Review Date: 5-7-2013

At some point last year I was sitting at my desk thinking about some of the wines I’ve had from what I believe to be truly great wineries in the fine state of California. One of these great wineries that kept popping into my head was York Creek. The saddest part is that I hadn’t carried the wine for a couple of years due to lack of distribution. So I picked up the phone and made a call, long story short James Beard Award winner, beer icon, owner of York Creek Vineyards and an all around great man Fritz Maytag was at my desk a couple of weeks later showing me the lineup from his estate high upon Spring Mountain. From that meeting a fruitful business relationship developed which began with us selling almost 300 cases of the highly touted 2007 Estate Cabernet, followed by the possibly even more popular 2004 Estate Cabernet that flew out the doors during the Holidays of 2012. Well we’ve gone back to the well once again and found another true gem at a completely ridiculous price. We recently tasted every vintage, minus the 1998 which they did not make, between 1994 and 1999 of the Estate Meritage. What we found was amazing, all of the wines were wonderful in their own vintage specific way but we really loved the 1999 vintage. I feel like this vintage is really at its apex right now and is a wonderful example of an old wine with plenty of freshness and life. Sure there are some secondary notes of tobacco, sandalwood and mint in the nose and of course the tannins here are polished to a fine patina but this is insanely drinkable and full of fresh red fruits and a deep set forest driven spice that only Spring Mountain can deliver. Add that all up, plus you get a wine that is almost 15 years old, for $24.99 and this maybe the bargain of the year.

Review Date: 4-3-2013

This small, family-owned project really impressed me with their two wines, the other a solid, crowd-pleasing Rutherford Cabernet for a reasonable price. But this Sauvignon Blanc is really something special. Riding a perfect line between the spicy, capsicum-driven nose of Kiwi SBs and the fruit-forward, citrus-driven nose of Napa, it is wildly alluring. Linear and alive, from the onset this delivers plenty of Meyer lemon, Key lime, Thai basil and mango flavors that dovetail to the broad, mouthwatering finish. Add just a kiss of 10% new oak to give a little dimension and added complexity and this is a bottle that you can go back to time and time again.

Review Date: 4-3-2013

One of the most truly delicious wines I’ve tasted in 2013 is the 2011 Halcón “Esquisto” Yorkville Highlands Rhône Blend ($25.99). Halcón was one of the revelations of 2012; they shocked me early on with their outrageously good Syrah and this new release did nothing but fortify that burgeoning reputation. Their estate vineyard is planted in the Mendocino County appellation called Yorkville Highlands. The vineyard sits at 2,500 feet in elevation, above the fog line, on fractured shale, quartz-rich rock and mica-schist, which is a very similar soil composition to the famous Côte-Rôtie appellation in the northern Rhône. People like Wells Guthrie at Copain have already taken notice of the relatively young vineyard and are bottling vineyard-designated Syrah from there. This estate blend of 40% Grenache, 30% Syrah and 30% Mourvèdre is wild, nervy and full of flavor, with tremendous aromatics of pithy raspberry, dried strawberry and a slight touch of cured meats. Weightless and full of energy, this is perfect for lighter meat dishes with its flavors of fennel pollen, lamb jus, black raspberry and a streak of white pepper. Rhône lovers shouldn’t miss this bottle.

