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Wine Scores
Below is a listing of the wine review scores we frequently reference in our notes. While these sources remain an excellent source of information, we always recommend that you trust your own palate. Scores in these publications often represent the personal taste of an individual critic, which may not always coincide with your own. We have a huge team of excellent wine professionals that can match wines you've had in the past with new arrivals that meet your flavor profile.
- Allen Meadows - Burghound
- Connoisseurs Guide
- Gambero Rosso
- James Halliday
- James Suckling
- Malt Advocate
- Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
- International Wine Cellar
- Wine & Spirits
- Wine Enthusiast
- Wine Spectator
- The Wine News
- Malt Advocate
Reviewers
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Staff Favorites - Doug Burress
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Doug Burress
After many years of shopping at K & L, I finally decided to spend even more time at my favorite store! I first came on board at "the shop" a little over a year ago working Friday nights and Saturdays. Now, as a full time member of the Redwood City staff, my wine education continues five days a week! My favorite wines in the world include the awesome grower-producer champagnes we carry, earthy pinot noir from the Burgundy region of France, as well as the excellent pinots from Oregon and California. I dream of one day having my own land on the Dundee Hills of Oregon and producing terrior driven pinot noirs! Most recently I have dedicated more time to tasting and studying wines from Italy. It is a complicated wine country with many grape varietals, regions, and laws, but one that produces some of the best wines in the world! This education is most certainly worth the effort! I have always been a big fan of beer and the large selection of beers we carry from all over the world is yet another reason I am excited to be working here and helping you choose from our super selection of brews! I look forward to tasting and learning more about our wonderful world of wines and helping you find the right wine, at the right price, for any occasion. From a Sunday barbeque with family and friends, to that special bottle for a birthday, anniversary, or other occasion, we can help you find it here at the shop!
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Takatenjin "Soul of the Sensei" Junmai Daiginjo 720ml
Review Date: 5-20-2013
The first word that came to my mind when I tasted this sake was "pure". The Takatenjim is clean, delicious and multidimensional. It should please any lover of sake. On the dry side, it will go well alone or with lighter foods.
Price: $43.99
2010 Robert Craig "Affinity" Napa Valley Bordeaux Blend
Review Date: 5-20-2013
A big wine full of juicy complex fruit that has accents of vanilla from oak aging.The Affiniy is a Bordeaux style blend that is complex with a lot going on in it. In short, a fun yet serious wine.
2010 Donati Family Vineyard Paicines Claret
Review Date: 5-20-2013
This Donati Claret is very easy to drink and enjoy. It is juicy and round with layers of different flavors. It will go well with hearty foods or alone for those who like to sip on a full bodied red wine.
Price: $15.99
1990 Mortlach 22 Year Old K&L Exclusive Chieftain's Single Sherry Barrel Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky 750ml
Review Date: 5-18-2013
Reading my co-workers' reviews, I couldn't help but notice both the huge number of total reviews, and the fact that they are all very similar raves about this whisk(e)y.I'm admittedly late to have caught this train, but absolutely feel the need to chime in on this one. As a sherry drinker, I'm especially fond of the burnished, burnt caramel, dried citrus peel and walnut husk flavors of dry oloroso. This bottling perfectly embodies these flavors; you can tell that not only are these first fill Oloroso Sherry barrels, but really high quality ones at that! (I wonder where they were purchased?) I have to agree with David; this is perhaps the most complete, well balanced, delicious bottle of sherry barrel aged scotch I have tasted. A new favorite and instant classic for me and, I suspect, for many of our single malt customers as well.
