We tasted this Champagne and liked it when it was expensive, but didn't feel that it offered great value at that high price. After months of going back and forth, we ended up with a better deal than we thought possible and bought everything the distributor had. This is a wine cut from the Ace of Spades cloth (which we sell for $269), both in production (the Ace is also a brand made by a separate producer) and in flavor. It is made entirely from the first press juice of a strict selection of Beaumont des Crayeres 212 acres of vines. It is very well balanc... Read More » 

Inventory: Hollywood Redwood City San Francisco

After a year and a half of negotiating (begging) we were able to buy our first batch of Launois Champagne. After two years of being their importer we were able to earn a 10 case allocation of this, Launois most sought after wine. This year we only got 5 cases! Made from two plots of 65-year-old vines, one in the Grand Cru of Oger called the Chenys and on in Mesnil called the Derriere Maison, this is one of the ultimate expressions of Chardonnay that we have to offer. This wine shows the balance of 2000 vintage and the richness of a Chardonnay selected fr... Read More » 

Inventory: Hollywood Redwood City San Francisco

96 points Wine Enthusiast: "The fabled Salon's latest release is much riper and softer than the great steely 1996 vintage. This suggests it is likely to be ready to drink soon. In the meantime, the acidity is supremely fresh, with grapefruit edges and green apple flavors. And then there is minerality and a tight, structured aftertaste as a reminder that this great Champagne is always going to be more than its fruit." (12/08) 95 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (12/08) Salon is one of the great names in Champagne for a very good reason. It is made o... Read More » 

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse San Francisco

What an intriguing wine! The Valettes are known for the extensive barrel aging of their wines, which comes through quite distinctively in the 2001 "000". This has a heady bouquet redolent of aged Parmigiano-Reggiano, with an undercurrent of lime and caramel that carry over to the palate. But what's so remarkable is that despite the secondary aromas on the nose, this wine is lively and fresh in the mouth, with hints of anise, delicate fruit and nuts awash in gorgeous bright acidity. A spectacular find. 

Inventory: Hollywood

93 points from Robert Parker's Wine Advocate: "Longtime readers know that the Valettes are committed to the long-term barrel aging of their top wines, so they won't be surprised to learn that the 2001 Pouilly-Fuisse Clos Reyssie Reserve Particuliere was bottled in December, 2005 after 48 months in barrel. Its nuanced nose reveals fresh minerals, hints of butterscotch, notes of citrus juices, as well as a traces of rancio, the French term for the aromas of an aged wine. Medium to full-bodied, concentrated, and satin-textured, this fascinating wine offers ... Read More » 

Inventory: Hollywood

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: Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco

93 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate: "The 2000 Blanc de Blancs Knudsen Vineyard Julia Lee’s Block offers more elegance. Notes of melon, pear, and apple lead to a crisp, precise, dry sparkling wine with a pure finish that lasts and lasts."(10/08). 92 points Wine Spectator: "Elegant, creamy and refined, balancing its delicate citrus and pear flavors against a judicious level of toasted brioche and a fleck of white pepper as the finish lingers gently."(12/15/08). 

Inventory: Main Warehouse Redwood City

Sonoma Valley's "Les Pierres" vineyard is a unique site, comprised of gravelly clay loam soils in an ancient river bed of cobbled stones from the Sonoma Mountain caldera. Set into an east-facing slope, this vineyard is close enough to the San Pablo Bay to fully experience the cooling effects of the fog that rolls off the Bay, cutting a deep swath across Valley Ford toward the Valley of the Moon. The wine made from this vineyard, not often available outside the winery, is treated with the utmost care, what the winery calls their Grand Cru approach. The re... Read More » 

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco

Bonville is sold out of this vintage in 750's, so I guess we will have to drink it from magnum! The 2002 vintage is fantastic for the Cotes de Blancs wines, with much in common with the great 1990 harvest. The Bonville family owns 50 acres of Grand Cru vineyards and uses exclusively estate fruit in this wine. This Champagne is a great example of how much more wine you get for less money compared to a big name non-vintage Champagne when the export brokers, import companies and distributors are taken out of the deal. This is 100% Grand Cru Chardonnay from ... Read More » 

