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Staff Favorites - Clyde Beffa Jr.
Clyde Beffa Jr.
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Had K&L co-owner and main wine buyer Clyde Beffa Jr. not read an article about the gentlemanly hobby of wine collecting in the February 1971 issue of Playboy, he might still be weighing the merits of Holsteins versus Jerseys instead of Château Margaux or Haut-Bailly. Beffa owned a dairy in Tracy, California, from 1967-1973, leaving the the business to co-found K&L Liquors, as it was known back then, in 1976. Clyde started traveling to Europe in 1982 and over the years, he has worked hard to build K&L into one of the nation's go-to sources for the world's diverse wines, developing relationships with winemakers and châteaux owners the world over. Clyde's passion is surely Bordeaux, especially the fabulous wines from Pauillac and St-Julien (like Pichon-Lalande and Léoville-Barton). When he's not drinking France's legendary reds, you'll likely find Clyde indulging in Sauvignon Blanc. A fan of Sancerre, Pouilly-Fumé and white Bordeaux, he'll also tuck into a bottle of Kiwi Sauv Blanc if there's no corkscrew around. These days you'll likely find Clyde extolling the virtues of underrated Bordeaux vintages like 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004 and 2006, or playing with his German Shepherd Sadie. Or you may see him in his vegetable garden and, once in a great while, on the golf course.
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Reviews
2012 Lanessan, Haut-Médoc
Review Date: 01-13-2024
A staple at K&L, showing elegant notes of crushed stones, wood spices, and cassis. On the palate, it is medium-bodied, with cassis fruit and dark cherries. The touch of spices and earthiness lend to its elegance. An absolute no-brainer.
Price:
$21.99
2015 Poujeaux, Moulis
Review Date: 08-01-2023
One of my old time favorites—I just drank a heavenly bottle of their 1997. You can never go wrong with Poujeaux.
Just tasted again in 2023. The sweetness of the 2015 vintage shines through here. Very fruit forward and delicious wine to enjoy with a roast beef dinner. Ripe red fruits and some cassis notes on the nose and palate. Will cellar well--decant an hour and enjoy.
2016 Tertio de Montrose, St-Estèphe
Review Date: 07-23-2023
The first time we have carried this wine-the third wine of the fabulous Chateau Montrose property. We tasted this wine a year and half ago, and it finally arrived.
Very perfumed aromas of roses and blackberries-Fresh and fruity and lively wine. Delicious now with a juicy hamburger. We love the 2016 vintage from Bordeaux, and this wine fits the bill as a great value. Just a step behind the Dame de Montrose.
A must try.
clyde
Price:
$27.99
2022 Branaire-Ducru, St-Julien
Review Date: 05-31-2023
An awesome wine from a great property. These folks are making fabulous wines for the past 20 years. This one may be the best this century- their 1928 is one of the ten best wines i have EVER drunk.
Spicy raspberry aromas and fabulous sweet palate entry. Packed with red berry fruits that cover the tannins. Long and lingering finish. Perfect balance and one of my top 2022 that i tasted.
2016 Domaine de Chevalier Rouge, Pessac-Léognan
Review Date: 09-29-2022
One of our favorites and I have at least twn vintages in my cellar. Superb minerality in this wine which is very precise and focused. So fresh and lively. Layers of ripe fruit and some latent tannin underneath. Lovely and usually priced correctly.
2021 Domaine de Chevalier Blanc, Pessac-Léognan
Review Date: 06-14-2022
Toasty aromas with some cumin and curry notes underneath, Fabulous balance, and a long lingering finish. Bravo ! Maybe it is so good because they listen to the birds as to when they pick-which is usually 2 hours after sunrise.
2020 Haut-Bailly, Pessac-Léognan
Review Date: 07-08-2021
Dark, inky color. Very spicy aromas with hints of lilac. Full mouthful of red berries and blackcurrants. Packed with ripe fruit which overpower and hide the tannins. Very elegant wine with a long, lingering finish. Must be one of the top wines for 2020 Bordeaux. 42% Merlot, 52% Cab Sauv and mix of PV and CF. Full-bodied wine when tasted at the property. Will age well for a long time. Close to 2009 in quality.
2020 Smith Haut Lafitte Rouge, Pessac-Léognan
Review Date: 07-08-2021
With a special label honoring the Cathiard’s Thirty years of winemaking.at Smith. This wine has huge scores from the writers with three or four possible 100 pts. 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, plus PV and Cab Franc. This wine is like a lazer beam-very precise and focused. I think 2020 is their best wine in the thirty years of winemaking-Fabian is a great winemaker. Sexy and ripe-will age well.
2009 Coufran, Haut-Médoc
Review Date: 05-29-2021
Great vintage and a superb value property. Tons of blackberry aromas and flavors. Very ripe. Still drinking well. The ripe style of the vintage blends well with the rustic style of the property. We have sold over 7500 bottles to date.
2020 Léoville-Barton, St-Julien
Review Date: 05-23-2021
This wine was huge when tasted from 2 week old sample. Reserved in the nose, but opens with air. Red rose aromas and cassis flavors. Very well structured for the cellar.
2020 Domaine de Chevalier Blanc, Pessac-Léognan
Review Date: 05-23-2021
Tasted twice in Redwood city store. 1st time-Perfumy white peach aromas. Seamless wine which is lush on the palate with plenty of acidity and a touch of oak, but very well balanced-Long and lovely. 2nd sample from property-Citrus and fig aromas. Lovely texture on the palate. Seamless and superb length and depth. Very focused and balanced-elegant and almost perfect. The second wine Esprit de Chevalier-will be a great value in stock-
2014 Haut-Bailly, Pessac-Léognan
Review Date: 07-28-2017
Veronique Sanders can do no wrong at Haut Bailly and this property is a star in Bordeaux.
