This house is located in Aisne department, a part of Champagne that rarely exports its wines to the USA. While they are a negociant, the 1996 is made up mostly of their quite extensive 225 acre estate. It is composed of 45% Chardonnay, 40% Meunier and 15% Pinot Noir which is fermented in stainless steel and goes through full malolactic fermentation. The Champagne has a great bouquet caramel apple and vanilla tinged toast and is extremely fresh in the mouth. It is very much a 1996, and has a laser beam like finish that goes on and on! Don't miss this- it ... Read More » 

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco

95 points Robert Parker: "The 1996 displays an opaque purple color, as well as sweet, wonderfully pure, jammy blackberry, mineral, and intriguing floral aromas. Enormously rich and full-bodied, with massive intensity, this is a modern day tour de force in winemaking. In spite of being aged in a hefty percentage of new oak, the wine does not reveal any evidence of new oak casks because the fruit character is so pronounced. Statistically, this wine possesses huge amounts of tannin, but it comes across as a seamless giant with extraordinary richness and int... Read More » 

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco

Do you have enough of the great 1996 Champagne vintage in your cellar? Probably not! This wonderful Blanc de Noir is made exclusively from Pinot Noir grown on the family's estate in Ecuiel, a Premier Cru on the "Petite Montagne." It has a dark hay color, with a very generous nose of brioche, porcini mushroom and savory, smoky Pinot fruit. On the palate it is very concentrated with an ultra long, pure, driven 1996 finish. This is a great deal for those of you who love the big personality of a blanc de noir and the great persistence of the 1996 vintage. (G... Read More » 

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco

Colheita Ports are single year Ports of a high quality level which have to be matured in wood for at least seven years. This 2006 vintage Tawny offers a fine and complex bouquet, a nutty character and a silky texture. Once the bottle has been opened, you do not to drink it out the same day - just cork it, and leave it like that as long as you wish. Next time you open it, the fine aromas and flavors will still be there. Enjoy after meal with creamy cheeses like Brie and Camembert from France or Serra from Portugal or with grilled chestnuts or crème brulé.... Read More » 

Inventory: Redwood City San Francisco

One of the last available of this great vintage—maybe the greatest in a generation from one of K&L's favorite Champagne producers. An recently disgorged (RD) release; it is STUNNING. The 1996 vintage blends 80% pinot noir and 20% chardonnay fermented in stainless steel and measures a very high 6% total acidity, even after full malolactic fermentation. The sur-lie aging takes place on a cork rather than a steel cap, and all the bottles are hand-disgorged. The color is like dark hay and the nose reminds me of the fresh brioche that I have been treated... Read More » 

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco

92 points Robert Parker: "The 1996 Cabernet Sauvignon Bancroft Ranch may possess an even more saturated, thicker, black/purple color than the 1995. Some tannin has emerged since I tasted it last year, when it was far more velvety. This is a powerhouse, extremely full-bodied, palate-staining wine. Its enormous extract, richness, and elevated tannin seem to suggest this wine is about ready to settle down for a long period of dormancy. Anticipated maturity: 2005-2025." 

Inventory: Redwood City

93 points Wine Enthusiast: "Made entirely from grand cru grapes, this is a beautiful wine, layering toast and ripe fruit with a proper minerality from the year. Flavors of honey, toast and nougat soften the aftertaste. It is ready to drink now, but it has still a ways to go, as the intense concentration of fruit opens out." (12/31/2007) 94+ points in Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar: "Pale gold with an energetic mousse. Highly aromatic nose offers a sexy, smoky perfume of pear, white peach, candied lemon, buttery brioche and honeysuckle. Youthf... Read More » 

Inventory: Hollywood Redwood City San Francisco

90 points Wine Spectator: "Tightly wound, firm and crisp, with a complex core of plum, black cherry, blackberry, cedar and toasty oak. Finishes with a rich aftertaste and fine length. Best from 2001 through 2008. 613 cases made." (09/99) According to Robert Parker: "Readers should be aware that Hartwell's labels are confusing in that the vineyard designation is at the bottom right hand side of the label. Their dark ruby-colored 1996 Sunshine Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon offers an attractive bouquet of cedar and spice, open-knit, ripe flavors, medium body... Read More » 

