Champagne

90 points Wine Spectator: "There's a high-toned minty graphite accent to the aroma, with a citric edge on the palate. The structure is overlaid with lemon and bread dough notes. This is tight and crisp on the finish, so break out the sole or shellfish, or wait a few years. Best from 2008 through 2020." (07/07)

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco

Our best deal in bubbles? No doubt many on our staff would say yes! It is made of 40% chardonnay, 30% pinot noir and 30% meunier. A balanced cuvee in every way, this Champagne is clean and powerful at once. The length of this little bottle of bubbles proves to me the class of its origin, the small commune of Brouillet in Champagne. No bottle in our inventory transports me to Champagne like this one. It is as true to the terroir and as pure as anything I could wish for! Don't settle for an imitation, buy the real thing--and for less! (Gary Westby, K&L Ch... Read More »

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco

90 points Stephen Tanzer's International Wine cellar: "Bright straw with a very fine bead. Pungent, yeasty aromas of intense citrus zest and minerals. Silky, pure and focused, offering vibrant lime and tangerine flavors. Finishes with racy notes of wet stone and lime zest, and excellent length. An outstanding non-vintage bottling with striking vivacity and focus." (Nov/Dec 06) K&L's notes: Ruinart is one of Champagne's oldest houses, founded by Nicholas Ruinart in 1729, himself a descendent of Dom Thierry Ruinart, the other "Dom" responsible for so much ... Read More »

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco

This little quarter sized bottle of Champagne is all the rage in the Paris night clubs. It is meant to be drunk directly out of its little bottle, with the straw provided. It is the perfect single serving size and a very fun little gift!

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco

The famous yellow label. At once delicate and powerful, the classic Yellow Label Veuve is dominated by pinot noir's firm structure, but is rounded out by a touch pinot meunier. The nearly one-third chardonnay provides the elegance that this cuvée is famous for.

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco

Real rosé Champagne in a tiny bottle, made to drink from a straw.

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco

92 points Wine Spectator: "Full-bodied and intensely flavored, this exhibits mature characteristics of candied fruit, coffee and vanilla pastry, along with fresh lemon and ginger accents. Seamless harmony and texture with a long, long finish. The majority of the blend is from the 2002 harvest, with approximately 40% reserve wines from the 1989 to 1995 vintages. It is aged roughly four years on its lees." (10/04)

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco

90 points Wine Enthusiast: "This is baseline Deutz, but still a standout. Sniff it and you sense the complexity, definition and elegance. Good, tiny bubbles stream up steadily, bringing notes of chalk, candied fruit and caramel. In the mouth, it fills out across the palate with mixed flavors that show stone fruits, caramel and oily, slightly buttery nuts. Very approachable yet complex, refined and aristocratic." (12/1/2006) Maison Deutz is located in the world-famous village of Aÿ at the base of the chalky Montagne de Reims. Aÿ (pronounced I - E) is one... Read More »

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco

90 points Wine Spectator: "A pronounced graphite aroma introduces this finely wrought, chiseled Champagne. Lemon verbena, ginger and spice notes weigh in, and the finish is lingering, if tart. Drink now through 2010. 60,000 cases imported." (12/07) Our notes: 55% Pinot Noir, 30% Meunier and 15% Chardonnay, two years of ageing on the lees and 20% Reserve wines. -Gary Westby, K&L

Inventory: Hollywood

Franck Bonville Cuvee Les Belles Voyes Champagne $64.99: This is one of the best Champagnes we carry regardless of price. Made from the one and three quarters acre Belles Voyes vineyard in Oger, this is Bonville's top of the line Champagne. The vines were planted in the late twenties or early thirties and the vineyard is ideally located in the mid slope of this Grand Cru village. The wine is made entirely from the 2002 harvest and is all Chardonnay. Olivier Bonville ferments and ages the juice in old oak casks before bottling. The only wine I can compare... Read More »

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco

93 points Wine Spectator: "Complex aromas and flavors of rose, grilled nuts, citrus and a gently oxidative note course through this muscular, full-bodied bubbly. Despite its power, there's a gracefulness. The aftertase combines citrus and spice. Drink now through 2008." (11/04) K&L's notes - A Pinot Noir dominated blend that always includes a generous proportion of reserve wines. The biggest and boldest of the big house non-vintages, this is still made from mostly estate fruit. All of the reserve wines are aged in magnums under natural cork, and a large... Read More »

