at K&L just can’t get enough of the amazing selection of Amaros that David Driscoll has been stocking our shelves with. One of the most exciting recent arrivals is this Bitter Bianco from Luxardo. This is the perfect Campari substitute for making a Negroni Bianco. We have been playing around with different recipes, but my current favorite is equal parts Luxardo Bitter Bianco, Bordiga White Vermouth, and Berry Bros & Rudd "No. 3" London Dry Gin. Shake with ice and serve up in a martini glass with a twist of orange.
Price:
$27.99
Mas Codina Brut Reserva Cava Penedès
Review Date: 02-29-2016
Everyone loves a good value in sparkling wine. We would all love to drink Champagne every night, but sometimes you want to spend a little less without compromising quality. For that reason, our buyers here at K&L strive to provide a broad range of alternatives at affordable prices. Over time certain of these have become so popular among our customers and staff that they have achieved an almost iconic status, the kind of wine people buy by the case – among others the Louis Bouillot Cremant de Bourgogne "Perle d'Aurore" Brut Rosé, the Deligeroy Cremant de Loire Brut, and the Mas Codina Cava Brut Reserva Penedès. This classic Spanish cava combines traditional grape varieties like Xarello and Macabeo with those more likely to be found in Champagne like Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. 24 months on the lees adds richness and weight. At this price you can treat yourself whenever you like.
Price:
$13.99
San Venanzio Fortunato Brut Prosecco di Valdobbiadene Superiore
Review Date: 11-10-2015
While the classic Italian Prosecco is "Extra Dry", with just a touch of sweetness on the finish, this charming sparkling wine from San Venanzio is made in a "Brut" style more familiar to American palates. At a mere 11.5% alcohol and at the very attractive, direct import price of $12.99, it's easy on both your palate and your wallet. Crisp, bone dry, refreshing. Low in alchohol. Low in price. An ideal aperitif you can enjoy every day.
Price:
$15.99
Seikyo "Omachi" Junmai Ginjo Sake 720ml
Review Date: 12-31-2014
A real treat for sake lovers - a chance to try a sake made from the historic "Omachi" rice rather than the dominant "Yamada Nishiki" variety. Fat and spicy with hints of melon and grapefruit.
Price:
$29.99
Ariston Aspasie Blanc de Blancs Brut Champagne
Review Date: 12-31-2014
The current disgorgement of the Ariston Aspasie Blanc de Blancs Brut Champagne is perhaps a little firmer, a little less open knit than previous bottlings. But the tradeoff is more focus, more purity, and more length. Quite dry, but with remarkable sweetness of fruit and a light toast that adds depth and character. The ideal New Year's Eve companion - complex enough to be interesting but not so serious as to dominate the conversation.
Price:
$44.99
Ariston Aspasie Brut Rosé Champagne
Review Date: 11-29-2014
Always my favorite rosé champagne here at K&L. Drank it with Thanksgiving dinner this year. Quite dry with a pronounced red fruit character - crisp red apple and tart cherry. For die hard Pinot fans - 50/50 Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier.
Price:
$42.99
Ariston Aspasie "Réserve" Brut Champagne
Review Date: 09-02-2014
I think the Ariston Aspasie Carte Blanche Brut was one of the first grower-producer Champagnes I ever purchased from K&L. It remains to this day our best value in Champagne, and a superb introduction to the grower producer (RM) Champagnes. If your usual Champagne experience is Veuve Clicquot or Moet & Chandon, you owe it to yourself to try the Carte Blanche from Paul-Vincent Ariston. With roughly equal parts of the three classic Champagne grapes, and a retail price comfortably south of $30, this is a no-brainer. Open a bottle for no reason in the middle of the week. You'll feel like royalty.
Price:
$37.99
2010 Smith Haut Lafitte, Pessac-Léognan
Review Date: 02-04-2013
One of the standouts of 2009 with its rich, dark fruit and silky texture. In 2010, it's more, more, more. More ripeness, more richly texture, with more obvious acidity and tannin. Big boned, structured, bright, fresh and very firm.
2009 Pontet-Canet, Pauillac
Review Date: 03-07-2012
Tart berries and spice. Bright and lively. Superb weight and texture.
Launois "Cuvée Réservée" Grand Cru Brut Blanc de Blancs Champagne
Review Date: 12-09-2011
I am embarrassed to admit that before I met Gary Westby, our Champagne buyer, I was not a drinker of Champagne. I probably had had one or two bottles of mediocre, bulk-produced sparkling wine (not Champagne) and dismissed all sparkling wines on that basis. Then Gary introduced me to grower-producer Champagnes like the Launois "Cuvée Reserve" Brut Blanc de Blancs Champagne. The quality--the authenticity--of the wines was a revelation. And the great prices made possible through our direct import program made it impossible not to try as many as I could. If you want to learn about the Côte des Blancs--the home of the finest Chardonnay in Champagne--about Grand Cru sites like Mesnil and Oger, then this is a tutorial in a glass. Fine bead. Clean. Crisp. Wonderfully mineral in its expression, while still rich in texture. Try it on its own as an aperitif or, better yet, with our local Dungeness crab.
Price:
$39.99
Charles Baur Crémant d'Alsace Brut Rosé
Review Date: 12-31-2010
Gorgeous salmon color! Fresh, ripe strawberry nose. Crisp, dry style. Superb Pinot Noir character. Imported directly from the producer in Alsace, this is one of our best values in sparkling wine under $20.
Price:
Hidden
2009 Haut-Brion, Pessac-Léognan
Review Date: 05-19-2010
Exceptional concentration and length. Rich, dark fruit, sweet and ripe. Very fine tannins.
Franck Bonville Grand Cru Brut Blanc de Blancs Champagne
Review Date: 02-09-2010
This may be the best deal in Champagne that K&L offers. 100% Chardonnay. 100% Grand Cru fruit from some of the best vineyards in the Côte des Blancs. Don't write this wine off because you didn't pay more for it! This is an outstanding Champagne at an unbelievable price. It will delight you with its rich, creamy texture. Ripe pear and chalky mineral notes give way to toasty, fresh baked apple tart on the mid palate. The wine finishes with a crisp, zingy citrus note of Meyer lemon. Enjoy this wine alone, as a refreshing aperitif or together with chilled, cracked Dungeness crab.