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Staff Favorites - Gary Westby
Gary Westby
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Subscribe to My Sommelier Service
I started at K&L in February of 2000, after 4 years of working down the street for another retailer, and although I take care of the Champagne buying here at K&L, I love to drink wine from all over the world. I prize authenticity in wine, and love representative examples of many different styles, whether it is a spicy dry creek zinfandel or a mineral driven Manzanilla. I almost always drink my wine with food, and am drawn to food wines rather than the softer styles that are good for drinking on their own. My wife Cinnamon and I cook a lot of Italian & French food at home, and my list of wines reflects those food choices. I also love value, at every price point, and can't stand "prestige" labels that under deliver in the bottle. I love honest wines for the table. If you love good wine to go with your good cooking too, I think that by joining my personal Sommelier list you will be treated to a wide variety of wines that represent a strong value for money at what ever price range you feel comfortable with. Give it a try!
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Reviews
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2009 Clos du Val Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
Review Date: 1-16-2013
It has been 41 years since John Goelethires and Bernard Portet harvested their first vintage of Clos du Val in 1972. Since then, their Cabernet's have gained fame by showing very well in the original Paris tasting, winning the rematch in 1986 and still showing very well in the third edition. These wines have always showed an incredible ability to age, and I have never been disappointed by a bottle of Clos Du Val Napa Valley Cabernet whether it was from the 90's, 80's or even the 70's. Before the harvest in 2009 a large investment was made at the winery and new de-stemming and crushing equipment was installed. This investment shows through in this bottle, which is much more approachable on release than past vintages have been. That being said, this richer Clos du Val will no doubt develop beautifully over the next 10 years. If you are looking for something affordable, food friendly that has that Napa Cab taste that is impossible to imitate, you have found it!
Top Value!
Drink from
2013
to
2019
Price: $24.99
Camut Aperitif Normand Pommeau 750ml
Review Date: 1-15-2013
Warning! This fabulous aperitif tastes a little too good, and much like the Ramos Pinto white Port, goes down far too easily. The Camut Pommeau has all of the virtues taste of great apple juice, the warmth of apple pie and the crispness of an apple fresh from the tree. It is great to drink chilled in a white wine glass- the only thing you need to do is pour. Be careful not to get carried away!
Price: $39.99
LeMorton Reserve 6 year old Calvados Domfrontais 750ml
Review Date: 1-15-2013
The Lemorton is a great bottle of Calvados and being from the Domfrontais has a lot of pears in it. It is round and rich, with lots of extroverted fruit flavor. It still finishes nice and dry and is far to easy to drink. I have been enjoying a snifter of this by the fire as a digestive in the evening and it is a great nightcap. Recently, Cinnamon took a flask of this mushroom foraging with her and she found it invigorating. I hope you'll try it out!
Price: $54.99
1979 Glenfarclas K&L Exclusive Single Barrel Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky 750ml
Review Date: 12-26-2012
Greatness is a word that gets thrown around far too often in the single malt (and wine for the matter!) world. In order for a whisky to be truly great, it needs to have balance, individuality and trickiest of all maturity. The 1979 Single Barrel Glenfarclas is one of the most finely balanced drinks to pass my lips this year, with its faint hint of sherry and gentle (although full cask) power. This cask is a real individual and full of clean highland air and round maltiness despite its long time in Sherry wood. It is also mature- calm and round, but still full of vigor. Most Scotch of this age tastes too old and reduced for me, but this is full of verve. This is the malt of the year for me and a true great. If it is within your means, don't miss it!
Price: $299.99
1979 Dallas Dhu 33 Year Old Gordon & MacPhail Single Malt Whisky 750ml
Review Date: 11-8-2012
This is a treat. The Dallas Dhu 33 year old has the restraint and class of the finest drinks on the planet. Unlike most very old single malt that I have tasted, this is very far from going to wood and has fantastic natural sweetness. I detect no Sherry wood in this, just gorgeous, concentrated Highland majesty. If you are looking for something truly great that does not rely on gimmicks, look no further, this is it.
Price: $349.99
2011 Joh. Jos. Prüm Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Spätlese (375ml)
Review Date: 11-6-2012
If you want to taste the gold standard of Burgundy or Bordeaux you must be either very rich or very lucky. The same goes for California Cabernet, Barolo, Brunello and just about everything else in the world of wine, but not for Riesling. While $40 is not cheap, the Prum Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling in this bottle represents one of the world’s best sites in the hands of one of the worlds best producers. This is first growth quality all the way, and in the softer, more approachable 2011 vintage, something that anyone interested in tasting great wines should purchase immediately. The fact that sweet whites are not in fashion is to our advantage right now, but it won't last. This rich Spatlese is completely clean and pure, showing lots of blue slate and peachy fruit. The finish is damn near endless, and the greatness of the whole package is inspiring.
