close
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
- Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
- International Wine Cellar
- Wine & Spirits
- Wine Enthusiast
- Wine Spectator
- The Wine News
- Malt Advocate
Reviewers
AllK&L Email Alerts
Sign up to receive custom alerts, new arrivals and the latest happenings from K&L Wines
Staff Favorites - Jim Chanteloup
|
Reviews
2005 Wyndham Estate "Founder's Reserve" Shiraz (Elsewhere $16)
Review Date: 11-8-2009
"Wow, this is absolutely delicious Shiraz for a song. The nose is lifted with blueberry and blackberry fruit enhanced with notes of mineral and soice. On the palate the fruit flavors follow with a dusting of coco powder and a hint of mint on the back end. There is terrific purity and balance with very fine length." Jim Chanteloup K&L Australian Wine Buyer.
Drink from
2009
to
2012
Price: $9.99
2006 Frogmore Creek "FGR" Riesling Tasmania Australia
Review Date: 9-23-2009
From the cool region of Southern Tasmania, Frogmore Creek fashions a German Kabinett halbtroken style Riesling from their organic vineyards that will knock you out. Even our former German wine buyer, Jeff Vierra, was blown away by the "FGR" which stands for forty grams residual but has also earned the nickname " freaking great Riesling"! The fruit is hand-picked and de-stemmed before being crushed and cold settling overnight. The bouquet is lifted with notes of lime, nectarine, apricot and minerals. On the palate, these flavors follow with hints of honey, marmalade and a bit of a lanolin texture. There is great natural acidity to balance the residual sugar and a long refreshing finish. Jim Chanteloup K&L Australian Wine Buyer.
Price: $16.99
2006 Frogmore Creek Pinot Noir Tasmania Australia
Review Date: 9-23-2009
The fruit for this Pinot Noir is 100% hand-picked from their estate organic vineyards with yields coming in from 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 tonnes to the acre. The grapes are soaked for 2 days prior to fermentation in open top fermenters and hand plunged 3 times a day. Then the wine is pressed off the skins into tank to complete primary fermentation and then transfered to barrel to go through MLF. The wine sees 10 months in French barriques of which 30% is new. The nose offers plum, cherry, clove, earth and a hint of forest floor. On the palate there are fine tannins with spice notes and a dusting of coco powder that are all in fine balance with good persistence. Get yourself a taste of "Tazzie". Jim Chanteloup K&L Australian Wine Buyer.
Price: $19.99
2007 Gemtree "Bloodstone" Shiraz-Viognier McLaren Vale South Australia
Review Date: 9-9-2009
"Gemtree has continued to impress me with the value and quality of wine they have been producing from their 340 acres of organically farmed land which is now being converted to being 100% biodynamic. The 2007 "Bloodstone" Shiraz which is co-fermented with 5% Viognier, has lifted aromatics of subtle peach/necterine and floral notes that mingle with blue and blackberry fruit with a hint of chocolate and mocha. On the palate, the wine is juicy and supported by good acidity with fine grained soft tannins that give a sense of structure to the wine that leads to a long finish. This really sings of McLaren Vale fruit." Jim Chanteloup K&L Australian Wine Buyer.
Price: $14.99
2007 Domaine des Nembrets Denis Barraud Pouilly-Fuissé "Les Chataigniers",
Review Date: 8-21-2009
Denis Barraud's 2007's have all proven to show a great core of fruit with clear precise flavors. While the La Roche may be my favorite this year, the "Les Chataigniers" is lovely with aromas of lemon blossom, peach and mineral accents. On the palate, the wine has a chiseled flavor detail with fine balance and length.
Price: $19.99
2008 Domaine des Nembrets Denis Barraud St-Véran
Review Date: 8-21-2009
Denis Barraud's commitment to intense vineyard work shines through in all his wines with purity of fruit and precision in winemaking. The bouquet offers notes of lemon, spiced apple, wet stone and minerals. On the palate there is nice mid-palate weight and texture with good acidity and length.
Price: $14.99
2006 Seresin "Marama" Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough
Review Date: 8-18-2009
This is one of the more special wines made at Seresin, made from fruit sourced from their organic/biodynamic "Home" vineyard and entirely from the oldest parcels, which makes up the ripest portion of their Sauvignon Blancs. The fruit was hand-sorted and then whole-bunch pressed into French barriques of which 25% are new. The juice began fermentation by wild yeast and went through partial malolactic fermentation. It then spent 15 months in barrel on yeast lees with regular stirring. The bouquet offers notes of citrus, passion fruit and nuts with the oak nuance perfectly integrated. On the palate elements of fig, mineral and spice come into play with wonderful texture that is supported by fine acidity that leads to a long finish.