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco

90 points Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar: "Light yellow with a frothy mousse. Fresh pear, yellow plum and tangerine on the nose, with a light floral quality adding dimension. Medium in weight, with round orchard fruit flavors nicely framed by gentle acidity. Finishes fresh, with a pleasingly bitter cherry pit quality and gently spiciness. More taut than the outstanding 731, this will repay cellaring." (Nov. 07) K&L's notes: The cuvee 732 is Jacquesson's current non vintage blend, but is acknowledged as different than last years blend (the 731... Read More »

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco

This new husband and wife Champagne house is the product of two venerable Champagne families. Olivier Collard is the grandson of the great Rene Collard in the village of Reuil, one of the most respected and venerable recoltant-manipulant's in all of Champagne. His wife, Delphine Picard, is the cousin of Chantal Gonet of Champagne Phillipe Gonet in Mesnil. Their heritage gives them access to some of the best fruit in the entire Champagne region. Olivier's vineyards are in the western valley of the Marne, were the Meunier is king, and there is no family wi... Read More »

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco

René Collard was born in 1921 in the heart of the Marne Valley. At 22, his father (who was a grower) saw his dedication to the family vineyards and gave him a little less than a hectare of vines in the village of Reuil. Since that time he has been making a tiny amount of the most unique Champagne in the world. He has slowly added to his estate- buying up choice vineyards in the villages of Reuil and Damery. His estate is just less than 7 hectares (17.5 acres) planted to about 90% meunier and 10% chardonnay. He has the good fortune of having an amazing ce... 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." Laurent-Perrier Brut Millésimé is composed of roughly equal parts of chardonnay and pinot noir, exclusively from the very best crus or villages. Historically, most of these crus have formed the basis of Laurent-Perrier's champagnes. The most prestigious among them are: Mesnil-sur-Oger, Oger, Avize, Cramant, Chouilly, Ambonnay, Bouzy, Tours-sur-Ma... Read More »

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco

Our best deal in pink bubbles! Fans of Billecart-Salmon take note, this is an elegant, dry style that is made entirely from estate grown fruit in Brouillet. This Champagne is a blend of half and half pinot noir and meunier. The color comes from 12% meunier that is vinified red, from an old-vine plot that gets quite ripe. It is a very pretty tarnished pink color and has a lazy bead from over five years of ageing on the lees. It has gorgeous red cherry fruit on the nose and mid palate, but still finishes snappy and dry. The wine also has a nice mineral not... Read More »

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco

This is the real vintage stuff from a very hard to get a hold of cult Champagne house. This wine has extraordinary concentration and a wonderful tension between ripe Chardonnay fruit and scintillating Mesnil mineraility. The bead is wonderful, scores of perfect miniscule bubbles jet from the bottom of the flute when you pour this Champagne. Get out the brown paper bags and compare to Salon, Taittinger Comtes de Champagne etc... (Gary Westby, K&L Champagne buyer)

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco

97 points Wine Enthusiast: "From the same 20 parcels in Le Mesnil-sur-Oger as the house has used since its founding in 1921, this is the latest release from Salon. It explodes in the mouth with mineral, steel and flint. The tiny mousse has flavors of yeast with a touch of toast. It is rich, but also austere and structured. Like many Salon Champagnes, this will age for 20 years or more." (12/07) 96 points from Wine and Spirits, and 95 points from the Wine Spectator: "A deep, vinous style, with understated power and grace. The lemon verbena, toast and hon... Read More »

Inventory: Hollywood

92 points Wine Enthusiiast and 90 points Tanzer. Henriot's vineyard has been around since the 1700s, but they didn't begin producing bubbly until 1808. Composed of 40% chardonnay and 60% pinot noir the Souverain Brut tends toward a lighter, more crisp style with decent acidity and flavors of green apples, pears, limes, nectarines and a light bit of minerality. Also has some cream and vanilla on the finish.

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco

93 points Wine Enthusiast: "This is what you expect a prestige Champagne to look, smell and taste like. Poised and stylish, it layers sharp citrus fruit with spicy wood and light toast. Layers of citrus, tangerine and flower blossoms unfold elegantly; lime and grapefruit accents add interest, and above all it comports itself with impeccable balance, precision and grace." (12/1/2006)

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco

A small version of our best deal in bubbles. The freshest half bottles around, these are sent to us directly from the Ariston's! The Champagne is made of 40% chardonnay, 30% pinot noir and 30% meunier. A balanced cuvee in every way, it is clean and powerful at once. The length of this little bottle of bubbles proves to me the class of its origin, the small commune of Brouillet in Champagne. Don't settle for an imitation, buy the real thing for less! (Gary Westby, Champagne and Sherry Buyer)

