90 points Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar: "Inky ruby. Impressively complex bouquet of red- and blackcurrant, lead pencil, tobacco and sexy oak spices. Sweet and incisive, offering vivid raspberry and cassis flavors, with suave cola and baking spice qualities gaining strength with air. The spiciness persists through the long, sappy finish, adding cut to the sweet dark fruit. This is balanced to age." (Mar/Apr '09) 90 points Wine Enthusiast: "Few $20 Cabs from anywhere are going to deliver like Medalla Real does. From first impressions, which ... Read More » 

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse Redwood City

With all due respect to the viticultural community in the Golden State, no one is making Pinot Noir this tasty and true to the varietal for this low a price, or even several bucks more. Located in the cool climate, coastal region of the Casablanca Valley, Casas del Bosque was named a value winery of the year by Wines & Spirits Magazine. This delicious Pinot Noir shows bright cherry aromas, which lead to a sappy, yet transparent and purely-fruited expression with wonderful acidity and a truly light touch. Think very good quality, $15-18 Central Coast Ca... Read More » 

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse Redwood City

90 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate: "The 2007 Merlot Reserve is a glass-coating opaque purple. The nose offers up coffee, mocha, and cherry leading to a wine with no hard edges and plenty of character. If all Merlots offered this much pleasure, Pinot Noir would never have become so popular." (12/08) On the nose, the Santa Ema is effusive: sweet mocha, ripe red and dark fruits, fig compote all compete to grab your attention, and just when you think you’ve assimilated the array of aromas, a trace of nutmeg reveals itself with a deeper whiff. Textbo... Read More » 

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco

This Pinot Noir is intense and elegant on the nose, red currant and strawberry are the highlighted tones. To the palate, its soft tannins mix with toasty hints that arise from being aged for 10 months in French oak barrels, making it a round and lingering finished wine with medium persistency. According to Wine Spectator: "This offers a mix of tasty crushed red and black cherry fruit laced with spice and cocoa hints. There's a nice lingering whiff of black tea on the lightly firm finish. Drink now." (10/09) 

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco

90 points Wine Spectator: "Muscular, with solid loam, raspberry, blackberry, fig paste and coffee notes backed by a broad, dark, toasty finish. Rock-solid. Drink now through 2010." (02/09) One of the hardest panels of people to please is our staff here at K&L. Much more difficult than approval by the fashionistas on Oscar night, harder than the judging of any of the last three Marques vs. Vasquez fights, and tougher than judging gymnastics at the Olympics, they are simply brutal. Think you have the next big thing, someone is right around the corner to s... Read More » 

A Wine Enthusiast "Best Buy": Captures the pungent, alert character inherent to Sauvignon Blanc. This is a peppy wine with spiky tropical and green-fruit aromas and flavors. It's a mash up of citrus and nettles, with a controlled, farily long grapefruit-driven finish. Modest in price, but the real thing. (03/09) From Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar: "Pale straw. Lively aromas of grapefruit, lime, white pepper and herbs. Fresh on the palate too, displaying vibrant citrus and orchard fruit qualities and good mineral snap. Finishes dry and delin... Read More » 

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco

90 points from Robert Parker's Wine Advocate: "The 2006 Syrah Reserva offers an enticing nose of smoke, game, and blueberry. Medium-bodied and elegant on the palate, it has layers of spicy fruit, good ripeness, and excellent length. This crowd-pleaser will evolve for 1-2 years but can be enjoyed now. It is an outstanding value." (04/09) And, according to Wine Spectator: "Smoky roasted vanilla aromas give way to mulled currant and melted black licorice notes. The velvety finish lets the smoky note linger. Drink now." (12/09) From the relatively unknown ... Read More » 

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco

92 points and a "Smart Buy," Wine Spectator: "Quite toasty, with cocoa powder and espresso notes up front, followed by muscular macerated currant and fig fruit flavors mingling with a maduro tobacco hint. The long, fleshy finish has a nice graphite edge lurking underneath. Needs to settle in, but should age nicely. Drink now through 2010. 800 cases made." (06/09) 

