Staff Favorites - Gary Westby

Gary Westby
Gary Westby  | Send Email  |   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!


Reviews

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Hennessy "Black" Cognac 750ml
Review Date: 2-14-2013
This very light, smooth Cognac is Hennessy's blend for cocktails, and it is a great one for that purpose. It is also a great contrast to the other cocktail specific Cognac we carry here at K&L, the high proof Ferrand 1840 Formula 90 proof Cognac, which is much heavier. I need both for my bar! The original Manhattan was made with Cognac, not Bourbon, and the Hennessy Black is the perfect ingredient for this classic. Stir two ounces of Hennessy Black with two ounces of Carpano Antica Sweet Vermouth and a dash of Regan's Orange Bitters in a cocktail shaker with ice, strain and serve up. Enjoy!
Price: $39.99 Add To Cart

2007 Rocca di Montegrossi "San Marcellino" Chianti Classico
Review Date: 2-13-2013
The Rocca Di Montegrossi San Marcellino makes a lot of Brunello's look like they are trying to hard. This large scaled, single vineyard Chianti Classico is my favorite sangiovese, and I make sure to buy some of every vintage for my cellar. The 2007 is a blend of 95% sangiovese and 5% of the ultra rare pugnitello (little fist) and is vinified using a submerged cap fermentation in large wood puncheons. This is a technique I have only ever seen used at Ridge in the Santa Cruz Mountains, and gives the wine plenty of structure without having to run the wine through a pump.
Price: $42.99 Add To Cart RP 92

Cocchi Aperitivo Americano Rosa 750ml
Review Date: 2-13-2013
If you are a fan of bitter aperitivo's, the Cocchi Americano Rosa can't be missed. This bottle was open in the K&L tasting bar at the same that I was doing the staff Champagne seminar, and between groups I could not resist making a little Champagne cocktail with it. It was spectacular mixed with half good quality blanc de blancs, and also quite tasty on its own. I am going to buy a bottle today and try it at home in a black (or shall I say Rosa?) Manhattan with Elmer T. Lee Single Barrel Bourbon and a Luxardo Maraschino Cherry!
Price: $18.99 Add To Cart

1991 Clerc Milon, Pauillac (1.5L)
Review Date: 2-12-2013
The crazy prices for top Bordeaux have a lot of us wine fans angry, and it is a relief to find a gem of a magnum like this in our stock. The 1991 Clerc Milon is the kind of Pauillac that one can still drink in lusty gulps with a big rack of lamb, just like we did at the K&L staff party for 2013. Don't let the frost vintage’s reputation scare you off- this is one of the good ones! This wine is medium to light weight on the palate but deceptively powerful on the finish. I found it to have a touch of black tea to go with the classic Pauillac flavors of pencil lead and black currant. Yum!
Drink from 2013 to 2021
Price: $139.99 Add To Cart

Daniel Ginsburg "Grande Reserve Sous Bois" Brut Champagne
Review Date: 2-12-2013
We kicked off the 2013 K&L staff party with a case of this, and loved it for its complexity; complexity that was arrived at through patience. With eight years of ageing on the lees, it is hard to believe that the retail price is so reasonable. If you love the "English style" of Champagne, with brioche and richness at the forefront, and plenty of Christmas spices on the long finish, you will love this wine. It went exceptionally well with the ham crostini that was being served as an appetizer!
Price: $34.99 Add To Cart

Daniel Ginsburg "Grande Reserve Sous Bois" Brut Champagne (1.5L)
Review Date: 2-12-2013
I love drinking Champagne from magnum and the Daniel Ginsburg Grande Reserve Sous Bois Brut is at its best in grand format. We kicked off the 2013 K&L staff party with a case of this, and loved it for its complexity; complexity that was arrived at through patience. With eight years of ageing on the lees, it is hard to believe that the retail price is so reasonable. If you love the "English style" of Champagne, with brioche and richness at the forefront, and plenty of Christmas spices on the long finish, you will love this wine. It went exceptionally well with the ham crostini that was being served as an appetizer!
Price: $69.99 Add To Cart