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco

96 points Robert Parker: "The 1996 Pichon-Lalande is just as awesome from bottle as it was from multiple cask tastings. For Pichon-Lalande, the percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon is atypically high. This wine normally contains 35-50% Merlot in the blend, but the 1996 is a blend of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc, and 5% Petit Verdot. Only 50% of the estate's production made it into the grand vin. The color is a saturated ruby/purple. The nose suggests sweet, nearly overripe Cabernet Sauvignon, with its blueberry/blackberry/cassis scen... Read More » 

Inventory: Hollywood Redwood City

90 points Robert Parker: "The medium-bodied 1996 Cabernet Sauvignon displays some of the attractive gravelly notes often found in this wine, along with black currant fruit, lavender, subtle oak, sweet tannin for the vintage, and a well-balanced, pure finish. Anticipated maturity: 2001-2016." (01/00) 

Inventory: Redwood City

95 points Robert Parker: "The 1996 Proprietary Red (a blend of 73% Cabernet Sauvignon with the balance Malbec, Petit Verdot, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc) is not a very weighty (14.3% alcohol) offering. It has become more delineated with a year of bottle age, offering up classic crème de cassis, smoked meat, coffee, prune, and toasty new oak scents. Concentrated, with fabulously high extract, sweet tannin, and full body, this wine has an elegant feel on the palate, but is still a blockbuster. Anticipated maturity: now-2025." (01/00) 90 points Wine Spectat... Read More » 

Inventory: Redwood City

This super Tuscan is a blend of Merlot and Sangiovese grown in Gaiole from vineyards set 350-400 meters above sea level, a vineyard that offers a predominance of calcareous sandstone and Alberese stone. Aged in French oak, this 1996 is ready now! 

Inventory: Redwood City

91 points Wine Spectator: "Lithe and polished, a gorgeous example of fruit-centered Merlot, layering its berry, black cherry and vanilla flavors with hints of pepper and olive notes that swirl through the elegant finish. A blend: 50 percent Washington fruit, 50 percent Dry Creek Valley." (06/98) 90 points Robert Parker: "Sporting the "America" appellation, the 1996 Merlot is medium to dark ruby-colored, and reveals a spicy oak and jammy blackberry nose. Medium to full-bodied, ample, oily textured, and sexy, this lovely Merlot is crammed with ripe red an... Read More » 

Inventory: Redwood City San Francisco

91 points Wine Spectator: "Mature and in great drinking condition, with subtle loamy currant, anise, mineral and sage notes, finishing with a long, integrated finish.--1996 California Cabernet retrospective. Drink now through 2011." (Web 07) 

Inventory: Redwood City

No way should you skip the '96 vintage from this perennial superstar. 90-94 points Wine Spectator: "Already quite harmonious. Ripe and spicy, with an elegant band of currant, plum and cherry flavors, turning smooth and supple on the finish." 

Inventory: Main Warehouse San Francisco

99 points Wine Spectator and #10 Wine of the Year! NO GIFT BOXES. The most anticipated Champagne in a generation is now available for sale - the 1996 Krug Brut Vintage. This Champagne was made while Krug was still completely family owned (they were purchased by LVMH in 1998) and is being released at 11 years old. The 1996 harvest was a dream for quality in Champagne, low yields and the surprising duo of high sugar and high acidity in the grapes. Every time wine writers or vignerons speak of this vintage it seems to rise in esteem... Called "best of the d... Read More » 

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse Redwood City

"I just tasted this wine and it is humming! A classically styled Barolo from a classic vintage, aged and just drinking well. Gorgeous aromas, classic earthy Serralunga character. Beautiful wine will age well for another decade plus." Greg St.Clair K&L's Italian Buyer 

Inventory: Hollywood

95 points Robert Parker: "Produced from a blend of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Merlot, and 6% Cabernet Franc, the saturated, dark ruby-colored 1996 Cabernet Sauvignon exhibits sweet cherry, herbal spice, and candied blackberries in its elegant, sexy aromatics. This delightful, medium-bodied, and harmonious wine offers blueberry, cassis, and spice flavors. It is seamless, refined, and possesses a harmony, equilibrium, and delineated finish rarely seen in the New World. Projected maturity: 2003-2018." (02/01) 