Inventory: Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco

According to the Wine Spectator: "Forward and delicious, with very good richness. Shows vanilla, cream and apple character, with very rich flavors and very good concentration. Drink now." (08/91) 

Inventory: Main Warehouse

92 points Robert Parker: "The 1999 Chardonnay Michaud Vineyard boasts a stunning nose of roasted nuts, minerals, tropical fruits, and honeyed citrus. This full-bodied effort is reminiscent of a Batard-Montrachet in its richness, opulence, and minerality. This dense, exquisitely concentrated, and pure wine should drink well for 4-5 years. Brilliant!" (06/02) 90 points Wine Spectator: "Smooth-textured, with polished, graceful, pure pear, fig, citrus and hazelnut flavors that are rich and creamy, finishing lots of finesse and spiciness. Drink now through 2... Read More » 

94-96 points Robert Parker: "Hints of ripe pears, lemon butter, tangerines, and crushed rocks emerge from the 2004 Chardonnay Vine Hill Vineyard, an elegant yet authoritatively flavored effort with a striking minerality, zesty acidity, and a spectacular finish. The good news is that there are 2,700 cases of this cuvee." (12/05) 92 points Wine Spectator: "Complex, with a roasted marshmallow edge from toasty oak. There's a medium-bodied mix underneath of sleek citrus-infused pear, anise, melon and hazelnut flavors that linger and turn elegant. Drink now t... Read More » 

Inventory: 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: Main Warehouse San Francisco

93 points from Robert Parker: "The 2001 Chardonnay Alder Springs Vineyard offers up aromas of citrus, liquid minerals, and smoke in a high-class, complex yet restrained bouquet. It is exceptionally pure and medium to full-bodied, with loads of fruit. The most backward yet potentially the finest of the 2001s, it reveals tremendous length, intensity, and fruit. Drink it over the next 5-7 years." (Dec. 2003) 92 points from Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar: "Aromas of grapefruit, smoke and white flowers. Dense, thick and pure, with lovely lemony ac... Read More » 

Inventory: Redwood City

Some of you may remember the chaos we sparked late in 2007 when we sent out an e-mail about a little known producer called Eric Lecours. We were featuring his Pinot Noir and Chardonnay and it almost started a Beatles-like stampede at our doors. If I remember correctly we sold out the near 100 cases of Pinot Noir in about 3 hours. Unfortunately this year there is no Pinot, Eric decided not to make any and he is still trying to decide if he wants to continue with the varietal. I told him he was crazy if he didn't, that K&L alone would take at least half of... Read More » 

Inventory: San Francisco

So so little of this exquisite ancient vine, pure Mesnil Champagne were made. The name is Latin for the extinct, fossilized squids that are prevalent in the chalk soil of the village of Mesnil- chalk that is more than 120 feet deep! This Champagne is the essence of minerality with flavors and aromas of pure chalk, white flowers and fresh baked bread. This wine is a real lesson in purity and focus, and the opposite of the biscuity, richer style... It is also among the best we have at any price!!! If you are looking for something very special, look no furt... Read More » 

Inventory: Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco

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: Hollywood

Can an entry level white Burgundy a lowly Bourgogne appellation wine, survive 20 years in the bottle? If anyone's can, it would be the great firm of Leroy. This perfectly stored gem is priced for the wine shopper unafraid of a little risk and experimentation! 

Inventory: Redwood City

90 points from Robert Parker: "The 2001 Chardonnay Sleepy Hollow Vineyard is a Chablis-inspired, chalky, medium-bodied white exhibiting notes of white currants, peaches, and stone fruits. Crisp, delicately layered, and impressively endowed." (08/04) 90 points from Wine Enthusiast: "One of the more distinctive Chards I’ve had this year, notable especially for its very high acidity and mineral and lime complex. The lime tastes like a cool custard, flavored with vanilla, while the minerals bring to mind liquid steel. One hundred percent new French oak slat... Read More » 

Inventory: Main Warehouse Redwood City

This bottling comes exclusively from Kistler and Dutton Ranch vineyards in the Russian River Valley. The title is a testament to the mineral and hazelnut scented wines Kistler produces from these Russian River Valley soils. Complex aromas of ripe fruits, spices, toasted almond and hazelnut. Rich and expressive, with a long, lingering finish. Delicious now or will benefit from further aging. 