2002 Daniel Ginsburg "Cuvée Rene Millesime" Brut Champagne
Review Date: 2-12-2013
Do you live in a state where foie gras is still legal? If so, the 2002 Daniel Ginsburg Cuvee Rene Millesime Brut is a Champagne that you can't miss. This extraordinarily savory, powerful, single barrel Champagne has both the richness to stand up to, and the acidity to cut through the noblest of pates. I have enjoyed an embarrassingly large number of the 3000 bottles of this that were produced, and no partner for it has been as inspired as foie gras. It is a dynamite match!
Price: $59.99 Add To Waiting List

2011 Domaine Cherrier Père & Fils Sancerre
Review Date: 2-12-2013
What do we think of this wine at K&L? We put a bottle of it at every table for our annual staff dinner at the Basque Cultural Center in South San Francisco, and they hit the recycling bins quickly! This textbook Sancerre has a touch of lemon rind and grassy zest, but best of all it tastes just like the label advertises: Sancerre! If you are looking for refreshing, pure sauvignon blanc, the 2001 Domaine Cherrier Pere Fils Sancerre will be perfect.
Price: $16.99 Add To Cart

Billecart-Salmon Brut Rosé Champagne (375ml)
Review Date: 2-9-2013
These are more than just cute half bottles, this is the benchmark in rose Champagne, and it deserves every bit of its fame. I find it elegant and balanced every time that I have it, and the blushing pink color is always perfect. If you are looking for a famous producer that delivers the goods, the Billecart Salmon Brut Rose Champagne is a great choice. I like the wine best as an aperitif, the only thing it need to pair with is a good glass.

Billecart-Salmon Brut Rosé Champagne
Review Date: 2-9-2013
This is the benchmark in rose Champagne, and it deserves every bit of its fame. I find it elegant and balanced every time that I have it, and the blushing pink color is always perfect. If you are looking for a famous producer that delivers the goods, the Billecart Salmon Brut Rose Champagne is a great choice. I like the wine best as an aperitif, the only thing it need to pair with is a good glass.

Bruno Michel "Les Roses" Brut Rosé Champagne
Review Date: 2-9-2013
This was the most controversial (and also one of the best selling) Champagnes at our recent pre-Valentine's day tasting. One taster described it as tasting like shoe leather, and many others described it as savory and the best of the day. It might be my favorite rose Champagne in our stock and pairs perfectly with cedar plank salmon and no more than one other person... Unless you have extra bottles! Deep, intense and very red wine like in flavor you need to be ready for it before opening it!
Price: $49.99 Add To Cart

2007 Marguet Père et Fils Brut Rosé Champagne
Review Date: 2-9-2013
This is one of my very favorite rose Champagnes that we stock. The high percentage of barrel fermentation gives it a richness on the palate that can't be duplicated in easy-to-use stainless vats and the high quality Chardonnay in the blend gives it a finish lasts forever. This is a natural to pair with a salmon mousse, and fit to serve at the most special of occasions.
Price: $49.99 Add To Cart

Small Hand Foods Grenadine 8.5oz
Review Date: 2-9-2013
This is not your mothers Grenadine! This spectacular mixer is a must for any household interested in classic cocktails. At home Cinnamon and I use it to make a version of the Star Daisy from Charles Neal's excellent book Calvados, the Norman Spirit. We use a teaspoon of Grenadine, one ounce of Domaine du Manoir de Montreuil Calvados Pay d'Auge, one ounce of Anchor Junipero Gin, and one ounce of Meyer lemon juice from our tree. Shake it in cocktail shaker and serve it up... Yum!
Price: $12.99 Add To Cart

2011 La Caudrina Moscato d'Asti
Review Date: 2-1-2013
This tasty Moscato comes from 34-year-old vines at about 900 feet of elevation. This is one of the very best Moscato d’Asti’s that I have had the pleasure of trying. Effortlessly light, full of charming perfume and welcoming sweetness, this is the perfect dessert wine for an elegant meal. At only two atmospheres of pressure and 5% alcohol it won’t make you feel full of bubbles or knocked over the head!
Price: $11.99 Add To Cart

La Caudrina "La Selvatica" Asti
Review Date: 2-1-2013
This tasty wine is almost full Champagne pressure at 5 atmospheres. It is produced from 37-year-old vines at about 900 feet. This spumatne is perfect for wine lovers looking for something a little bit drier, more bubbly and fuller bodied than Moscato d’Asti. I found it to have lots of exotic aroma, a nice mousse and a sweet but clean finish.
Price: $19.99 Add To Cart GR 2

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