Price: $24.99
2009 Hirtzberger Steinterrassen Riesling Federspiel
Review Date: 11-6-2012
This is top end Austrian Riesling for a very fair price! The nose has a touch of petrol, and is very powerful and generous. This has a lot of richness and body for a totally dry Riesling, as well as a very long finish. You can enjoy this now with the very best Thai food that you can find, or set it down for another five years.
Drink from
2012
to
2017
Price: $29.99
2010 Louis Sipp "Nature'S" Pinot Blanc
Review Date: 11-6-2012
The wines of Louis Sipp impressed me at the staff tasting today with their purity and balance. This is very tasty, medium to full bodied wine with a creamy almost marmalade like nose. Although it is quite broad on the palate, it comes together very nicely on the finish. This is wonderful on its own, and also very good with finger food!
Price: $14.99
1991 Lopez de Heredia "Viña Tondonia" Blanco Gran Reserva Rioja
Review Date: 11-6-2012
This honeyed, glorious bottle of dry white wine amazed Cinnamon and I with its depth and intrigue. We drank it with el Salchichero pork rillettes from the Santa Cruz farmers market as an appetizer and the combo was excellent. The rillettes had a strong citrus element, and it mirrored the wine perfectly. If you are looking for a great treat, and love the magic that only age can bring to a wine, look no further!
Price: $89.99
2005 Louis Roederer "Cristal" Brut Champagne
Review Date: 11-6-2012
Cristal is an all estate Champagne, from 50 hectares of vines: the best, oldest and chalkiest parts of Roederer's vineyards. They farm these plots, which are roughly 1/3 from the Cotes de Blancs, 1/3 from the north facing side of the Mountain de Reims and 1/3 from Ay, differently from the rest of the estate, intentionally working the land for lower yields and higher quality. This approach has yielded a great 2005, and one that can be enjoyed much sooner than the 2004 that was being sold last year. This is a pure, chalky and precise wine and best enjoyed by a couple over dinner. Too bad so much will be wasted in clubs!
Drink from
2012
to
2025
Price: $179.99
2010 Ruggeri Corsini Nebbiolo Langhe
Review Date: 10-9-2012
We just enjoyed this bottle at home with short ribs. This is Nebbiolo at its purest, with aromas of meat, tar and roses. It took a long time to open up- we decanted it way ahead, but it was only after 3 hours that it really started to show. This is incisive wine and a perfect partner to the meal. The high acidity and tannin in this bottle will be great with all manner of braised meats, but certainly not a bottle to have by itself in front of the TV. The light color is very deceiving- this is a powerhouse. At the end of the meal the understated class of this wine showed through… It was delicious!
Price: $17.99
Lazzaroni Amaro 750ml
Review Date: 10-3-2012
I love this Amaro, and my favorite use for it is in Black Manhattan's- a drink that I was first introduced to in (of all places!) Hollywood. I stir two parts dry rye Whiskey, usually the Rittenhouse Bottled in Bond, with one part Lazzaroni Amaro in a cocktail shaker with a dash or two of Scrappy's chocolate bitters. I serve it up in a Martini glass as a digestif. If you substitute Bourbon in this drink please select a drier style, as this Amaro has a good deal of sweetness of its own!
Price: $25.99
2011 La Galope Côtes de Gascogne Blanc
Review Date: 10-3-2012
This super tasty Sauvignon Blanc is the perfect aperitif white. It has great balance and none of the excesses savage Sauvignon is often known for. Try it out, I promise you will be pleased!
Top Value!
Price: $9.99
2011 August Eser Oestricher Lenchen Riesling Kabinett Dry
Review Date: 9-19-2012
A good dry Riesling can be tricky to find- many of the Alsatian offerings are too petroly for me, and many of the German bottlings just too austere. This August Eser Oestricher Lenchen is perfect; it is dry, but holds on to a purity of fruit that is quite rare. This tasty bottle should go with a variety of foods, especially Asian!
Price: $21.99
Laurent-Perrier "Grand Siècle" Champagne
Review Date: 9-12-2012
The Grand Siecle has long been my favorite tete de cuvee, but for many years now it has been out of reach. Since 2008, just a trickle has made it to the USA, and it was a fantastically expensive trickle. We managed to secure some at a very fair price and I can't say enough about what a great wine this is. Most big houses talk a big game about the "Blenders Art" and the synergy of Grand Cru terroirs when combined not just with balancing sites, but also across time. This is the embodiment of synergistic blending and monk’s patience. Nearly every Grand Cru in Champagne is represented; the wine is from three different vintages and aged over 10 years on the lees. The current batch is an astounding 80% reserve wines- something unique in the world of Champagne. If you are looking for effortless class and depth you will never tire of, look no further.
Drink from
2012
to
2022
Price: $109.00
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