Inventory: Redwood City

"...another very good source. Recent vintages have been most impressive." Clive Coates, Cote d'Or 1997 

Inventory: Redwood City

This Chardonnay has Mayacamas' usual fresh and slightly lemony tone with a suggestion of pear, almond and wood. And, as is normal, it will gain depth and complexity for several more years even though we are much enjoying it now. Aged for 18 months in barrique. 

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse

According to the Wine Spectator: "Bright, crisply focused aromas and flavors of apple, pineapple and minerals are tightly wrapped in a sturdy frame. It needs time to lose its austerity and start picking up texture. Drinkable now with oysters, and maybe around 1993 with fish." (01/91) 

Inventory: Redwood City

96 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate: "The Domaine Leflaive has enjoyed many successful vintages over the years - 1979, 1985, 1986, and 1989 come to mind immediately - but the 1992s are the finest young wines this domaine has produced. Yields averaged 45 hectoliters per hectare, far below most recent vintages. The wines are renowned for their purity and elegance, but the 1992s also display a special level of richness and intensity." (10/93) 

Inventory: Main Warehouse

91 points Robert Parker: "The elegant, Coche-Dury-styled 2000 Chardonnay Dutton Ranch reveals notions of orange marmalade, liquid minerals, lemon rind, and citrus. Leesy/hazelnut qualities are also present in this medium-bodied, rich, delineated, French-styled Chardonnay. It will drink well for 5-6 years." (08/02) 91 points Wine Spectator: "Shows off fresh bread dough and toasted grains, with a tight core of pear and citrus-scented fruit, and light cedary oak. Gains complexity on the finish, with hints of anise and citrus, and the acidty is vibrant and ... Read More » 

Inventory: San Francisco

90-92 points Robert Parker: "The 2001 Chardonnay offers up gorgeously fresh citrus oil notes intermixed with a striking steely minerality, medium to full body, and a long, layered, backward finish displaying vibrant acidity yet loads of subtle, crisp flavors. While some vintages of these Chardonnays can last for 10-15 years without any sign of oxidation, the 2001 will drink well for 5-8 years. Along with Ric Foreman, there is no greater practitioner of the non-malolactic style of Chardonnay than Jim and Bo Barrett. They produce 10,000-11,000 cases of a n... Read More » 

Inventory: Hollywood

According to the Wine Spectator: "Elegantly balanced, with fresh, ripe pear, toast and butter tones that are rich and complex. Has a tightness to the structure that should allow it to continue to develop in the bottle for several years..." (01/91) 

Inventory: Redwood City

According to the Wine Spectator: "Big and fruity, showing lots of apple and pineapple flavors balanced with oak, very forward and tasty." (11/88) 

Inventory: Redwood City

According to Wine Spectator: "Keeps the focus on ripe green apple, pear and melon fruit. Intense and concentrated, with a full-bodied, concentrated finish. Drink now through 2011. Tasted twice, with consistent notes." (07/07) 

Inventory: Main Warehouse San Francisco

Sniffing our glasses we detect aromas of pear, crisp green apple and a hint of exotic citrus. The mouthfeel is tart, indicating that it is still a youthful and tightly wound wine. But at the same time the big fruit flavors give the wine an elegant profile. Although some wine critics claim there is no way to smell or taste minerality, all of us detect a consistent presence in this wine that may derive from this rocky soil, brought up by long tap roots from deep in the hillside. Call it what you will, this characteristic, along with intense fruit flavors, ... Read More » 

Inventory: Redwood City

92 points Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar: "Aromas of spiced pear and apple, minerals and damp earth. Sharply delineated and bright in the mouth, with apple and spearmint notes that suggest Corton-Charlemagne. Juicy acidity gives the wine terrific cut...Finishes firm, subtle and quite long." (Jul/Aug 98) 

Inventory: Main Warehouse

Naturally we are not talking about a point of purchase sale here. Perfectly stored, ideally aged and exquisite Burgundy does not come cheap, that is for certain. But those who follow Burgundy and consider it a passion will recognize the pedigree behind this spectacular Chardonnay. This is at peak now. Montrachet, folks, and screaming to be opened tonight! 