A very well-made wine with ripe cherry and cassis notes. Bright fruit and lively acidity balance the tannins very well, and the finish is long and quite complex. One of the truly great 2014s.
2016 Haut-Bailly, Pessac-Léognan
Review Date: 06-09-2017
We all love this property and its managing director Veronique Sanders. Ever since she started managing the estate in the very late 90s, Haut Bailly has been one of K&L’s best selling Bordeaux wines. 53% CS here and 13.6 alcohol. My notes—Pure silk!! And at the property-Iron fist in a velvet glove! Refined, seamless, Balanced. You name it. But the quantities they release will not be much for us.
2016 Canon, St-Émilion
Review Date: 06-01-2017
One of the best terroirs in St Emilion and the wine is again of the better 2016s. . Tasted out of barrel. Toasty aromas, black color-black cherry flavors. Ethereal wine.
2016 Cheval Blanc, St-Émilion
Review Date: 06-01-2017
59%M, 37%CF, 3%CS. Tons of red rose and Asian spice aromas. Quite elegant wine with layers of sweet red fruits. Classy wine, but probably very expensive.
2016 Smith Haut Lafitte, Pessac-Léognan
Review Date: 06-01-2017
The Cathiards have brought Smith from underperforming to Bordeaux superstar in 25 years. They have learned from their earlier vintages and now make surely a second growth quality wine-maybe super second at a good price. The 2015 sold very well, and this is as good. 65% CS for this sexy, somewhat exotic mouthful of pleasure. Full-bodied and quite rich on the palate. Some red roses and cassis shining through on this modern rendition.
2016 Léoville-Las Cases, St-Julien
Review Date: 06-01-2017
Just 13.6% alcohol on this-one of the best wines of the vintage. Surprise! Surprise! Chocolate and spice and everything nice on the nose. Totally integrated on the palate. Seamless and pure-lovely texture. Will age long time because of the balance. Almost perfect, but it won't be cheap!
2016 Mouton Rothschild, Pauillac
Review Date: 06-01-2017
This is the best first growth I tasted from 2016--very much in the vein of the great 86 Mouton with softer fruit, so almost like a combination of 82 and 86. The wine is utter perfection, in my my top three for 2016 overall. Only Lafite and Petrus are as good, in my opinion.
2016 d'Issan, Margaux
Review Date: 05-30-2017
A special wine that oozes dark cherry and plum fruit with ample structure that makes it ideal for long term aging. Silky and velvety!
2016 Branaire-Ducru, St-Julien
Review Date: 05-09-2017
64% Cabernet and it shows it with vivid red color and bright red berry aromas. Tons of fruit attacks the palate and great mid palate sweetnes. My notes say-Fruit-freshness-elegance. Round plush tannins and lovely texture and only 6% increase in price from the 2015 vintage. I much prefer 2016.
2010 Haut-Bailly, Pessac-Léognan
Review Date: 06-21-2016
One of their best-ever wines. Tons of fruit, tannin, acid, terroir, etc. I know I am favorably biased, but I absolutely love the wines from this property. They have really improved since the early ’90s, and they were quite good before.
2012 Beau-Séjour Bécot, St-Emilion
Review Date: 08-17-2015
A superb right bank wine for a great price. Tons of fruit and smooth tannins. Semi new wave, but good balancing acid. Great cellar value.
2005 Hosanna, Pomerol
Review Date: 07-21-2015
Fabulous Bordeaux vintage and a great property. Juicy wine with tons of blackberry flavors. Cellar a long time. Just re-scored by Mr. Parker. I give it 99 points.
1963 Warre's Vintage Port
Review Date: 03-10-2015
1963 is the best vintage for Port in the last 52 years. The Warre is sweet and delicious right now. Make sure to decant before serving.
2010 Pontet-Canet, Pauillac
Review Date: 02-11-2013
** 1/2 Pontet-Canet is on a roll. Tasted three times, and each time it was perfect and sexy, with everything in harmony. Very stylish, balanced and fresh. Laser beam fruit. Lovely, open, powerful and dense without being extracted. Long and lush.
2010 Smith Haut Lafitte, Pessac-Léognan
Review Date: 02-04-2013
*1/2 Tasted three times, once at UGC, once at the Joanne tasting and once at the Château. It has tons of mineral-driven fruit on the palate to complement the blackberry fruit flavors. Great freshness, long and balanced.
2009 Pape Clément, Pessac-Léognan
Review Date: 10-24-2012
*½+ Less expensive than their 2005! 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 45% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc. Red berry fruit. This is very rich on the palate. Smooth and long. At UGC: New wave nose and flavors. Very sweet palate impression. Earthy finish.
2009 Pontet-Canet, Pauillac
Review Date: 03-07-2012
** A fabulous wine. Tons of spicy black fruits. At property: Plummy, oaky aromas with chocolate undertones. No edges. Serenity. Tasted again in September 2010: My god, this is great. Bluish-black color, Asian spice aromas, a sweet palate entry and a lingering finish. Could score 100 points...(Guess what? Parker just scored it 100 pts - Feb 2012!)
Billecart-Salmon "Le Réserve" Champagne
Review Date: 08-09-2011
As focused as ever, almost lemony on the palate and super refreshing. It reminds me of when we sold a special Billecart "K&L Cuvée" years back.
2009 Haut-Brion, Pessac-Léognan
Review Date: 05-19-2010
K&L's Notes: **½ Violets on the nose and quite minerally. Elegant style, but seems tannic at back.