Old and Rare Wine

96 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate: "The 1995 Dom Perignon OEnotheque is the second release of this wine, and was disgorged in 2005. This silky-textured Champagne reveals breathtaking finesse, elegance and clarity in its perfumed bouquet, with delicate notes of pears and roasted nuts that add further complexity. The finish goes on and on. This mind-bending, kaleidoscopic Champagne possesses all of the qualities of profoundness, most importantly the ability to develop beautifully in the glass and the potential to acquire even more depth in bottle ove... Read More » 

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco

90 points Wine Spectator: "Burly, traditional claret. Great dark color and intense aromas of black cherry and berry with hints of mineral and spice. Full-bodied, with full tannins and a sweet berry aftertaste. Very chewy. Best after 2002." (01/99) An incredible value in aged Bordeaux. 

Inventory: Main Warehouse Redwood City

98 points Wine Enthusiast: "This is an exceptional wine, as is the vintage. The fruits - grapefruit, crisp red apple - balance with a fine yeasty character. There is a great depth of flavor, the fruits going in a pure line of freshness. The one problem is that it is much too young, the result of the deamnd from the market for the next vintage. Age this wine for at least four years." (12/08) 96 points and three stars from the Connoissuers' Guide to California Wine: "Its Pinot Noir portion notwithstanding, this wine has a crisp, chalky, lightly citrusy, li... Read More » 

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco

90 points Allen Meadows' Burghound: "Floral, lightly spicy and airy to the point of being perfumed with excellent intensity on the solidly detailed, pure and racy medium weight flavors that display finishing minerality to burn. This is a generous but not easy wine as there is a firm core of ripe acidity on the backend which will allow the flavors to develop slowly in bottle." According to Wine Spectator: "A broad style, ripe and balanced on the soft side. Light apple and honey flavors end with moderate length. Drink now. 12,000 cases made." (Web '08) O... Read More » 

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco

92 points Wine Spectator: "Round and expressive, offering caramel, apricot and vanilla pastry aromas and flavors on an elegant frame. On the soft side, this is a voluptuous, inviting Champagne that's easy to sink into, with a long, nutty finish. Drink now through 2018." (11/08) 

Inventory: Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco

95 points Wine Enthusiast: "This is a classic Dom Pérignon vintage. It's big and fruity initially, a mouthful of ripeness. Then the texture and structure of this dense wine come through. It’s as much wine as Champagne, rich, the apple and fresh pear flavors vying with yeasty and a tense crispness. Worth aging, it will be even better in 3-4 years." (12/08) 94 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate: "The 2000 Brut Dom Perignon is a gorgeous, seductive wine that floats on the palate with remarkable grace. Toasty aromas meld into freshly cut flowers, apricots... Read More » 

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco

Charles Bieler (of Three Thieves/Rebel Wine Co. and Bieler Père et Fils) and Charles Smith (of K Vintners, Magnificent Wine Co. and Charles Smith Wines) have teamed up to produce this fantastic red blend. Inky dark color, smooth in texture with dark cherry and berry fruit flavors. A ton of wine for this money! 

Inventory: Redwood City

According to the Wine Spectator: "Distinctive lemon candy and apple notes mesh well with the lively structure. Turns a little coarse on the finish, detracting from the overall impression. Drink now through 2014." 125 cases made. 

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco

Shows a lot of mineral and oriental spice in the nose, and those scents really opened up after a few minutes in the glass. The terroir shines through. When asked to compare it to wines from previous vintages, Mr. Prats mentioned it reminds him of the 1985 though not quite as fat. Superb length. The wine shows its Cabernet tannins, but they’re well integrated. 65% cabernet sauvignon, 35% merlot in the vineyard, and in the blend. 55% new oak. Only 40% of the crop went into the grand vin. 21,000 cases produced. According to Robert Parker: "The dark ruby-co... Read More » 

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco

90 points Wine Spectator: "This is sumptuous and delicate, offering peach, beeswax and ginger notes. Firmly structured, with a chalklike sensation underneath that emerges on the finish. Drink now through 2015." 90 points Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar: "Light yellow, with a vigorous mousse. Pungent and ripe, showing a fresh bouquet of pear, orange, peach skin, cherry pit and honeysuckle. Brisk citrus and orchard fruit flavors offer refreshing bite, racy lift and sharp focus, with good mineral snap on the close. Gained weight, power and a ple... Read More » 