Review Date: 4-3-2013

Sometimes you just know. You just sort of have a feeling that everything is going to work out just fine. Some call it ESP, some say it is their gut feeling and some are just so braggadocios that they will tell you they knew all along. Well, whatever you want to call it I think all of us that visited Saarloos and Sons on our recent trip to the Central Coast back in late February knew pretty quickly that we were going to do some really cool stuff together. I originally heard a hot tip about this winery from Bob Lindquist at Qupé a while back and if Bob says someone is doing a good job than that is good enough for me. What I didn’t know was just how much this family is committed to making great wines, being true stewards to their vineyards all the while having ridiculous amounts fun and trying to pass their wines onto people in a truly different way. I mean cupcakes with wine pairings at the tasting bar??? Seriously rad. Gift Certificates made out of barrel staves. Totally bitchin’ right? Letting their 6 year old daughter decide when to begin harvest on their Sauvignon Blanc? Genius! Writing a sustainable 250 year business plan? That is just plain cray-cray. But even without all the coolness surrounding this family project I would have loved these wines every bit as much. The reason: purity. These wines are the essence of well farmed fruit made gently into even better wines. Sometimes when you taste wines with the people behind them it gives you a better context in which to understand the wines. Here we instantly saw the personality of the people in the wine: honest, dedicated, farmers, looking to do something classic but always with a modern spin. Basically what I’m trying to say is these awesome guys and gals make wines that perfectly personify that awesomness.

Review Date: 4-3-2013

Sometimes you just know. You just sort of have a feeling that everything is going to work out just fine. Some call it ESP, some say it is their gut feeling and some are just so braggadocios that they will tell you they knew all along. Well, whatever you want to call it I think all of us that visited Saarloos and Sons on our recent trip to the Central Coast back in late February knew pretty quickly that we were going to do some really cool stuff together. I originally heard a hot tip about this winery from Bob Lindquist at Qupé a while back and if Bob says someone is doing a good job than that is good enough for me. What I didn’t know was just how much this family is committed to making great wines, being true stewards to their vineyards all the while having ridiculous amounts fun and trying to pass their wines onto people in a truly different way. I mean cupcakes with wine pairings at the tasting bar??? Seriously rad. Gift Certificates made out of barrel staves. Totally bitchin’ right? Letting their 6 year old daughter decide when to begin harvest on their Sauvignon Blanc? Genius! Writing a sustainable 250 year business plan? That is just plain cray-cray. But even without all the coolness surrounding this family project I would have loved these wines every bit as much. The reason: purity. These wines are the essence of well farmed fruit made gently into even better wines. Sometimes when you taste wines with the people behind them it gives you a better context in which to understand the wines. Here we instantly saw the personality of the people in the wine: honest, dedicated, farmers, looking to do something classic but always with a modern spin. Basically what I’m trying to say is these awesome guys and gals make wines that perfectly personify that awesomness.

Review Date: 3-30-2013

After the rousing success of the Two Sisters Chardonnay we had to inquire if a similar deal was also available on the Pinot Noir under the same label. After tasting the wine we figured there was never going to be a chance. The wine was simply too good. It had all the wonderful, pretty, juicy qualities we love in Pinot. So we didn’t have our hopes up but figured we’d ask anyways, never hurts to ask right? Guess what? They said yes! So we give to you this delicious, nutmeg laden, cherry pie fruit driven, round yet fresh Pinot a whopping half off. If you loved their Chard we think you are really going to flip over this deal. Why don’t you try a bottle and find out?

Review Date: 3-20-2013

I love it when wine comes across my desk that is just a complete slam dunk. Wine that no matter how much you want to dissect it, pick it apart, trash it and hold it to any and all of your preconceived standards just passes all tests with flying colors. The 2010 Oberon Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is exactly one of these wines. Made by the Michael Mondavi Family of wines this label has been kicking out some of the best value cab coming out of Napa for the last decade. The good news is that we finally were offered a price where we could be competitive with some of the big boys out there that have championed this wine for years. Open and giving at every point this wine is packed full of ripe, but never sweet, cassis, boysenberry, vanilla and espresso flavors and has a soft supple and caressing feel. While this is not the biggest of Napa Cabs it does have all the hallmarks of Napa Cab: sweet, toasty oak, velvety finishing tannins and a round, mouth filling texture. This is a wine that is drinking perfectly right now and is built for early term consumption. No need to decant or hold onto this just pop the cork and go, and at $18.99 it will be easy to keep passing “go” time and time again.