Inventory: Hollywood Redwood City

90 points from the Wine Enthusiast: "A top-notch value Cabernet with no flaws. The fruit on the nose is pretty and stylish but doesn't force the issue, while the palate is juicy and fresh with flavors of cola, cassis and wild berry. Not a complicated wine, but one that pushes all the right buttons. Ripe and friendly to the last drop. A lot of wine for the money." (8/31/09) While I agree with the critic throwing some love towards the Armador, a Cab that has consistently delivered great value for the money, I do find it to be a bit more seriously structu... Read More » 

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco

93 points Wine Spectator: "Muscular and broad-shouldered, with lots of bittersweet cocoa, dark currant and braised fig notes, followed by a long, loam- and coffee-filled finish. There's also plenty of iron-tinged grip for the cellar. Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenère, Cabernet Franc and Merlot. Best from 2010 through 2015." (01/09) 92 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate: "The 2006 Almaviva continues a series of successful vintages for this Chilean icon. Dark ruby-colored, it exhibits an expressive bouquet of wood smoke, pencil lead, blackcurrant, and black... Read More » 

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco

89 points Wine Spectator: "Solid, with a straightforward core of black currant, fig, coffee and loam notes that push through the full-bodied finish, while hints of grilled herb and tobacco hang in the background. Drink now through 2010." (05/09) 

Inventory: Hollywood

95 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate: "The 2006 Don Melchor Cabernet Sauvignon is a glass-coating opaque purple with an alluring bouquet of toast, tobacco, cedar, leather, mocha, and blackcurrant. Sweet, voluptuous (but not in a fruit bomb kind of way), layered, and complex already, its superb balance will ensure at least a decade of evolution and it should drink well through 2036." (04/09) 94 points and a "Hot Wines" designation from Wine Spectator Insider: "A dark, muscular style, with black currant, braised fig, maduro tobacco, bittersweet cocoa an... Read More » 

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse Redwood City

The first of our 2009 vintage wines to arrive, this is a delicious, fresh, crisp, lighter style rosé. In fact, tasted blind one might almost confuse this for white wine. Ripe nectarines and hints of strawberries combine for a terrific, refreshing, easy to like styled rose. Produced from 50% Malbec, 40% Syrah, 10% Carmenere. 

Inventory: Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco

90 points from Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar: "Bright ruby. Seductively perfumed aromas of black raspberry and smoky Indian spices, with floral and mineral accents adding complexity. Juicy, gently sweet red berry flavors pack good punch but are fat-free and show no rough edges. Clean and focused on the finish, with the red fruit qualities repeating. Boasts excellent clarity and energy." (Mar/Apr '09) From Wine Enthusiast: "This blend of Syrah, Carmenère, Cab Franc and Petit Verdot comes in at a higher level than many. Dark chocolate, almond ... Read More » 

Inventory: Main Warehouse Redwood City

This value packed Cab shows elegant, sophisticated, and complex fruity notes that blend cherries, prunes, tobacco and roasted coffee. The palate is well-rounded and very well structured, with ripe tannins and plenty of texture. You'll want to drink this down with med meat, stews, casseroles, and ripe cheeses. As is written in Robert Parker's Wine Advocate: "Santa Ema makes reliably excellent wines at fair prices from the bottom to the top of its portfolio." (06/09) 

Inventory: Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco

A "Best Buy" designation from Wine Enthusiast: "Despite some unyielding oak on the nose, this wine is juicy and good. It has a light, fast feel to it but also some serious tannins that bring the clamp down toward the finish. Raspberry and red cherry flavors are front and center, and overall it shows a touch of finesse. 60% Cab Sauvignon, 25% Carmenère and 15% Cab Franc." (9/1/2008) From Robert Parker's Wine Advocate: "The 2006 Calcu is a blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Carmenere, and 15% Cabernet Franc. Dark ruby-colored, the wine reveals a fragrant... Read More » 

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco

The gryphus, or Andean condor, is the national symbol of Chile. This enormous mountain bird, largest in the Western Hemisphere, plays a cultural role similar to that of the bald eagle in North America. On the front label, though, there is actually a mythological gryphus (or griffin), which has the body of a lion and the head and talons of an eagle. Folklore, culture and mythology aside, this is one tasty Sauvignon Blanc. The fruit, from the cool climate Rapel Valley, is picked separately and fermented separately by lot. Winemaker Andre Caballero may f... Read More » 