Inventory: Redwood City San Francisco

One of the rising stars of the Languedoc, Jean Louis Denois makes exciting, world class wines that nonetheless remain amazingly inexpensive. His vineyards sit in the very southwestern corner of France, at the foot of the Pyrenees, and include red, white and sparkling wines. All of the Denois wines are made from perilously low-yielding vines, and vinified with as little interference as possible. The Sainte Marie from Denois is, in the words of our very own Clyde Beffa, a dead ringer for village Meursault. (at about half the price!). 13.5% abv 

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse San Francisco

Attention- if you are having this wine shipped, please let us know in the order coments if you want to have the box shiped as well- it is not safe for us to ship them together. This is a collaboration between Vueve Clicquot and the luxury Italian boat designer Riva. It is gorgeous packaging, like the sort of thing James Bond might own. Ad of course, the wine is amazing, too. 93 points and 2 Puffs from the Connoisseurs' Guide to California Wine: "64% Pinot Noir; 36% Chardonnay. Seemingly a bit livelier than the typical Grande Dame, but still a rich wine b... Read More » 

Inventory: Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco

90 points from Robert Parker's Wine Advocate: "The 2000 Reserva Vina Ardanza has 25% Garnacha blended with the Tempranillo. Light to medium ruby, it delivers an enticing bouquet of cedar, spice box, leather, forest floor, black cherry, and blackberry. This leads to a ripe, moderately dense wine with complex flavors and excellent balance. Drink this tasty effort through 2015. La Rioja Alta continues to be one of the benchmarks for traditionally produced Rioja. What the wines may lack in power, they make up for in finesse and complexity." (Feb. 2008) 90 p... Read More » 

Inventory: Hollywood Redwood City San Francisco

Lopez de Heredia does not produce a rosado every year! The crop of their Tondonia vineyard was reduced in 1998 due to April springtime frosts. But hot temperatures, low rainfall, and a dry and sunny September resulted in terrific quality grapes. Amazingly complex, this fascinating 11 year-old rosé has a fine, straw-orange color and a "vineux" bouquet. Fresh, fruity, with hints of bitter almonds and hazelnuts, this wine has refined, supple flavors that endure. 60% Garnacha (Grenache), 30% Tempranillo, 10% Viura. 

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco

According to Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar, May/June 00: "Bright medium ruby. Lively aromas of black raspberry, bitter chocolate and mint. Good texture and restrained sweetness; dark berry flavors are quite youthfully unevolved. Solidly structured wine, finishing with firm but fine tannins and very good length." According to Wine Spectator: "Aromas of berries, chocolate and hints of spices. Medium- to full-bodied, with fine tannins and a light, fresh, fruity aftertaste. Delicious red." (03/02) K&L's notes - This lovely wine is a bit riche... Read More » 

Inventory: Hollywood Redwood City

Fans of toasty Champagne take note- this is one of our biggest! A blend of 33% pinot noir, 33% meunier and 33% chardonnay from vines averaging about 25 years on the families estate vineyards in Brouillet. This Champagne has a very pretty golden straw color. The nose is very leesy and doughy, showing off the six years it has aged on its yeast. It is round and carmely, with an excellent black cherry core. 

Inventory: Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco

This Cabernet is always popular. 

Inventory: Main Warehouse Redwood City

According to the Wine Spectator: "A creamy texture provides an attractive base for the citrus and peach flavors. It's vibrant and concentrated, with a mineral element peeking through on the finish. Drink now through 2018. 300 cases made." (04/06) 

Inventory: Hollywood

Only 2,500 cases were made of this rarity from the excellent 2000 vintage. Quite rich and honeyed aromas with some lemon and peach and caramel flavors on the palate. Famous year and fine value. 