Review Date: 3-20-2013

Seven Hills has long been one of favorite Washington producers here at K&L and one of my personal faves for about as long as I’ve been in this business. This first generation Washington winery has made great wines, seemingly continuously, since its founding in 1988 in all price points and from all varietals. A perfect example of one of their tremendous values is the 2011 Pinot Gris. Sourced from a single vineyard in the Umpqua Valley in Southern Oregon this 100% Pinot Gris is effusively aromatic with layers of cinnamon spiced applesauce and vanilla bean from a kiss of new French oak yet still has plenty of bright lychee and Granny Smith apple fruit to make it feel far from bulky. While this comes in broad and rich it still has a wonderful counter balance of streaky Asian pear, spiced apple and passion fruit that lead into more crisp and focused flavors towards the finish. I would never put this in the category of a big wine but if you want a little more richness, and complexity, in your Pinot Gris or are just tired of Chardonnay this is a fantastic substitute. If you are thinking Spring, patios, seasonal veggies and fresh seafood you are certainly on the right track with this wine!

Review Date: 2-6-2013

Here is a completely honest disclaimer: I generally hate Viognier. I really do. It is not because the over ripe flavors, the general lack of acidity or the willingness of winemakers to try and make the varietal like they would Chardonnay but the ever rising likelihood that all three of these qualities are true. So when one does come along that betrays these common traits I certainly take notice. One such Viognier that I have come across recently that fits this bill to a T is the 2011 K Vintners Columbia Valley Viognier ($19.99). From a cool vintage in Washington this wine is fresh and alive with plenty of cut to go with the lovely tropical, but far from sweet or blousy, flavors of passion fruit, papaya, white pineapple, peach pit and a touch of cracked white pepper. The lack of any new oak here, the wine is aged in 100% neutral barriques, keeps the wine from becoming too viscous or coating allowing these fresh flavors to glide easily across the palate. Spring may still be a ways away but this sure tastes like it is right around corner and would be perfect with many of the early seasonal dishes that I’m am certainly looking forward to.

Review Date: 1-30-2013

Many of you out there know that I’ve been a giant proponent of wines from our neighbors from the north for quite some time. The reasons are simple and straight forward: the wines are delicious, in many cases wildly underpriced and bring both a sense of familiarity yet with a twist to varietals that you already know and love. The 2009 Tamarack Cellars Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is a perfect example of all of these traits. Made from some of the best vineyards in Washington state, Ciel du Cheval, DuBrul, Seven Hills Vineyards ring any bells, this Cab blended with 7% Merlot and 4%Cabernet Franc wildly over delivers for under $30. Can you imagine getting a Napa Valley Cab from Beckstoffer Vineyards or Oakville for this price? No Way! Dense and fully weighted this is a delight having a powerful nose of coffee bean, cassis, spice cake and mocha. Creamy and textural this has plenty of “umph” with sappy flavors of crème brûlée, blackberry jam, cocoa powder, black olives all backed by a long toasty oak laden finish from the 65% new French oak that is used. So if you’ve ever had your doubts about what Washington can do I think this wine will set you straight on just what kind of amazing wines are coming from up there.

Review Date: 1-16-2013

One of my favorite trends in the wine industry right now is the number of historic wineries that are returning to the quality and focus that their reputation was built on. Over the years, especially in the ‘90s, many of the larger, big name wineries thought it would be a good idea to make as much wine as they could. Wineries were purchasing fruit from every nook and cranny of California and hitting massive numbers in case production. If you asked them the quality of their wine was the same, if not better, but how could that be the case when wineries were jumping production by thousands of cases? Many of the wineries realized, for one reason or another, that that line of thinking may not be the best approach for the image, or quality, of their brand. In recent years I have felt like numerous historic wineries have vastly improved their wines and a perfect example of this is the 2009 Clos Du Val Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. If you’ve ever had the CDV Cabs from the ‘70s and ‘80s you know what sort of amazing wine they can produce and while I don’t think this wine will last 20-30 years it is certainly a tremendous effort for a relatively affordable wine. For under $30 here you get a classically styled Napa Valley Cabernet with a pretty nose full of green olive, sandalwood, tanbark, cassis and cocoa powder. This is not a bombastic wine full of glycerin and sweet, confectionary oak but a wine of precision and place. With its medium weighted frame and seamless flavors of red currant, Kalamata olives, cedar and fresh sage this harkens back to when Cabs were made more for dinner than impressing your boss. Kudos to the folks at Clos Du Val for going back to what made their winery so damn fantastic in the first place!