Drink from
2009
to
2014
Price: $19.99
2006 Tulbagh Mountain Syrah Swartland
Review Date: 8-18-2009
This wine knocked me out when I first tasted it, and to my delight, when our Rhône buyer Mulan Chan-Randell had it at our staff tasting. The bouquet is lifted with very Northern Rhône-like notes of smoked meats, game, garrique, blackberries, pepper, camphor, dark chocolate and a hint of lavender. Bottled unfined and unfiltered, on the palate the wine has good acidity and a fine tannin structure. This very cool Syrah from Swartland, which seems to be the homeland in South Africa for Rhone varietals, is an Old/New World wine that would fool many in a blind tasting.
Drink from
2009
to
2015
Price: $18.99
2008 Southern Lights Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough
Review Date: 8-13-2009
"Need a crisp white wine for a party, wedding or just week day house wine? Look no further than the Southern Lights Sauvignon Blanc which comes from fruit sourced from a more well known winery in New Zealand.This Kiwi "savvy" is bright and juicy with classic notes of grapefruit, passion fruit and lime blossom. On the palate there is good acidity and a clean, long refreshing finish. At $7.99, you'll want to have a few of these in the fridge cold and ready to go." Jim Chanteloup K&L New Zealand Wine Buyer.
Drink from
2009
to
2010
Price: $7.99
2007 Castle Rock Russian River Reserve Sauvignon Blanc
Review Date: 8-6-2009
Winemaker August Briggs made only 1,250 cases of this superb value in Sauvignon Blanc with fruit sourced entirely from the Russian River Valley. The bouquet offers notes of lemon zest, grapefruit, melon, fig and honey. On the palate these flavors follow with a round, creamy texture supported by good acidity that leads to a tangy refreshing finish. At this price, you'll want a case.
Drink from
2009
to
2010
Price: $9.99
2005 Kumeu River Chardonnay
Review Date: 7-21-2009
The Kumeu River estate Chardonnay is 100% barrel fermented with indigenous yeast and goes through 100% malolactic fermentation. Despite what that might do to many other wines, in the case of Kumeu River it produces a wine with great acidity, richness and complexity. The bouquet has notes of flint, minerals, lemon zest, peach, apple and a hint of honey. On the palate, the wine is rich, complex and long with great acidity that gives you a very Bugundian impression.
Drink from
2009
to
2012
Price: $31.99
2008 Gemtree "Tadpole" Shiraz McLaren Vale South Australia
Review Date: 7-13-2009
Last year, the Wine Spectator awarded 90 points to the 2007 Tadpole, and I’m here to tell you the 2008 is even better. For a wine at this price, it shows remarkable concentration with a perfumed nose of blueberry, blackberry, iron, crème de cassis and a hint of milk chocolate. On the palate the wine is rich with good acidity and silky tannins that present superb balance and length. The wine is bottled without fining or filtration.
Drink from
2009
to
2012
Price: $10.99
2008 Neil Ellis "Sincerely" Sauvignon Blanc
Review Date: 6-25-2009
I first visited Neil Ellis in 2002 at his winery in the gorgeous Jonkershoek Valley. All of his wines reflect attention to detail and a commitment to quality, but to find a wine like the Sincerely at this price point is a rare thing these days. In his "hommage" to Sancerre (Sancerrely?) Neil blends fruit from multiple vineyards located in the wards of Groenekloof and Stellenbosch with an average age of 12 years and up to 22 with soils of decomposed granite and some clay. Fermentations was done at cool temperatures and left on the lees for 3months before blending. The nose is full of lime peel, passion fruit, tropical fruit, minerals and a light herb note. On the palate the wine is bright and vibrant with zesty acidity and very nice length. This is an all together refreshing summertime white wine for a song.
Price: $7.99
2005 Katnook Estate "Founder's Block" Cabernet Sauvignon Coonawarra South Australia
Review Date: 8-19-2008
This is one of the greatest values I’ve had this year. Coonawarra, along with Margaret River in Western Australia, are considered to be the best sites for the expression of cabernet. So, to get a wine of this quality and varietal character at this price is something you want to take advantage of. A dry, cooler-than average summer in 2005 lead to an ideal growing season with good ripeness. The wine spent 12 months in mainly American oak and a portion in small French barriques (15% new). The bouquet has lifted notes of black currant and dark plum with a hint of toffee and vanilla. On the palate the wine is medium-bodied with good ripeness, a hint of mint and supple, fine-grained tannins. Though very easy to drink now, the wine will hold easily for another 3-5 years.
Price: $13.99
2006 Massena "11th Hour" Shiraz Barossa Valley South Australia
Review Date: 7-15-2008
I visited Dan and Jaysen last February and
barrel-tasted the 2007 vintage with them, and I can tell you these guys are producing some serious wines that reflect the land they work, presented with precision and grace. The aromatics of this wine are bright and lifted with notes of boysenberry,
blackberry, grilled meat, Earl Grey tea, spice, a hint of graphite and provincial herbs. On the palate, the wine is lush and silky with seamless balance and an incredibly long finish. This is very polished and elegant.
Price: $39.99