Inventory: Hollywood

93 points and one the Wine Spectator's Top 100 Wines of 2009: "Brioche, chamomile and dried pear flavors are rich and expressive in this polished white. Silky and fresh on the palate, with a haunting honeyed and floral finish. Best on its own, as a meditation wine. Drink now." (07/09) 

Inventory: Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco

According to Robert Parker: "This up and coming St.-Emilion is somewhat under-rated given the consistently high quality of recent vintages. The 1996 is a flamboyant, dark ruby/purple-colored wine with a soaring bouquet of plum liqueur, toasty new oak, black cherries, smoke, and dried herbs. In the mouth, evidence of sur-maturite jamminess and richness emerge from this medium-bodied, rich, spicy, impressively-endowed wine. There is tannin in the medium to full-bodied finish. Anticipated maturity: 2003-2014." (04/99) According to the Wine Spectator: "Can'... Read More » 

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse Redwood City

92 points Wine Spectator: "A mature rosé, this evokes truffle, woodsy spices, smoke and dried berries. The bubbles are more ethereal, and this has become more like an aged wine. It's vibrant and lingers nicely on the aftertaste. Drink now." (11/09) 92 points Robert Parker. K&L's notes: This Champagne was first released in 1992, but a portion was held back and disgorged in 2007. It is composed of 63% Pinot Noir, 33% Chardonnay and 4% Meunier and gets its color from 18% of the Pinot (a selection of Clicquot's best Bouzy vineyards, of which they own a stag... Read More » 

Inventory: Hollywood Redwood City

The Cazal family is justifiably proud of its holdings in Champagne, which include a goodly portion of Grand Cru vineyard in the Cotes de Blancs. Chardonnay is what Cazal knows best, and this vintage bubbly, primarily Chardonnay, is bright and minerally with fresh notes of green apple and citrus. 

Inventory: Hollywood Redwood City San Francisco

Coming from vines planted in loess-loem and sand this is a precocious wine which is bright, crisp and very perfumed with a sexy texture and a lovely finish. 

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco

All hand harvested, sorted, de-stemmed, crushed and fermented in a tiny cellar located in the Northern end of Vouvray. The wine is then fermented in tank and then partially aged in chestnut barrels. The style is called "Sec Tendre" which is an off dry style but, with higher acidity levels. The vines are planted in flint soils which give a fantastic minerality and mouthwatering finish. 

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco

93 points Wine Spectator: "Rich yet delicate in style, with a soft salmon color and graceful aromas of strawberry, peach and yeast. Flavors take on complexity, balancing crisp acidity with mature yet opulent raspberry, toasty vanilla and mineral flavors. Drink now through 2014. 618 cases made." (11/09) 

Inventory: Hollywood

91 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate "The 2004 Capo Martino reveals terrific purity, depth and definition in its layers of sweet, ripe fruit, toasted oak, licorice and menthol. With air the wine's frame fills out and the richness of its expression becomes apparent. This blend of 70% Tocai Friuliano, 30% Pinot Bianco, Ribolla, Malvasia and Picolit spent 13 months in Austrian oak tonneaux. Anticipated maturity: 2007-2012." (03/08) 90 points Wine Spectator "Some honey and light almond character, with a hint of toffee. Full-bodied, with good fruit and a ... Read More » 

Inventory: Hollywood Redwood City San Francisco

According to Robert Parker: "With deep, dark ruby/purple color, plenty of body, as well as mouth-searing tannins in the finish, the 1986 Siran competently displays the personality characteristics of the vintage. Between the fragrant, tarry, spicy, curranty bouquet and the hard finish is plenty of depth and fruit. However, one must defer gratification for at least 7-8 years before drinking the 1986 Siran. Anticipated maturity: Now-2010." (Bordeaux book, 1998) 

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco

Joël Taluau is a fabulous grower in St. Nicolas de Bourgueil known for making some of the purest expressions of cabernet franc in the Loire. All is hand harvested, cuvees are based on vine age and soil composition. Then the wines are fermented and aged in stainless steel, with a light fining and no filtration before bottling. 

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco

This wine is made from Pedro Ximenez grapes grown east of Jerez in Montilla. Made from a select batch, the wine is aged in barrel and released when ready to drink. Black in color, syrupy thick and very sweet, this wine still manages to be balanced. A fantastic way to finish out the evening, this is one of the classic dessert wines of the world! I find it an outstanding deal for the money! (Gary Westby, K&L Champagne and Sherry buyer) 

Inventory: Redwood City

Dry as dry can be, and all the more tasty for it! This is a new cuvee without any make-up, that is without any dosage at all. It was made from 100% chardonnay from Le Mesnil and Montgueux, the latter being the best cru of the Aube, the southernmost part of Champagne. It is a tremendously nervy wine, best enjoyed with oysters! 