Price: $169.99
Ceci, "Ducati Piega"Emilia-Romagna
Review Date: 5-18-2013
Well, where do I start with this wine? I guess I should start out by saying what's in the bottle is REALLY GOOD!! A blend of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Lambrusco, I was prepared for this wine to be okay at best, an abomination at worst. But it was rich, well balanced, varietally correct, long on the palate with a fair dollop of complexity. I was very impressed. So what's with the bottle. Well, let me start that off by saying I'm no fan of motorcycle racing, but the Italians are obsessed with it, and I'm obsessed with everything Italian, so I guess that, by extention, I am indeed a fan of motorcycle racing. "Piega" is the leaning angle of a rider as he makes a turn. 68.2 degrees is, according to Ducati, the optimum "piega", and that is the angle of the bottle/decanter. This is a bottling commissioned by Ducati from an excellent producer(Ceci) for their cafes around Italy. Yes, Ducati has cafes around Italy. (I told you they were obsessed!). Anyway, wine is great whether your into the groovy bottle or not. But chances are, you will be. CM
Price: $24.99
Ceci Malvasia Frizzante Secco "Terre Verdiane" Emilia-Romagna
Review Date: 5-18-2013
I came across this wine at a Prosciutto di Parma seminar and immediately fell in love with it. I guess I should mention Italians in general have a penchant for "fizzy" wine, there refered to as "frizzante" or "vivace" (lively), and the people of Emilia-Romagna in particular LOVE it. Not only does it make an already refreshing wine even more so, it makes the wines that much more food friendly, especially with the richer, more fatty cuisine of Emilia-Romagna. Hence it's pairing with the Prosciutto. I could go on and on how much I adore and appreciate the food and wine of this part of Italy, but suffice to say this wine rocks! Lovely lime, pear blossom, jasmine and acacia flower on the nose, medium bodied with just enough spritz and acidity to make it achingly refreshing. Perfect not just with charcuterie and affitati misti, but along side a salad or pannino, or even just on it's own on a beautiful summer afternoon. CM, LA Italian wine specialist
Price: $14.99
Rusty Blade K&L Exclusive "Cask B" Single Barrel Cask Strength Barrel-Aged Gin 750ml
Review Date: 5-18-2013
Of the two single cask Rusty Blade offerings cask B was the more subtle one. There are juniper and baking spices but they a slightly more delicate and nuanced than cask A. Cask B , however, is the fuller bodied of the two.
Price: $67.99
Rusty Blade K&L Exclusive "Cask A" Single Barrel Cask Strength Barrel-Aged Gin 750ml
Review Date: 5-18-2013
This aged gin is full of expressive and pronounced aromatics and flavor. There is juniper mixed with baking spice flavors enveloped in a full bodied and round liquid.In other words, it is delicious, unique, is good alone and should go well in creatively inspired cocktails.
Price: $67.99
2010 Erik Banti "Ciabatta" Morellino di Scansano Riserva
Review Date: 5-17-2013
The Erik Banti Ciabatta is 85% Sangioves, 10% Alicante and 5% Ciliegiolo and is a good alternative to Chianti. The flavor of the Sangiovese is fattened up by the Alicante and creates a wine that is medium to full bodied,has nice fruit,and is balanced with complexity and acidity. It is delicious and interesting and will go well meats, pasta and pizza.
Price: $18.99
2010 Erik Banti "Carato" Toscana
Review Date: 5-17-2013
When you taste this wine you won't believe that it only cost $6.99. It is a bright juicy medium bodied wine that is easy to drink alone and will go well with pasta and pizza.
Price: Hidden
2007 Viticcio "Monile" Toscana
Review Date: 5-17-2013
The 2007 vintage in Tuscany produced many top quality wines and this Super Tuscan from Viticcio shows the power, structure and age worthiness of Bordeaux blends from Chianti. Powerful,focused with a blend of gravelly earth and ripe cherry on the palate, long and intense a wine with great structure.
Drink from
2017
to
2027
Price: $34.99
1990 Mortlach 22 Year Old K&L Exclusive Chieftain's Single Sherry Barrel Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky 750ml
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.
Price: $169.99
2011 Tenuta Sarno 1860 Fiano di Avellino
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
Price: $24.99
1987 Chateau Pellehaut K&L Exclusive Tenareze Vintage Armagnac 750ml
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.
Drink from
2013
to
3013
Price: $79.99
2011 Tenuta Sarno 1860 Fiano di Avellino
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!
Drink from
2013
to
2017
Price: $24.99
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