Inventory: Redwood City

According to the Wine Spectator: "Mature, with intense apple and mineral flavors that are accented by plenty of salt and pepper notes. The powerful finish features glazed quince and white cherry. Drink now. 100 cases made." (Web only, 2009) According to importer Terry Theise: "The last vintage from the old cellar-regime; I thought it might be 'difficult,' being a 1996 and all, but it’s a lovely grown-up Riesling, old-school, murmury and herbal, with a juiciness as if you’d squeezed the sap from herb leaves; salty and brothy and atmospheric; dried aprico... Read More » 

Inventory: Redwood City San Francisco

90 points Robert Parker: "The 1996 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve Speciale is outstanding,. Aged completely in French oak, this dense, chocolatey, black currant-scented wine possesses abundant spice, richness, power, and intensity. Still youthful, but muscular and impressively-endowed, this full-bodied Cabernet requires 2-3 years of cellaring, and should keep for two decades or more." (01/00) Last few bottles left of the 1996, which is drinking very well right now! 

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco

According to Robert Parker: "This well-made, succulently-textured 1996 exhibits a deep ruby color, spicy oak, black cherry/mocha-tinged fruit, and a moderately long finish. It should drink well for 5-7 years." (04/99) 

Inventory: Hollywood Redwood City San Francisco

96 points Wine Spectator: "A blockbuster '96. Huge, backward and unyielding, with masses of sweet fruit on the palate, racy acidity and ripe, dense tannins. Cassis and blackberry flavors emerge on the incredibly long finish. Immense wine. Best from 2004 through 2010." (09/98) 

Inventory: Redwood City

92 points Wine Spectator: "Rich and elegant, with ripe, smooth, polished black cherry, cranberry, tart plum and spicy cedar nuances. Impressive for its subtle, polished nuances and delicate tannins. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2000 through 2008. 380 cases made." (11/99) 

Inventory: Hollywood

94 points Wine Spectator: "Still youthful and potent, this is very rich and concentrated, with layers of currant, black cherry and blackberry fruit that's well-defined. This is still quite tannic, yet it's deftly balanced, finishing with a long, persistent finish. Easily the best of four bottles tasted.--1996 California Cabernet retrospective. Drink now through 2014." (Web Only, 2007) 93 points Robert Parker: "The 1996 Cabernet Sauvignon is a powerful, concentrated, dense ruby/purple-colored wine. Full-bodied and muscular, it exhibits copious quantities... Read More » 

Inventory: Redwood City

Fantastic! Rich and dense Cabernet Sauvignon from two of Oakville's finest Cabernet Sauvignon vineyards. This well-structured Napa Cabernet is brimming with blackberry, cassis, tobacco, and red currant. Very focused and complex. Dark in color with almost minty oak, this wine shows ripe California fruit on the palate with a nice firm structure. It’s a bit closed now but shows all the right ingredients. It should be best in 5 years. It’s a very limited production, so act quickly! Miner Family Vineyards was founded by Dave Miner, the President of anot... Read More » 

Inventory: Redwood City San Francisco

90(+?) points Stephen Tanzer: "Bright deep ruby. Sappy, sweet aromas of crystallized black cherry, cassis, mocha and mint. Dense and firmly built, with sharply delineated cherry and black raspberry flavors framed by strong acidity. A solidly structured, firmly tannic cabernet that should age for many years." (Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar, Sept/Oct 99) According to Robert Parker: "The medium to dark ruby-colored 1996 Cabernet Sauvignon has a nose composed of blackberries, mint-covered chocolate, and fresh herbs. Intense, mouth-coating layer... Read More » 

Inventory: Main Warehouse Redwood City

98 points Robert Parker: "The opaque purple-colored 1996 Harlan Estate reveals extraordinary intensity, a spicy, black currant, tobacco, cedar, and fruit cake-scented bouquet, full body, a texture oozing with glycerin and concentrated fruit, and moderate tannin in the blockbuster finish. It is one of the most concentrated and complete red wines one could hope to taste. Anticipated maturity: 2004-2030." (01/2000) 97 points and a Cellar Selection designation from the Wine Spectator: "Wow. This Bordeaux-style blend is amazingly potent and powerful, carried... Read More » 