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco

90 points Wine Spectator: "A pronounced graphite aroma introduces this finely wrought, chiseled Champagne. Lemon verbena, ginger and spice notes weigh in, and the finish is lingering, if tart. Drink now through 2010. 60,000 cases imported." (12/07) Our notes: 55% Pinot Noir, 30% Meunier and 15% Chardonnay, two years of ageing on the lees and 20% Reserve wines. -Gary Westby, K&L

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco

The Bonville family were grape growers in the Côte de Blancs until after World War II, when they began making Champagne themselves from the fruit grown in the Grand Cru villages of Avize and Oger. The domaine, a true family enterprise, is now in the third generation. It’s run by Olivier Bonville, who grew up in the business working side-by-side with his parents, Ingrid and Gilles. Today the estate covers 20 hectares (45 acres) in the Grand Cru villages of Cramant, Avize and Oger. These exclusive Grand Cru vineyards guarantee the highest quality fruit. Th... Read More »

Inventory: Hollywood Redwood City San Francisco

This is one of the few "cult" Champagnes that we have been able to get for our customers. This K&L favorite has a new package, with an impressive old fashioned bottle shape and new label. Luckily we bought direct, making it a great deal! The "Quartz" is a cremant style, and is not as heavily carbonated (it has three atmospheres of pressure instead of six) as regular Champagne. The Launois family changed the name this year because of a copyright dispute, but the wine is the same great stuff as before. Made of 100% chardonnay, it has flavors of apple and b... Read More »

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco

90 points Wine Spectator (and they list the suggested retail at $60/bottle): "Delicious. Dry and flavorful, sporting citrus, spice, apple and pear flavors on a firm, lightweight frame, holding its focus through the long finish. Lovely as an aperitif, but has the structure to pair well with light hors d'oeuvres." (11/02) K&L's notes: They are a traditional producer and use a proportion of old oak on the Grand Reserve. None of their Champagnes ever go through malolactic. On their web site, they list the Grand Reserve as being composed of 46% Chardonnay, 39... Read More »

Inventory: Hollywood Redwood City San Francisco

From the makers of Cristal, this is a rich, toasty style. Roederer grows two thirds of the fruit that it needs for this Champagne on their own extensive 500 acre estate. Their vineyards are spread throughout the Champagne region with holdings in the Cotes de Blancs, Valley of the Marne and Mountain of Reims. The Brut Premier comes only from grand and premier cru sites, and does not go through malolactic fermentation. It is 56% Pinot Noir, 33% Chardonnay and 10% Meunier. It is aged three years on the lees and a generous six months on the cork before rele... Read More »

Inventory: Hollywood Redwood City San Francisco

95 points Wine Spectator: "Super texture, like velvet, offers the perfect backdrop for a kaleidoscope of flavors----coconut, ginger, vanilla, berries and tobacco. Beautifully integrated, with a firm underpinning of acidity keeping it all focused and fresh. Terrific length. Drink now through 2010." (11/04) 92 points Robert Parker (12/02) Krug makes the Champagne that ranks in reputation along with the first growths and d'Yquem in Bordeaux and the Domaine de la Romanee-Conti in Burgundy. If you have not tasted it lately, you should. The wine lives up to i... Read More »

Inventory: Hollywood Redwood City

This is an exciting and unique Champagne from a little known village called Cuchery. It is made by the man that gives the wine his name, Michel Dervin, who is also the wine maker for Domaine J. Laurens in Limoux. The wine has a wonderful brioche and subtle fruit nose. The flavors are quite concentrated and complex and it has a great toastiness as well as a lightness on its refreshing and long finish. The cuvee is a blend of 2003 and 2002 vintages. It is made out of 95% estate fruit from small plots in the villages of Cuchery, Damery, Reuil, and Chapelle ... Read More »

Inventory: Hollywood Redwood City San Francisco

This K&L favorite has a new package, with an impressive old fashioned bottle shape and new label. This spectacular Champagne is one of the most sought after in France, and Launois' cult status made it very difficult for us to make a purchase. We lucked out, and now we buy it completely directly, passing on massive savings to you. This house is from Mesnil, the southernmost Grand Cru in Champagne and home to Salon and Krug's Clos de Mesnil. This Champagne is all chardonnay and all Grand Cru from the villages of Mesnil, Oger, Cramant and Avize... A role ca... Read More »

Inventory: Hollywood