Inventory: Main Warehouse

92 points Robert Parker: "Mt. Eden is unquestionably one of the finest producers of Chardonnay in California. The 1991 and 1990 Estate Chardonnays share bouquets of toasty new oak, earthy, buttery fruit, and minerals. They are tightly knit, rich, full-bodied, concentrated wines that are dead ringers for a top premier cru or grand cru white burgundy." (10/93) 92 points Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar: "Spicy aromas of pineapple, spiced apple, cinnamon and clove. Thick, sweet and generous, given shape by harmonious ripe acidity. May not offer ... Read More » 

Inventory: Main Warehouse Redwood City

90-91 points Robert Parker: "Readers looking for more Meursault-like, roasted hazelnut, smokiness, tropical fruit and a leesy note to its medium to full-bodied, chunky, richly fruity style should check out the 2002 Chardonnay Dutton Ranch. An elegant example of this cuvee, but still typically California, it will drink well for 3-4 years." (12/03) 90(+?) points Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar: "Good medium yellow; slightly hazy. Musky aromas of lemon peel, iodine, minerals and charred oak. Velvety-rich and sweet on the palate, but with a light... Read More » 

Inventory: Redwood City San Francisco

91-93 points Robert Parker: "The 2004 Chardonnay Durell Vineyard (only 900 cases) possesses tangy, fresh acidity in addition to a sweet perfume of citrus oils, wet stones, and subtle hazelnuts. Tightly-knit, but full-bodied, ripe, poised, and refreshing, it will keep for 5-7 years." (12/05) 91 points Wine Spectator: "The high-toned oak is toasty and smoky, with a touch of vanilla and yeasty dough scents. This is trim and focused on the palate, showing hints of green apple, citrus, lemon and cedary oak, with a long finish." (05/07) 91 points Stephen Tan... Read More » 

Inventory: Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco

This is Meursault grown in Oregon. This wine has a beautiful balance of fresh pear and apple with mid-palate concentration of mineral and integrated creamy notes. A fabulous chardonnay for dinner or sipping. Unfiltered and Unfined. (Mike Jordan K&L Wine Merchants) Located in Oregon's Dundee Hills AVA, the Anderson Family Vineyard is located on a 20-acre hill that used to be used as cattle pasture by the Herring family. Cliff and Allison Anderson bought the farm in late 1989, cleared it and started planting grapes in 1992. For the first five years, the ... Read More » 

Inventory: San Francisco

92 points Wine Spectator: "Lots of complexity, depth and richness, built around a tight, concentrated core of anise, pear, fig and earthy citrus. Holds its tight focus on a long flavorful finish." (07/03) 91 points Robert Parker: "The 1,800-case cuvee of 2000 Chardonnay Vine Hill Vineyard is long and textured. Along with its liquid minerality, it possesses orange marmalade/tangerine, citrus oil, white fruit, and subtle wood notes. The wine is medium to full-bodied and admirably perfumed. This is a stunning Chardonnay to enjoy over the next 7-8 years." (... Read More » 

Inventory: San Francisco

According to Robert Parker: "The wines from the Clos Frantin vineyards in the Cote de Nuits and their Chablis estate, Long-Depaquit, rank with the finest made in Burgundy." (01/90) 

Inventory: Redwood City

93 points Wine Spectator: "Complex, with an interplay of earth and fruitiness. Marked by ripe fig and pear flavors, and a bit of spicy saltiness that lingers on the finish. Burgundy.--Chardonnay Challenge. 75 cases made." (11/97) 

Inventory: Redwood City

91 points Wine Spectator: "Lean, sharply focused grapefruit and pear flavors carry through to a long and elegant finish, very smooth and packed with flavor. Getting to be delicious now, but just wait to see what develops with cellaring until 1993 or '94." (03/90) 

