Staff Favorites - Alexandre Brisoux

Review Date: 4-26-2013

It's back!! This wine always sells out long before the new vintage is ready for release, and there are many a dissatisfied countenance among both customers and staff when it does. 100% Corvina grown near Lake Garda, this wine always reminds me of a Brouilly or Fleurie from Beaujolais; sweet cherry fruit and raspberry liquor, with a light forest floor aroma and almost tactile minerality. The wine however is zesty and almost zippy, quite refreshing in fact, and far from dull or heavy. Just delicious. Highly recommended. CM

Review Date: 4-25-2013

When I walked into the Saarloos & Sons tasting room in Los Olivos a couple of months ago, I wasn't sure quite what to expect. Which, in hindsight, is just as well, since Keith and Brad Saarloos are pretty good at defying expectations, challenging preconceptions, and gleefully poking with a stick anything that smacks of convention and pretense. We tasted a lot of great wines, most of which I don’t remember well because Keith insisted I stop taking notes. At some point he also insisted I stop spitting, so tasting became drinking. So we drank and we talked. About wine, about grapes, about music, art, and life. It is worth noting at this point that Saarloos & Sons are farmers first and foremost. They grow grapes of exceptional quality, most of which they sell to other winemakers. A small amount they hold back every year to make their own wine. They sell exclusively direct to consumer, not through retail wine shops. But at the end of that evening they paid us the ultimate compliment. They offered us a couple of wines to make available to our K&L customers, the 2009 Saarloos & Sons "His" Santa Ynez Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, and the 2010 Saarloos & Sons "Hers" Santa Ynez Valley Grenache Blanc. I absolutely recommend a visit to their tasting room in Los Olivos to taste their full selection, but until your next trip we are honored to share these two wines with you. I enjoyed the Cabernet Sauvignon at dinner the other night with my nephew. We grilled a 2 lb “Fred Steak” from Schaub’s in Palo Alto, serving it with roasted baby Yukon potatoes and fresh local asparagus. The Cab was a perfect companion to the spicy, smoky meaty deliciousness that is Fred steak. A hint of violets and new wood on the nose. On the palate the wine has a rich, silky texture with notes of blackberry jam and cassis. Imagine the blackberry jam your grandmother used to make, heading out before dawn to her secret spot to pick fresh wild blackberries, then spending the rest of the day canning blackberry preserves. There is a sweetness of fruit, a ripeness perfectly offset by a liveliness and a freshness that keeps the wine in perfect balance. The finish is framed by fine tannins that lie lightly on the tongue, caressing the palate like a finely woven cotton blanket on a cool summer night. If there is a perfect California Cabernet Sauvignon, this is it. Expertly crafted, and a pure joy to drink.

Review Date: 4-25-2013

Such a stunning wine. I had the privilege of pouring this at the 2013 Wine Spectator Grand Tour, as well as tasting it back in January at the 2010 Vintage UGC tasting in San Francisco. The wine maker Fabian is truly a talented man that blew me away with his 2009 vintage, and took my breath away with the 2010. 64% Cabernet, 30% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Petit Verdot, are fermented in small oak vats before spending 18 months in barrels made at the estate's own cooperage; the attention to detail and respect for the grape are clearly evident in every bottle of Smith Haut Lafitte. After acquiring a case for my personal cellar I look forward to experiencing the evolution, as long as I can discipline myself to hold onto them.

Review Date: 4-24-2013

Terra Valentine is a tiny boutique producer that's sits high on the steep hillsides of Spring Mountain. The wines are meticulously hand crafted and they spare no expense on the sorting table. This I know because I went to visit them during the harvest of 2012, and they put me to work on the sorting table for a few hours, and I couldn't believe all the fruit they tossed aside because it wasn't "perfect"! After that experience I swore I would never subject myself to the sorting table again, it is truly some of the most back-breaking work you can do, but it sure does help make the wine damn fine!

Review Date: 4-24-2013

If you are a fan of old school, long aged Rioja, old school southern Rhone wines, old school, slightly more rustic 1990's era Spanish reds...then may I humbly suggest this 100% Monastrell (Mourvedre)? The Escudo de Plata is a delicious wine that offers an incredible balance of generous fruit, intensity of flavor without excessive heaviness,and nice developed complexity from long barrel and bottle ageing. This is true Monastrell, unmistakably Spanish and simply one of the better values in mature red wine we're likely to find this year. Don't miss out!