Inventory: Redwood City

According to the Wine Spectator: "Bright violet and berry aromas follow through to a medium-bodied palate with layers of silky tannins and a medium-soft finish..." (06/01) 

Inventory: Redwood City

According to the Wine Spectator: "Not a big-boned wine, but delicious nonetheless. Attractive blackberry, cherry and earth aromas and flavors. Medium-bodied, with well-integrated tannins and a pretty fruity aftertaste. Best after 2000." (01/99) A great cabernet vintage and a fine value. $40 for the 1996 and $50 for the 2005. This is a no-brainer. (Clyde Beffa, K&L Wine Merchants) 

Inventory: Redwood City

92 points Wine Spectator: "Firm, ripe and compact, with a rich, focused core of anise and currant-laced Cabernet fruit flavors, finishing with concentrated tannins and pretty spice and oak notes. Best from 2001 through 2009. 500 cases made." (10/99) 

Inventory: Redwood City San Francisco

93 points Robert Parker: "The blockbuster whites Sine Qua Non is now producing are a blend of Roussanne and Chardonnay, with the former varietal dominating the blend in both 1996 and 1997. The massive, dry 1996 Omadhaun Poltron's 15.2% alcohol is well-concealed beneath this full-bodied wine's glycerin and unctuous texture. The knock-out nose of honeyed citrus and rose petals is followed by a chewy, remarkably pure, dry wine oozing with extract. I suspect it will become even more civilized with 12-18 months of bottle age, but I would opt for drinking it o... Read More » 

Inventory: Hollywood

"This is another great Volnay estate well known for its policy of minimal chaptalisation. This makes for very pure wines, which are perhaps a little lean and austere in their youth, but which grow magnificently." Clive Coates, Cote d'Or 1997 

Inventory: Redwood City

97 points Robert Parker: "The saturated black/purple-colored 1996 Cabernet Sauvignon Herb Lamb Vineyard displays this winery's hallmark - a provocative nose of blueberry jam, orchid flowers, and smoky new oak intertwined with cassis. Additional aromas of licorice and exotic Asian spices emerge as the wine sits in the glass. Extremely full-bodied and rich, with more noticeable tannin than the 1997, this large-scaled yet extraordinarily rich wine is like drinking cassis/blueberry liqueur. Its sweet tannin and remarkable 40+-second finish are amazing. Antic... Read More » 

Inventory: Redwood City

92 points Wine Spectator: "Complex and intense aromas of forest floor, wild berries and dried flowers. Full-bodied, with ultrasilky tannins and a long, long finish. Racy and classy. Wonderful now but has a long life ahead of it. Better than I remember.--'95/'96 Bordeaux retrospective. Drink now." (Web Only, 2007) 91 points Robert Parker: "A massive, powerful Angelus, this wine exhibits a saturated black/ruby/purple color as well as an impressively-endowed nose of dried herbs, roasted meats, new saddle leather, plum liqueur, and cassis. In the mouth, oli... Read More » 

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse Redwood City

According to the Wine Spectator: "Not a big-boned wine, but delicious nonetheless. Attractive blackberry, cherry and earth aromas and flavors. Medium-bodied, with well-integrated tannins and a pretty fruity aftertaste. Best after 2000." (01/99) A great cabernet vintage and a fine value. $40 for the 1996 and $50 for the 2005. This is a no-brainer. (Clyde Beffa, K&L Wine Merchants) 

Inventory: Main Warehouse

92(+?) points Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar: "Deep ruby. Sappy, superripe aromas of black cherry, cassis, licorice and mint; shows an almost medicinal austerity. Thick and ripe but quite closed, even musclebound, today, and dominated by its rather tough spine. A more classic Laurel Glen vintage, with a very firm Bordeaux-like structure. Finishes with tougher tannins and late notes of bitter cherry and espresso. Likely to be long-lived." (May/June 99) 