Inventory: Hollywood Redwood City

According to the Wine Spectator: "Almond, tea, caramel and orange peel flavors mingle in this silky white, which has mature flavors, yet the attack is still full and lively, and there's even a bit of tannic grip. Drink now through 2012." (07/09) 

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco

This cool-climate fascinating wine offers a complex blend of fresh lime, musk and honeysuckle aromas and a touch of gunflint. The palate is fine, intense and long, with delicious citric and melon fruit flavors. Excellent texture and a great acid finish. 

Inventory: Hollywood San Francisco

95 points Wines and Spirits: "Intricate scents of herbs, roses and citrus blossoms start off delicate and build into the graceful flow of the wine, creating a beautiful presence on the palate. It moves from a bold stance into a long, slow fade, lasting on an essence of rose-petal jam. Delicous as a young wine, this will likely be at its best ten to 12 years from the vintage." 93 points Wine Enthusiast: "From a great vintage, this rosé is still young, still developing. But already the outlines are there with ripe strawberry and pink grapefruit along with... Read More » 

Inventory: Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco

This was actually a "special label" for a Nevada merchant that never ended up taking it. Their loss is our gain! Let's call it an off dry (leaning more towards the dry) estate QbA. It has just the right amount of age and is drinking perfect for a quaffer, and check out that price! 

Inventory: Redwood City

92 points Wine Spectator: "Pure, with a porcelain like texture supporting mineral, lime and quince flavors that run along a rapier of a finish. Shows great precision and clarity. Drink now through 2012. 1,500 cases made." (05/07) Domaine de Baumard practices sustainable viticultre. 

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco

This estate uses wonderful young Shiraz for this addictive frothy red, barrel fermenting the wine and then aging it for about 9 months in American oak. The wine is then sent off to Vinpac International in the Barossa Valley for secondary fermentation in the true "methode champeniose". After about 8 months on "lees", the wine is disgorged and a small amount of "liqueur" (sweetener) is added. In the true Aussie tradition Majella uses some really fantastic vintage port. Drink it with anything and everything - it's great as an aperitif or a digestif, with me... Read More » 

Inventory: Redwood City San Francisco

According to Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar, Sep 09: "Cherry pit, cured tobacco and leather on the nose. Dry and a bit stern, with sweet flavors of cherry and chewing tobacco. Tangy acidity adds lift and cut to the finish, which is impressively persistent if a touch tart. With air this wine gained some sweetness, but this style is better suited to those with traditional tastes." 

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco

98 points Robert Parker: "A blend of 81% Cabernet Sauvignon and 19% Merlot, this wine represents only 34% of Lafite's total harvest. In a less than perfect Medoc vintage, it has been spectacular since birth, putting on more weight and flesh over the last year. This opaque purple-colored 1998 is close to perfection. The spectacular nose of lead pencil, smoky, mineral, and black currant fruit soars majestically from the glass. The wine is elegant yet profoundly rich, revealing the essence of Lafite's character. The tannin is sweet, and the wine is spectacu... Read More » 

Inventory: Redwood City

92 points from Robert Parker: "Leighton’s 1994 Chardonnay Cuvee LD is made from an old Wente clone. It exhibits notes of subtle pineapples, poached pears, citrus oil, and background oak and charcoal scents. Crisp and full-bodied with impressive balance and harmony, it should continue to evolve for 8-10 years. The idiosyncratic Terry Leighton, who has produced some magnificent wines that have stood the test of time for nearly two decades, releases his wines 2-10 years later than most producers. I have always loved them, and I have been remiss in not repo... Read More » 

Inventory: Redwood City

93 points Wines & Spirits: "The bold fruit flavors make this a wine of primary colors for now, from peach to kiwi, grapefruit and strawberry. The fruit is fragrant and lush while the wine's acidity keeps it mouthwatering and completely dry. A zesty Champagne that's built to age, tame it with food if you open it now-roast salmon with chanterelles and cream would contrast it well." How could the humble 2004 vintage produce the best vintage wines that I have tasted from Roederer? This "classic" vintage (the Champagne word for nearly sunless) has actually s... Read More » 

Inventory: Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco

92 points Wine Enthusiast: "A full, ripe creamy wine with a fine balance between fresh red berries and pink grapefruit crispness. There is spice, followed by a mouthful of complex berries, red plums and a firm texture. This is already delicious, but could certainly age over several years." (12/1/2008) Not exactly an unknown name in Champagne, right? You might assume that due to Clicquot's size, its wines are generic, safe and designed for the masses. But not this sexy sparkler, not by a long shot. First, beginning with the lovely smoked salmon color, ri... Read More » 