Inventory: Redwood City

91 points Wine & Spirits: "Carmenère dominates this blend in notes of red bell pepper and herbs, augmented by Syrah and Carignan. It's smooth, the tannins firm and delicate, wile acidity accentuates the sensation of delicious juciness. For beef empanadas." (10/09) 90 points Wine Spectator: "Ripe and vivid, with a pure beam of blackberry fruit laced with blueberry, spice and pepper notes. The long, polished finish has nice buried minerality. Drink now through 2011." (06/09) 

Inventory: Hollywood

Aresti is the largest grower of gewurztraminer in Chile. The approach here is dry, citric, and showing some of the characteristic spice and appley flavors of the varietal, though definitely in a lighter, zippier style. This would be a terrific wine to pair with anything from Chinese takeout to turkey dinners. 

Inventory: Hollywood Redwood City San Francisco

90 points Wine Spectator: "Alluring, with roasted coffee and vanilla bean notes giving way to a supple, rich palate of dark cherry, mulled currant and blackberry fruit, all pushed by a nicely integrated, loam and grilled herb tinged finish. Drink now through 2010." (07/09) 90 points Robert Parker: "The 2007 Alpha Syrah offers an attractive nose of pepper, sage, blueberry, and incense. Concentrated, nicely balanced, and with a 45-second finish, this classy Syrah will profit from 2-3 years of cellaring and offer prime drinking 2011 to 2019." (06/09) 

Inventory: Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco

90 points from Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar: "Green-tinged yellow. Strikingly complex aromas of spiced pear, apple, floral honey and smoky lees. Fleshy orchard fruit and orange flavors are given spine by tangy minerals and gain an intriguing herbal quality on the back end. The mineral note lingers on the long, juicy finish." (Mar/Apr '09) Don Maximiano Errazuriz founded Viña Errazuriz in 1870 in the Aconcagua Valley, 65 miles north of the capital, Santiago. Recognizing that this valley, with its hot, dry summers and moist Pacific Ocean bree... Read More » 

Inventory: Hollywood Redwood City San Francisco

Produced from the cooler climate, Pacific Ocean influenced climate of vineyards in Chile's Curico Valley, this Sauvignon Blanc is clean, fresh as an ocean breeze, and just impeccably balanced. Tasty notes of aprioct and melon on the palate, with good persistence, make this an ideal choice for an invigorating aperitif or perhaps an accompaniment to ceviche. 

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco

94 points Wine Spectator: "Dark and conentrated, with mint, cocoa powder and loam notes covering a core of dark currant confiture and warm fig." (05/09) 93 points and one of Wine Enthusiast's Top 100 Cellar Selections of 2009: "Arguably the best Domus to date. This wine is super-complete and remarkably individual. It has that classic Macul-area aromas of black olive and tobacco, but the fruit form this great vintage is elevated and pure. Look for graphite, tar, cassis, cherry and chocolate all rolled into one fine, ageable package..." If you have a c... Read More » 

Inventory: Redwood City San Francisco

These Chardonnay grapes come from personally selected vineyards in the Casablanca Valley. This region is known for the strong maritime influence and for being the first valley in Chile to receive cold weather, making it ideal for the production of white wines. The Reserva Chardonnay has a golden color and is fresh and clean to the nose. It is characterized by notes of vanilla, cream and banana. In the mouth, it is crisp, dry and refreshing. 

Inventory: Hollywood

Consulting winemaker Paul Hobbs and winemaker Cristian Aliaga night harvest the fruit for this killer Pinot value. Then hand sort the grapes before destemming and whole-berry crushing. The grapes cold macerate for 3 - 5 days and fermentation begins in small, open-top tanks. Aged for 11 months in French oak. Bright cherry and strawberry flavors balance with rich, mouth-filling texture and a lush finish. 