Review Date: 4-24-2013

The wines from Te Whare Ra have have really struck a chord with our staff and customers alike and we are pleased to present the new vintage of Sauvignon Blanc from Anna and Jason Flowerday.The fruit for this wine came mainly fron the sub-region of Awatere Valley with warmer days and cooler nights and known for a more restrained style. The 2012 vintage was problematic in terms of yield(many down 30%-50%)but have created some exceptional wines. The nose shows grapefruit, passion fruit,kumquat, a light red bell pepper note and tomatoe leaf. On the palate, the intensity and concentration of the vintage comes through with great mid-palate mouthfeel and complixity that lead to a long refreshing finish.

Review Date: 4-24-2013

New Zealand has become well known for world class Pinot Noir, so why not the other red grape of Burgundy, Gamay. This wine is made in the traditional style with 66% of the grapes starting fermentation with the technique of carbonic maceration to emphasize fruit and floral character. The bouquet shows dark plum, cranberry, earth, a floral lift and a hint of white pepper spice.On the palate the wine is fresh and vibrant with supple tannins and good length.

Review Date: 4-24-2013

This is decadent Champagne, powerful, rich, luscious, pick a synonym. The 2000 has the stuffing to stand up for those people are a fan of the richer big names, for people seeking those red fruits and power that Pinot Noir brings when combined with the texture gained from the barrel. Texturally assertive with a great mouth feel and fine bead, this Champagne freight trains through your palate in a heavenly way. One of my favorite Vintage wines Mr. Westby has brought in.

Review Date: 4-24-2013

What a bargain-a delicious chianti that drinks perfectly right now. Quite sweet and fruity-no harsh edges. Round and lush-perfect acid balance. Try tonight with a juicy hamburger

Review Date: 4-24-2013

If you're a fan of white Bordeaux, this is a must try for you. The Cape Crest is a blend of 85% Sauvignon Blanc, 11% Semillon and 4% Sauvignon Gris that is barrel fermented in new and seasoned French oak that matured in barrel for 8 months with a regular stirring of the lees before being bottled. The nose shows a light toast and nutty note with pear, lime blossom, lanolin, jasmine flower and a hint of tangerine peel. On the palate there is great texture with a creamy mid-palate supported by fine acidity and length. I don't usually talk about ageing Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand, but this is an exception in the mold of an upscale white Bordeaux. Gorgeous.

Review Date: 4-23-2013

After selling a few bottles of the '08 over the last couple months, I was pleased to finally try the 2010. It did not disappoint! Black fruit, spice box, earthy and floral notes, and a solid, lingering finish makes for quite the drinking experience for $22. Do not miss out on these bottles!

Review Date: 4-23-2013

There is a great, big nose of cedar, cassis, espresso, and mint to welcome California Cab drinkers to this tasty deal from Terra Valentine. The palate sings of blackberry and toasty oak that are framed by nice, firm tannins. The finish is fine and lingers pleasantly. For the price, this is a winner.

Review Date: 4-23-2013

Wow! What a lovely wine. Many of you would have had the 2008 vintage of this wine that we sold a boat load of. Well, while brighter and more elegant, the wine actualy shows more concentration and purity of fruit with terrific definition, poise and balance. The bouquet is lifted with notes of raspberry,plum, strawberry and cherry along with hints of earth and spice. On the palate, there is good mid-palate fruit weight along with accents of mocha and graham craker crust. This is all framed by silky fine tannins supported by juicy acidity that leads to a long persistent finish. Organic and biodynamic in production, this is traditional winemaking in the modern world. Great now and will reward time in the celar. Bravo to winemakers Willi Hoare and Hatch Kalberer!

Review Date: 4-23-2013

This is serious stuff! The Te Mata Cape Crest Sauvignon Blanc is a big departure from the normal hot pepper style of New Zealand SB's. On the back label it says it has a "touch of Semillon and Sauvignon Gris" but to me this tastes like a full on white Bordeaux blend. This wine is full of lanolin and honey on the nose but is dry as can be on the palate, with a quite broad texture. It is an excellent wine that stretches the boundaries on NZ Sauvignon!

Review Date: 4-23-2013

Dark cherry and spice are present in spades on the nose, with plenty of effusive fruit. I love this wine's purity but there is plenty of acid and structure to knit this wine together for the long haul. I'm buying some for the cellar now!