Staff Favorites - Clyde Beffa Jr.

Clyde Beffa Jr.
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Had K&L co-owner and main wine buyer Clyde Beffa Jr. not read an article about the gentlemanly hobby of wine collecting in the February 1971 issue of Playboy, he might still be weighing the merits of Holsteins versus Jerseys instead of Château Margaux or Haut-Bailly. Beffa owned a dairy in Tracy, California, from 1967-1973, leaving the the business to co-found K&L Liquors, as it was known back then, in 1976. Clyde started traveling to Europe in 1982 and over the years, he has worked hard to build K&L into one of the nation's go-to sources for the world's diverse wines, developing relationships with winemakers and châteaux owners the world over. Clyde's passion is surely Bordeaux, especially the fabulous wines from Pauillac and St-Julien (like Pichon-Lalande and Léoville-Barton). When he's not drinking France's legendary reds, you'll likely find Clyde indulging in Sauvignon Blanc. A fan of Sancerre, Pouilly-Fumé and white Bordeaux, he'll also tuck into a bottle of Kiwi Sauv Blanc if there's no corkscrew around. These days you'll likely find Clyde extolling the virtues of underrated Bordeaux vintages like 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004 and 2006, or playing with his German Shepherd Sadie. Or you may see him in his vegetable garden and, once in a great while, on the golf course.


Reviews

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2009 Senejac, Haut-Médoc
Review Date: 10-24-2012
Awesome wine!
Price: $36.99 Add To Cart RP 93

2009 Pichon-Baron, Pauillac
Review Date: 10-23-2012
** Powerful and very rich-quite nice. Tons of evolved fruit. At UGC: Great body and sweetness on palate. So pure. At property: Red currant aromas, with fine texture and mouthfeel. Seamless and silky. Fine depth. Tasted again in September 2010: Really coming around; sweet and lush with plenty of tannin in the mix. .

2009 Poujeaux, Moulis
Review Date: 9-27-2012
*+V Lovely texture and length - a delicious wine, as usual. Balanced.

2009 Barde-Haut, St-Emilion
Review Date: 9-27-2012
*1/2 Ripe blackberry fruit. Super fine. Lost 50% of their crop to hail.

2009 Gloria, St-Julien
Review Date: 9-27-2012
½* More gritty and smoky, with integrated tannins. Quite nice.

2009 Chasse-Spleen, Moulis
Review Date: 9-27-2012
*+ More blackberry aromas and flavors. Fine structure. This is a big wine, with great depth of flavor.

2011 Lafite Rothschild, Pauillac Pre-Arrival
Review Date: 5-17-2012
** 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot. Red berry aromas. Deep and complex. This elegant wine got better after some airing. A step behind 2009 and 2010, but at a better price.

2011 Latour, Pauillac (1.5L) Pre-Arrival
Review Date: 5-17-2012
**½ 84.5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, .5% Petit Verdot. Only 6,000 cases produced. Black color. Asian spice, cinnamon and black pepper aromas. Sweet mid-palate with layers of fruit. A very complex, lovely wine. This may be the last year to buy this property on futures.

2011 Latour, Pauillac Pre-Arrival
Review Date: 5-17-2012
**½ 84.5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, .5% Petit Verdot. Only 6,000 cases produced. Black color. Asian spice, cinnamon and black pepper aromas. Sweet mid-palate with layers of fruit. A very complex, lovely wine. This may be the last year to buy this property on futures.

2011 Ducru-Beaucaillou, St-Julien (1.5L) Pre-Arrival
Review Date: 5-17-2012
**+ 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot. Only 25 hectoliters per hectare; they produced 30% less wine than in 2010. 13.1% ABV. Toasty oak nose combined with cassis aromas. Long and supple on the palate. A regal wine-First Growth quality.

2011 Ducru-Beaucaillou, St-Julien Pre-Arrival
Review Date: 5-17-2012
**+ 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot. Only 25 hectoliters per hectare; they produced 30% less wine than in 2010. 13.1% ABV. Toasty oak nose combined with cassis aromas. Long and supple on the palate. A regal wine-First Growth quality.

2011 Léoville-Poyferré, St-Julien (1.5L) Pre-Arrival
Review Date: 5-17-2012
**+ 58% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc, 6% Petit Verdot. Cab Franc nose. Good depth. A powerful wine. One of the best of the vintage. Each one of us loved this wine.

2011 Domaine de Chevalier Rouge, Pessac-Léognan Pre-Arrival
Review Date: 5-17-2012
*½ Seamless, delicious wine. Drink it now; it’s very good and peppery. Outstanding.

2011 Haut-Brion, Pessac-Léognan (1.5L) Pre-Arrival
Review Date: 5-17-2012
** 46% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, 19% Cabernet Franc. A more feminine style than La Mission. Focused, with red currant and chocolate flavors. Long and lingering on the palate. Minerals abound.

2011 Haut-Brion, Pessac-Léognan Pre-Arrival
Review Date: 5-17-2012
** 46% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, 19% Cabernet Franc. A more feminine style than La Mission. Focused, with red currant and chocolate flavors. Long and lingering on the palate. Minerals abound.

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