Inventory: Redwood City

91 points from Wine & Spirits: "Carmenère dominates this blend in notes of red bell pepper and herbs, augmented by syrah and carignan. It's smooth, the tannins firm and delicate, while acidity accentuates the sensation of delicious juiciness. For beef empanadas." (10/09) 

Inventory: Hollywood

Primus is one of Chile’s top red meritage style wines, a blend of power and finesse that merges Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Carmenère, the lost Bordeaux grape. Proprietor Agustin Huneeus is known for creating some of the world’s best Bordeaux-styel blends including Quintessa and Franciscan Magnificat. Primus employs winemaking techniques identical to Napa Valley’s top Cabernet and blends: Yields are managed to 3-4 tons per acre, all of the grapes go through a meticulous double sorting process, and the wine is aged in 25% new French and American oak fo... Read More » 

Inventory: Hollywood

A Best Value from the Wine Spectator: "Quite ripe, with forward pear, fig and melon flavors backed by a toasty but well-integrated finish. There's solid richness and length, and this is a bit bolder in style than most Casablanca Chardonnays. Drink now through 2010." (02/09) According to Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar, Mar/Apr 09: "Hazy, greenish-straw color. A complex bouquet offers scents of smoky lees, lemon and orange, along with a subtle floral undertone. Very complex for this price point, offering toasty citrus and orchard fruit flavors... Read More » 

Inventory: Hollywood

This 2008 opens with striking aromas of black cherries, raspberry and plum. The mid palate is round, soft and elegant with black currant and blueberry notes mingling with hints of cola. Its rich, yet restrained tannins provide depth and lead to a luxurious finish. 

Inventory: Hollywood

92 points from Wine & Spirits Magazine: "The cherry and violet scent of this far-coast syrah make a strong first impression, then follow through the generous flavor of the wine. The tannins are soft, deepening the fresh fruit, ideal with roast lamb chops with rosemary." (10/08) 91 points from Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar: "Bright ruby. Seductively perfumed aromas of raspberry, blueberry, potpourri and incense, with a strong cinnamon quality adding energy. Tangy and pinot-like in its precision and red fruit expression, offering pure raspberr... Read More » 

Inventory: Redwood City

According to Wine Enthusiast: "Minty and dusty at first, with secondary floral aromas that make you take notice. The palate is juicy and jumpy, with sizable coconut and black raspberry flavors that indicate ripeness but also some heavy oak aging. Shows grip and a touch of fire on the medium-long finish. Only 250 cases produced." (5/1/2008) According to Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar: "Bright red. Spicy red berry and cherry scents are enlivened by cracked pepper and fresh rose. Juicy cherry and raspberry flavors pick up smoky mocha and anise ... Read More » 

Inventory: Hollywood Redwood City

89+ points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate: "The 2007 Quatro is a blend of 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Malbec, 25% Carmenere, and 15% Syrah. Purple-colored, it has a complex bouquet of cedar, spice box, black currant, blackberry, and a hint of blueberry in the background. This is followed by a layered wine with good depth and concentration with enough structure to evolve for 1-2 years. Drink this excellent value from 2009 to 2015." (10/08) According to the Wine Spectator: "Ripe and forward, with a good juicy core of blackberry, sweet cocoa and spice notes... Read More » 

Inventory: Hollywood

Apaltagua Winery, located in the prestigious Apalta region in Chile's Colchagua Valley, specializes in one distinguished, but lesser known, grape varietal - Carmenère. Carmenère is considered the "lost Bordeaux" variety, as it was originally planted in Bordeaux, but was abandoned there because it was too late ripening for the Bordeaux climate. Thankfully, the Carmenère variety was imported to Chile where it not only survives (because of a longer growing season), but makes exceptionally good wines. Made of 90% Carmenère and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, Envero'... Read More » 

Inventory: Main Warehouse

92 points from Wine & Spirits Magazine: "Filled with blackberry and cranberry aromas, this has a delicate spicy note that adds complexity. The body is firm and lithe, with nervous acidity and a lasting finish of red fruit and herbs. Enjoy this with roast duck." (02/08) From Wine Spectator: "Plush, with alluring vanilla bean, macerated cherries and mocha notes that glide over well-rounded tannins. Dark and smoky finish, but not overdone. Drink now through 2008. 350 cases made." (Dec. 31, 2007) 

Inventory: Redwood City

90 points Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar, Mar/Apr 09: "($24) Light gold. Highly complex aromas of white peach, tarragon, floral honey and smoky lees. Firm, sharply focused citrus and pit fruit flavors are complicated by notes of Sen-Sen, buttered toast and baking spices, with very good back-end cut. Finishes with gentle sweetness and a strong echo of licorice." According to the Wine Spectator: "Plump and forward, with tasty yellow apple, melon and pear flavors backed by a round, buttery finish. A crowd-pleasing style. Drink now. Tasted twice... Read More » 

Inventory: Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco