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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
- James Halliday
- James Suckling
- Malt Advocate
- Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
- International Wine Cellar
- Wine & Spirits
- Wine Enthusiast
- Wine Spectator
- The Wine News
- Malt Advocate
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Customer Reviews - KLF
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KLF
12 year customer of K&L, a serious amateur wine drinker. Passionate about finding value wines that trump the bigger brands of their class. Love all things Rhone, Piedmont, Chianti, Spain and the up-and-comers of California.
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Reviews |
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2008 Sherwood Pinot Noir Marlborough
(out of stock)
Review Date: 1-27-2010
Score based on my opinion of quality to price. Wow. 2008 was a spotty vintage for pinot noir on the South Island. But this Sherwood is amazing! This is my #1 recommendation right now for pinot noir under $15, trumping A to Z from Oregon. Great fruit, great balance, and a solid dose of minerality that Burgundy drinkers will appreciate. For a denser, darker-fruited wine in this genre, look at Quartz Reef 2006 for $19.
Price: $14.99
2007 Federico Tinto Roble Ribera del Duero
(out of stock)
Review Date: 1-27-2010
The quality to price ratio is very high on this one. I have had many reds rom the Ribera region at twice the cost that I didn't like as much as this one. Word to the wise - let this guy breathe for an hour or two before serving. Until then, the fruit doesn't really show.
Price: $14.99
2008 Mt. Difficulty Pinot Gris Central Otago
(out of stock)
Review Date: 1-15-2010
(Score based on my quality to price ratio.) At $20, you are paying $5 for the brand and $15 for the wine when I compare it to other value-priced pinot gris in Central Otago. This wine is a great example of South Island NZ pinot gris. So if you like it, I urge you to look further for lesser known names in the region. That said, what's great about Otago pinot gris is a strong minerality in these wines not often found anywhere else besides Alsace.
Price: $14.99
2005 Poderi San Lazzaro "Grifola" Marche IGT
(out of stock)
Review Date: 1-15-2010
(Score based on my quality to price ratio at $24 club price). Wow, this one is simply gorgeous and drinking well right now. One of the great values of Marche, and the perfect montepulciano to share with your friends who can't seem to kick their California cab, syrah or zin habits. Hey - I love Cali wines when the value is right, but in the $24 class, there aren't many American reds that can compete with this Poderi San Lazzaro.
Price: $14.99
2008 Kalinda Pinot Gris Marlborough New Zealand
(out of stock)
Review Date: 1-12-2010
(Score based on quality to price ratio.) Having just returned from New Zealand, it's no surprise to me that K&L's Kalinda line features a NZ pinot gris, as these wines pack the fruit+minerality that you only can get in Alsatian and Swiss names. That said, there's no other place on earth you can get these flavors in a bottle for $11. I believe pinot gris is currently the top white grape in NZ, and universally more appealing, especially to folks like me who do not appreciate the green apple and lemony flavors of the much more popular sauvingon blanc.
Price: $11.99
2000 Jade Mountain Paras Vineyard "Block P10" Syrah
(out of stock)
Review Date: 11-16-2009
Why to buy this wine: because it's $20, to see what Jade Mountain is like if you've never tried it, and now with some bottle age. Why not buy? It's not that great of a wine IMHO. I poured it last Saturday with three other comparable Cali syrahs. Guest say Jade came in 4th place behind Beckman, Copain, Amphora. Me? I'll take my $20 to a St Joseph wine and skip California altogether.
Price: $19.99
2007 Poggiarellino Rosso di Montalcino
(out of stock)
Review Date: 11-2-2009
Amazing value at wine club price of $12.50. This is the best Poggiarellino rosso d' that I have tried so far (of three). It is classic, old style sangiovese on a great vintage year. SUGGESTION: tannins are firm and dusty. Serve only with food...that can stand up to them, or, wait for a few years for them to calm down, which I assume they will. I'm buying a case, and going to forget about it for at least a year.
Drink from
2010
to
2016
Price: $14.99
2007 Alpen Cellars Trinity County Pinot Noir
(out of stock)
Review Date: 10-31-2009
Great quality to price ratio here. Blind tasters who like this style would expect it to be $30+.
Drink from
2009
to
2012
Price: $16.99
2006 Storybook Mountain "Eastern Exposures" Napa Valley Zinfandel
(out of stock)
Review Date: 10-30-2009
I bought this one on the advice of John Majeski at the SF store, and greatful that I did. A library-class zinfandel, and one of the few. The 2006 is clearly an outstanding wine, but barely showing its greatness now. I will open another bottle in about 18 months from now and see where we're at.
Drink from
2011
Price: $39.99
2008 Olek Bondonio Langhe Rosso "Giulietta"
(out of stock)
Review Date: 10-30-2009
This is certainly a well made, unique wine, but not one for me at this price. I 'get' the elegance of pepper, roses, strawberries, but I just kept wanting more than this wine gives. Instead of Olek Bondonio, I'd rather have a well made Beajoulais or red Burgundy for the same money. Also, be careful who you serve the wine to -- they have to be into faint and elegant flavors or else they will think this a garden variety $10 wine (as two of my guests did).
Drink from
2009
Price: $19.99
2005 Vecchie Terre di Montefili Chianti Classico
(out of stock)
Review Date: 10-16-2009
Would be a 4.5 if not for the bizarre sandalwoody, clovey note in the midpalate that I could not shake. 2 hours of decanting slows it down and makes it right with food. That said, the rest of the wine experience is simply beautiful, especially for the price.
Drink from
2009
Price: $21.99
2006 Schinosa Nero di Troia
(out of stock)
Review Date: 9-20-2009
A grape called nero di Troia? Such is Italy. This is a really neat wine that I never would have found on my own. Flavor description: cab franc meets barbera meets nero di avola. I'll echo Greg St. Clair's suggestion NOT to decant it before serving (after first opening). After an hour, the tannins became unbearable. THEN, after leaving half the the bottle overnight (no gas, just cork), it magically softened back to a reasonable state. Hmm.
Drink from
2009
Price: $13.99
2007 Stags' Leap Winery Napa Valley Viognier
(out of stock)
Review Date: 9-20-2009
Heads up - this wine needs 30-60 minutes of air and to be warmer than fridge temps to fully show. Otherwise, you will miss half the experience. Also, this wine does not last overnight in the fridge...it fades surprisingly quickly.
At the wine club price of $14, this is a tremendous value, and I'm buying more. Even at the regular $20 price, this is an excellent choice for a French-styled viognier (less 'gush', more balance, acid) that is begging to be paired with food rather than served on its own.
But watch out if you are into the insanely rich, sweeter, more deeply flavored California viogniers...this isn't one of them. Pick Copain Tous Ensemble instead.
At the wine club price of $14, this is a tremendous value, and I'm buying more. Even at the regular $20 price, this is an excellent choice for a French-styled viognier (less 'gush', more balance, acid) that is begging to be paired with food rather than served on its own.
But watch out if you are into the insanely rich, sweeter, more deeply flavored California viogniers...this isn't one of them. Pick Copain Tous Ensemble instead.
Drink from
2009
to
2010
Price: $9.99
2007 Miner Family "Garys' Vineyard" Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir
(out of stock)
Review Date: 9-19-2009
This is certainly a nice wine, but I'm not bowled over when I consider the price -- which is on par with other excellent Santa Lucia wines.
Personally, I would skip this one and save my ducats for one of the ultra premium wines from this region, and offset the higher price by drinking a few more value priced names in the meantime.
Needs at least two years of aging I believe.
Personally, I would skip this one and save my ducats for one of the ultra premium wines from this region, and offset the higher price by drinking a few more value priced names in the meantime.
Needs at least two years of aging I believe.
Drink from
2011
Price: $54.99
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