Inventory: Redwood City

95 points Wine Spectator and #36 in the Spectator's Top 100 Wines of 1993: "A wine with laser-guided flavors. Intense pear, lemon, vanilla and coconut character. Great backbone and superb, fresh finish. Best after 1996. 700 cases made." (10/93) 91 points Robert Parker (10/93) 

Inventory: Redwood City

According to the Wine Spectator: "Rich, concentrated and full of pear, spice and honey flavors with a touch o f toast on the finish. Very well made, round and elegant." (10/88) 

Inventory: Redwood City

96-98 points Robert Parker: "This Chardonnay represents an evolution in style. It possesses all the power and concentration of Steve Kistler's most successful wines, but it also has a certain restraint allied with extraordinary complexity and elegance that a few years ago would have been found only in the finest Burgundy grand crus." (01/00) 93(+?) points Stephen Tanzer: "Subdued but pure aromas of apple, apricot and nuts. Thick and rich, but vibrant and sharply delineated, with flavors of spiced apple and minerals. This already boasts terrific breadth,... Read More » 

Inventory: Redwood City

96 points Stephen Tanzer: "Pale green-tinged color. Musky, leesy aromas of lime, ginger and iodine; showed more exotic pineapple and dried fruit notes as it opened in the glass. The palate detonates with sweet, penetrating, creamy fruit of extraordinary depth. As powerful as this is, it conveys an impression of poise. The explosive, endless finish combines palate-saturating fruit and dusty mineral notes. This is surely the greatest young chardonnay I've tasted in my dining room so far this year." (May/June '01) 93-95 points Robert Parker: "The sensation... Read More » 

Inventory: San Francisco

According to the wine Spectator: "Good intensity, rather chewy, showing some lime, vanilla and butter notes backed with vibrant pineapple flavors. Lively and smooth, yet crisp; medium-bodied." (08/94) 

Inventory: Redwood City

93 points Stephen Tanzer: "Pale yellow-gold color. Flamboyant aromas of roasted nuts, lime, pineapple, pear and mint, with a faint note of mercaptan. Very rich and powerful, though it wears its 15.3% alcohol reasonably gracefully. Offers superb sweetness and depth of fruit and a very long finish." (May/June '99) 

Inventory: Redwood City

90-93 points Robert Parker: "The full-bodied 2002 Chardonnay McCrea Vineyard exhibits a distinctive composty/earthy component along with notes of liquid minerals, grapefruit, buttered citrus, and a steely, green-tinged flavor profile reminiscent of a full-bodied French Chablis on steroids. This impressive yet austere, intense Chardonnay should age nicely for 7-8 years." (12/03) 91 points Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar: "Full yellow. Slightly reduced aromas of orange oil and lemon peel. Then firm-edged, citric and stony, with lively acidity a... Read More » 

Inventory: San Francisco

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse

91-93 points Robert Parker: "The light straw/greenish-colored 2002 Chardonnay Durell Vineyard offers up aromas of lemon oil and vanilla custard in a clean, crisp, tart manner. The wine opens in the glass to reveal lemons, orange rind, pineapple, and plenty of rocks and minerals. Fresh, zesty, and exceptionally well-delineated, it is a candidate for 5-8+ years of ageability." (12/03) 91(+?) points Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar: "Bright, full yellow. Leesy aromas of crushed stone, baking spices, orange oil and charred oak, with a suggestion o... Read More » 

Inventory: Redwood City San Francisco

94 points Robert Parker: "The sensational 2001 Chardonnay Durell Vineyard’s light gold color displays a greenish hue, and the bouquet is reticent, offering up notes of minerals and citrus oil. With excellent acidity, abundant minerality, and a long, concentrated finish, this tight but promising 2001 tastes like a grand cru Chablis mixed with a grand cru Cote d’Or white Burgundy. It should drink well for 5-7 years." (12/03) 92 points Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar: "Meursault-like aromas of oatmeal, lemon and spices. Offers a much sweeter imp... Read More » 

Inventory: Redwood City San Francisco