Review Date: 11-8-2012

Every once and a while a value comes along that is simply too good to be true, the 2010 Michael Pozzan "Annabella-Special Selection" Napa Valley Chardonnay is one of those values. When I tasted this wine and heard the price tag associated with it I made the distributor double check her facts, just to be sure. From a California negociant this Chardonnay is actually 100% Yountville fruit that is fermented in French oak and aged sur lies for six months. Usually this would mean a price tag around $25-45 but not in this case. With its precociously fruity nose brimming with red and green apples, peach, cherry and a touch of talc this is wildly pleasing and greatly over delivers for it price point. Lush, full weighted and round on the palate this has no rough edges and plenty of big Chardonnay flavors of toasted marshmallow, lychee, custard and pear. At this price we think that you may want to buy this not by the bottle but by the case.

Review Date: 8-29-2012

Iron Horse has long been known for their classy and refined sparkling wines. Served all over the world, to some of the most famous people in the world these sparkling wines can compete with any out there. But did you know they make fantastic table wine as well? Well if you didn’t, they do! This cool climate Chard is bursting with snappy apple and pear flavors and a bright, sassy mouth feel. No Malolactic fermentation here keeps things fresh and lively rather than heavy and buttery and is perfect for late summer/early fall fare. Add the long earthen finish and high toned aromatics of tangerine and plantain and this is one thirst quenching Chard. Oh, and it is only a twomp!

Review Date: 8-15-2012

Banshee…Can these guys make anything that isn’t just a completely insane value? We’ve touted these wines for years now so I won’t bore you again with the back story but I will tell you that the new 2011 Sonoma County Pinot Noir is as good, or better, as any of the wines that have come from them. One of the reasons is that not only did they use even more Sonoma Coast fruit this year but they also had a few of their high end single vineyard sources come on this year. The Tina Marie, Hurst and Sullivan Vineyards, amongst others, accounted for a nice chunk of what is in the bottle here. Plus they added another cog in an already well oiled machine; Ross Cobb of Cobb Vineyards helped them blend down this bottling and is going to stay on helping these young lads take their project even further than it has already gone. More aromatic early than vintages past this wine exudes pretty red fruits like currant and pomegranate with a darker edge on the palate that turns more to dusty, wild blackberry. The finish is much more complex as well with much more of a confectionary spice reminiscent of Mexican cocoa and grated nutmeg. Plain and simple: this has been and continues to be one of the best values in California Pinot Noir in the market place today.

Review Date: 8-14-2012

Morgan Twain-Peterson may be the most talented young winemaker in United States. How could he not be really growing up in vineyards besides his well known father, winemaker Joel Peterson. Morgan has done exceptionally well in the eyes of the press, and us here at K&L, with his label Bedrock. His wines are thoughtfully crafted small production bottlings from old vines located in “Heritage” vineyards throughout California. Hard to come by, these Bedrock wines already have a loyal and rabid following. But where I think Morgan really shines is in his entry level bottling: the Sherman & Hooker’s Shebang! Many of you already know this wine well after we sold over 600 cases of it over the last 12 months but I’m here to tell you that I believe that this cuvee may be even better than last years. Again this cuvee is based in three vintages but this year it has a much higher percentage of Syrah than last which leads to a deeper set of flavors and an overall sense of darker fruit components. Like last bottling Morgan has put some fruit in this bottling from some of the most well known, and some not so well known, old vine, big name sites in California, sites that would not be happy if the word got out. So we’ll be hush-hush about that but we will sing the praises of Shebang and Morgan until the cows come home or we sell this out, whichever comes first.