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco

93 points from Wine & Spirits:"From Finca Ygay, one of the great estates of Rioja Alta, this wine is particularly concentrated due to April frosts, which reduced the crop to 60 percent of normal. The Gran Reserva Especial has historically been aged for decades at the bodega; this vintage, released after eight years, is still tight and closed. But even when it's first poured, the wine's sophistication shows in the firm mesh of the structure. It expands as it takes on air, developing the ease and give that makes this 2000 delicious to drink now, a spicy re... Read More » 

Inventory: Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco

90 points Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar, Jul/Aug 09: "($50; 75% tempranillo, 15% garnacha and 10% graciano and mazuelo) Bright red. Complex aromas of cherry, sassafras, dried rose and pungent herbs, with a gentle vanilla note. Fleshy, sweet and graceful red fruit flavors are firmed by a bitter cherry quality and pick up dusty tannins with air. Finishes on a juicy note, with lingering cherry and herbal notes." According to the Wine Spectator: "Still firm and fresh, this red is aromatic with berry, dried cherry, tea and sandalwood notes. A bi... Read More » 

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco

This fantastic Champagne comes from the villages of Pierry and Moussy in the sud-Epernay sub region of Champagne. Bruno Michel has been organic since 1999 and 5 of his 37.5 acres are farmed biodynamically. This vintage Brut is 80% Chardonnay and 20% Pinot Meunier, and it offers stupendous balance between simple enjoyment/drinkability and more intellectual geeked out notes of wet stone and austere minerality. 

Inventory: Hollywood Redwood City San Francisco

89 points Wine Spectator: ""Firm and sweet, hinting at ripe, tropical fruit nuances backed by vibrant acidity. Fine concentration; however, it lacks finesse on the back end. Drink now through 2006. 200 cases made." (04/01) Picked at Berenauslese levels this is an intense and ripe wine that still has the vibrancy of its youth. Rich dense notes of peach, mango and citrus carry through the and onto the mid palate and then leaves you with a long soft finish which seems like can last through the evening and into the morning. By far one of the best deals going... Read More » 

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco

93 points and 2 Puffs from the Connoisseurs' Guide to California Wine: "64% Pinot Noir; 36% Chardonnay. Seemingly a bit livelier than the typical Grande Dame, but still a rich wine based on its Pinot Noir heritage, it combines an admirably strong mousse with plenty of acidity and a dried toffee, nutty overlay of burgeoning complexity. Lovely." (12/08) 92 points Wine Spectator: "There's plenty of finesse in this sleek Champagne, along with an airy texture and loads of grip. Graphite, lemon, toast and mineral aromas and flavors prevail, and this takes on ... Read More » 

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse

In times past, Hungarian Tokaji wines were highly prized. Long before Sauternes, they graced the tables of European kings and connoisseurs. In the summer of 1991, the late Jean-Michael Arcaute and Jean-Louis Laborde led a group of wine lovers in the acquisition of Chateau Pajzos, long acknowledged as among the finest vineyards of the region. They carried out the first 'private enterprise' harvest and vinification, thus launching the Renaissance of Tokaji. Today, Ch. Pajzos is under the sole ownership and direction of Jean-Louis Laborde, now assisted by h... Read More » 

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco

90 points Robert Parker: "A terrific bargain in high class red wine. A blend of 70% Tempranillo, 20% Grenache, and 10% Mazuelo and Graciano, this wine is the essence of chocolate, truffles, tobacco, and cherries in its nose and flavors. Dense and ripe, with a full-bodied personality, this is a deep, rich, round, compelling Rioja for drinking now as well as over the next decade. Readers should seriously contemplate purchasing this wine by the case." 

Inventory: Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco

90 points Wine Enthusiast: "The vineyard is owned by the Farrells, and is located in the Green Valley, the coolest section of Russian River. The wine is very bright in acidity and clean and clear in minerals, with notes of tart lemondrop, brioche and Asian pear. Lees add a distinct taste of yeast and a rich, creamy texture. Perfect with cracked crab." (07/08) And one star from the Connoisseurs' Guide to California Wine: "Although this firmly built youngster may be a bit restrained vis-a-vis richness, it sports plenty of precise, citrus-tinged Chardonnay... Read More » 

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse Redwood City