Staff Favorites - Alexandre Brisoux

Review Date: 5-17-2013

Delicious and just packed full of flavor. This 22 year old Mortlach is dark brown from the sherry cask aging. It is rich, round and mouth filling with lots of flavors to think about and enjoy.

Review Date: 5-16-2013

This is a direct quote from my article in the February 2012 K&L newsletter; "Fiano is one of Italy’s most important white grapes, and Fiano di Avelino is one of Italy’s greatest white wines. I sincerely believe the 2009 Tenuta Sarno Fiano di Avellino could be the best Fiano I’ve ever had. There’s so much complexity to this wine, it’s hard to pinpoint the fruit. Stone fruit? Tree fruit? Tropical? There is also a smoky, slightly gamey, intensely mineral quality I find beguiling. It reminds me of a great Hermitage Blanc four to five times its price. Delicious." Well, all that said folks, I'm thinking the 2011 may be even better. So seamless and complete, just a stunning wine. My only caveat is that it could use another year or so in the bottle to really hit it's stride. You know those nature shows where you see a baby horse or deer born and it immediately gets to it's feet but is really wobbly and not really ready for what it's meant to do. That's sort of where I see this wine at this moment. It will be bounding with endless grace soon, but this wine will not last, so stock up for sure. CM

Review Date: 5-15-2013

$80 for a well aged armagnac from a renowned producer? Why aren't you buying this right now!? Tenareze is a higher altitude area for brandy production- which gives its armagnacs more spice and minerality than their bas counterparts. This brandy's finish is loaded with all the spice you'd expect from a tenareze- but none of the bite. It is lush and delicious, with gorgeous oak notes and a rich body of candy and caramel fruit flavors.

Review Date: 5-15-2013

I've always thought Fiano d'Avellino was really good but never great, that was until I had this wine. Tenuta Sarno has more depth, more structure and more flavor than I can ever remember having before in a Fiano. The aromas are spicy and powerful while on the palate layers of complexity, alternating between a leesy, biscuit like richness and a slightly gritty tannin grip really make this wine's presence unmistakable. I would love to have this with a bigger, more structured fish like Swordfish although I'm sure many of you'd head towards Lobster. I really think this wine is stunning, you definitely need to try this!

Review Date: 5-15-2013

We have carried this wine for a couple years now and I have always enjoyed it... The 2011 just came in last week and Wow! The BEST yet! Three stars from Guido. Lots of limestone and flint on the palate, has wonderful length and is food friendly. This would be a great luncheon wine - maybe baked goat cheese with fines herbs and baguette?

Review Date: 5-15-2013

One of California’s finest producers of Sauvignon blanc’s. A crisp, light to medium-bodied example revealing forceful, fragrant notes of melons, figs, dried herbs, and a hint of citrus, delicious, and surprisingly a great value from California!

Review Date: 5-15-2013

Haven't heard of Fiano before ? This grape is becoming very popular in the San Francisco bay area, thanks to a little restaurant called "A16", that has introduced alot of Southern Italian veritals to its patrons. A bright, fresh wine with pear, lime, lemon peel, toasted hazelnut with a mineral/salty notes on the palate, this is a very food friendly wine.

Review Date: 5-15-2013

Pungent stuff, this! The nose gives off big aromas of salty, toasted almond, brown sugar, maple syrup and caramel fudge. You might think this would then be one of the sweeter malts, but it switches up when you taste it: the contrast of the salty, rancio notes from the Sherry cask keeps the sweetness well in bounds. Still, this is a full, thick and rich dram, which comes across to me something like a pianist playing a slow, left handed vamp on the lower reaches of his instrument. Into this deep end flavor range, on the finish, comes just the slightest bit of fruity, bright, candied citron peel; a spot of sunlight beaming into a shadowed room through a torn shade. While this, of course, makes me wish we had more Mortlach, getting to sample this singular malt is well worth the price of admission.

Review Date: 5-15-2013

When mortlach is good- its this freaking good. This is a rich and dense bottle of pure malty deliciousness, filled with dark fruits, baking spices, and round oak flavors that coat your mouth and leave you wanting more. Put a little water in this cask strength beast- it will show you all its capable of.

Review Date: 5-15-2013

Hewitson is a great grower/producer who does not make his wines with the heavy handed approach popular in Australia. His are balanced and finessed wines that show what Barossa is really capable of. The Miss Harry blend is a rhone-inspired wine, unmistakably Australian in its fruit flavors, but with a bright and balanced finish and wonderful spices. Its easily one of the best deals we have for good Australia wines.

Review Date: 5-15-2013

Mencias from ribeira sacra tend to be more elegant than their bierzo brethren. This wine is a fine example at a perfect price- bitter raspberry fruit and earth with an elegant body and light tannin.

Review Date: 5-15-2013

If there is one single malt I'm going to drop the cash on this year, the Mortlach has just won my first choice slot. Baking spices like cinnamon, clove, and nutmeg with caramel and vanilla. Sweet richness intertwined with a meaty saline quality. Stunningly layered and crazy drinkable. Snap it up while you can- it's a rarity worthy the splurge.

Review Date: 5-15-2013

Fans of past bottlings of the Rusty Blade rejoice- this is your baby, back again! All that wonderful gingerbready goodness, clove, nutmeg and cinnamon with sweet juniper flashing through. Doesn't even really feel like Gin. Y-U-M!

Review Date: 5-15-2013

Super nerdy Gin fans, this one's for you! Cinnamon, vanilla sweetness, with a funky saline-wet-sand-beach kelp thing happening. Richer mouthfeel than the "Cask A" for sure. A gin to stretch your intellect over a long afternoon!

Review Date: 5-15-2013

Absolutely delicious bubbly! Bright citrus and stonefruit right on the entry with a richness that finishes cleanly, rather than nutty or oaky. The Launois Reserve is right there with the Bonville Blanc de Blanc and Bruno Michel for best $35-ish bottle of Champagne we carry. A big step up from the Quartz, although both are the same price.