Inventory: San Francisco

94 points Robert Parker: "The saturated purple-colored 1996 Cabernet Sauvignon Eisele Vineyard offers an attractive nose of black fruits intermixed with toast, minerals, subtle tar, and wood smoke. Full-bodied, with impressive purity, a multi-layered mid-palate and finish, it is an expressive, pure, powerful, and large-boned wine." (01/00) 94 points Wine Spectator: "Smooth and polished, with detailed flavors of ripe plum, black cherry, spice and light oak, this pedigreed red turns rich and elegant, with a long, complex aftertaste." (11/99) 93 points St... Read More » 

Inventory: Redwood City

96 points and ranked number 22 in the Wine Spectator's Top 100 Wines of 1998: "A blockbuster '96. Huge, backward and unyielding, with masses of sweet fruit on the palate, racy acidity and ripe, dense tannins. Cassis and blackberry flavors emerge on the incredibly long finish. Immense wine. Best from 2004 through 2010." (12/98) 

Inventory: Redwood City

92 points Robert Parker: "This impressive wine is a classic. Although backward, it exhibits a dense ruby/purple color in addition to abundant black currant fruit intertwined with spicy oak and truffle-like scents. The wine is brilliantly made, full-bodied, and tightly-structured with plenty of muscle and outstanding concentration and purity. It should turn out to be a long-lived Leoville Barton, and somewhat of a sleeper. However, patience will be required. Anticipated maturity: 2007-2030." (04/99) 90 points Wine Spectator: "A well-structured, racy red.... Read More » 

Inventory: Redwood City

95 points Wine Spectator: 'Wow. Spicy blackberry aromas and flavors are matched by richness, power and a searing intensity as the vibrant acidity and tannins climax on the finish. Great length and focus. Best from 2002 through 2008." (09/98) 92-94 points Pierre Rovani writing for the Wine Advocate: "This medium-to-dark ruby/purple-colored offering has a magnificent nose of deeply ripe dark fruits intermingled with traces of underbrush and Asian spices. This fat, expressive, rich, expansive, and full-bodied wine has an awesome texture (pure velvet), gorg... Read More » 

Inventory: Redwood City

92 points Wine Spectator: "Marvelous aromas of raspberry, coconut and mineral. Full-bodied, with superbly well-integrated yet powerful tannins. Chewy and fruity finish. Needs a lot of time to mellow. Much better than the barrel samples I tasted. Best Pichon-Baron since 1990. Best after 2006." (01/99) 91 points Robert Parker: "Pichon Longueville Baron's 1996 has turned out to be even better than I thought from cask. The high percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend (about 80%) resulted in a wine that has put on weight in the bottle. An opaque purple... Read More » 

Inventory: Redwood City

91 points Robert Parker: "The 1996 Cabernet Sauvignon Private Reserve reveals more concentration as well as higher tannin than the 1995. I know it is a trade-off, but I suspect this vintage will not be as sexy in its youthfulness as the 1995. The black ruby/purple-colored 1996 offers more licorice, in addition to the obvious levels of pain grille, jammy black currant fruit, and spice notes. Structured, full-bodied, and powerful, this may be a Private Reserve to cellar for several years, and consume over the subsequent 15-18. I cannot recall a disappointi... Read More » 

Inventory: Main Warehouse

90 points Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar: "Good deep ruby-red. Very complex, slightly roasted aromas of plum, cassis, cedar, tobacco and smoky oak; has a liqueur-like ripeness. Large-scaled, soft and harmonious; not as dense or deep as the '97 but quite lush and plummy for the vintage. Finishes with firm, tongue-coating tannins." According to the Wine Spectator: "Complex, elegant, spicy and balanced. Tightly wound, with an earthy, green olive edge to the spicy plum and currant notes. Contains Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. Best from ... Read More » 

Inventory: Redwood City

91-93 points from the Wine Advocate… 'Jadot's 1996 Criots-Batard-Montrachet, exhibiting smoky mineral scents, has superb mineral richness, powerful chalk flavors, and an extremely well-crafted and balanced character. It is silky-textured and medium-to-full-bodied, and is one of the finest examples I have tasted from this less-than-inspiring grand cru. Criots-Batard-Montrachet, located on the southern flank of Batard-Montrachet, has a shallow, rain-water collecting terroir. In the past, whenever I drove from Puligny-Montrachet to Chassagne-Montrachet, pas... Read More » 

Inventory: Redwood City