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

91 points Wine Spectator: "There's plenty of finesse in this smooth-textured Champagne, whose flavors evoke apricot, peach, vanilla pastry and mineral. Racy, with snappy acidity providing energy and driving the flavors to a long conclusion. Drink now through 2012." (11/09) The famous yellow label. According to Robert Parker's Wine Advocate: "The NV Brut offers up attractive notes of smoke, tar, rich ripe pears and flowers in a medium to full-bodied style. There is a good measure of persistence..." (12/08) 

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco

This is another terrific bargain, purchased directly from France. All of the fruit comes from the Bonville's own estate vineyards in the marvelous Grand Cru of Avize. It is all Chardonnay blended from three very good years: '00, '01 and '02. This Champagne has exotic, ripe fruit aromatics and as the glass warms up there are also traces of clean clay and earth, just like in great Chablis! On the palate the Champagne has great fruit and a wonderful full texture. This is a perennial staff favorite, with cases and cases being sold to our own sales team. (Gar... Read More » 

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco

Now with the Aspasie label. 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... Read More » 

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco

95 points Wine Spectator: "A powerful, well-toned Champagne, featuring coconut, toast, grapefruit and coffee aromas and flavors. There are plenty of bass notes, punctuated by crisp acidity, and it all comes together on the fine texture with an aftertaste of roasted hazelnut and coffee. Drink now through 2014." (11/09) 92 points and 2 stars from the Connoisseurs' Guide to California Wine: "Is it too old or just right? Very few sparkling wines of any stripe are as complex as the Krug Grande Cuvée, a blending of old and young into a layered, toasty, nutt... Read More » 

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse 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 directly, passing massive savings on 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 roll call of the fin... Read More » 

Inventory: Hollywood Redwood City San Francisco

Now with the Aspasie label. 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 fo... Read More » 

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) 90 points Wine Spectator: "On the dry side, offering graphite and mineral aromas, grapefruit, honey and freshly baked bread flavors. Though light in weight, this shows fine ... Read More » 

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco

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

91 points Wine Enthusiast: "A rich Champagne, beautifully elegant, touched by yellow fruits, apples and just the right amount of weight. There are final hints of toast, spice and creamy coconut milk, giving a Champagne that is as much about wine as about bubbles." (12/09) 90 points Wine Spectator: "A round, generous style, offering peach, candied lemon and honey flavors on a creamy texture. Its mousse is refined, and this turns drier on the long finish. Drink now through 2011." (10/09) According to Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar: "Yellow-go... Read More » 

Inventory: Hollywood 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

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 Champagne is composed of 53% Meunier and 47% Chardonnay, 70% from the 2004 harvest, 14% from the 2003 harvest and 16% from 2002 and is one of the most balanced Champagnes in our stock, with an effortless quality that is almost impossible to describe or resist. It has great toast and spiced apple aromas and flavors and a crisp dry finish. It is dos... Read More » 

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco

Gosset is small for a grand marque. At 50,000 cases a year total production they make about as much Champagne as Krug. They are located in Ay, the heart of Champagne, along with Bollinger, Deutz and De Meric, and they have been making wine there since 1584, the oldest currently operating wine producer in Champagne. None of their Champagnes ever go through malolactic. On their website, they list the Brut Excellence as being composed of 42% Chardonnay, 45% Pinot Noir (all from Grand and Premier Cru vineyards) and 13% Pinot Meunier including 24% reserve win... Read More » 

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco

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

Exclusively from the 2000 harvest, although not labeled as such, this Champagne is composed of two-thirds Pinot Noir and one-third Chardonnay. The color is gorgeous gold, studded with tiny bubbles. The aroma is amazing. The Champagne has a graceful, delicate balance that Verzenay wines sometimes lack, but with the signature hazelnut Pinot core. I found it to have creaminess to complement its racy cherry fruit on the palate, and an extraordinarily long, dry finish. It is dosed at 9 grams per liter - very dry! It will age very well. The Arnoulds own 27 acr... Read More » 

Inventory: Hollywood Redwood City San Francisco

Back in stock with a great new label! This fantastic Champagne is made out of entirely grand cru fruit, 65% pinot noir and 35% chardonnay from the cru's Ambonnay, Bouzy and Mailly. The wine is 60% from the 2005 harvest, with the other 40% coming from reserves of 2004 and 2003. It is very rich and powerful Champagne with tons of pinot noir muscle and plenty of yeasty, toasty flavor. I find it to be one of my favorites with richer appetizers (think pate or stuffed mushrooms) or even the main course! It is very rare to see an all Grand Cru Champagne at this... Read More » 

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco

This wine is creamy and rich but still light and refreshing. The scores of dancing bubbles invite you to come back for more. It has primary fruit flavors and warm bread aromas to charm you, and the length to convince the pickiest Champagne critics. Tarlant is one of a handful of "cult" producers in Champagne, but unlike most other "cult" producers, they have been around for awhile - since 1687. This wine is a blend of 2005, 2004 and 2003 with the two older vintages stored in wood vats prior to bottling. The varietal blend is one-third each Pinot Noir, Pi... Read More » 

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco

Don't let the low price fool you, we have eliminated all the courtiers, export brokers, import companies and distributor mark-ups to bring this incredible Champagne to you directly! This wine comes to us from a very small, quality-conscious negociant in Ay, in the very center of Champagne. The wine is made of 80% pinot noir from Ay, Mareuil-Sur-Ay and Mutigny, 15% chardonnay from Cramant, Avize and Oger and 5% meunier from Cumieres. It is vinified half in old oak barrels and half in stainless steel tanks for the perfect balance of rounded richness and ze... Read More » 

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco

94 points and an Editors' Choice, Wine Enthusiast: "A beautifully fine mousse indicates the class of this finely crafted wine. It has some weight, flavors of green apples, with hints of fresh apricots. There is extreme freshness here, the style dry but rich. This bottling tastes young and would be worth aging six months." (12/09) 90 points Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar: "Light yellow with a delicate bead. Smoky pear, quince and orange on the nose, with faint yeastiness adding depth. Brisk and dry, displaying finely etched orchard fruit fla... Read More » 

Inventory: Hollywood Redwood City San Francisco

91 points Wine Enthusiast: "Although this tastes younger than some recent bottlings of this great nonvintagem it is still a fine wine. Its apple flavors meld effortlessly with citrus, grapefruit zest and just a touch of toast to show the depth of flavor that will emerge after a few more months in bottle." (07/09) 91 points and one the Wine Spectator's Top 100 Wines of 2009: "Light and lively, featuring apple, toast, ginger and light vanilla flavors. Balanced and on the dry side, with a creamy texture and a lingering butter pastry aftertaste. Drink now t... Read More » 

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco

93 points and a Cellar Selection, Wine Enthusiast: "A great wine, much more than only a Champagne, this is impressively rich and ripe, with crisp yellow fruits, spices and layers of toast. It's in an opulent style that is round but also very focused on tight layers of fruit, minerality and final vivid acidity." (12/09) 92 points Wine Spectator: "Compelling, from the first aromas of butter, vanilla, toast and coffee to the candied citrus and passion fruit jelly flavors. Harmonious and long, with a refined finish that echoes mineral. Drink now through 201... Read More » 

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse 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

This is Tarlant's top-of-the-line wine, and one of the best Champagnes we carry regardless of price. It is made of half Chardonnay and half Pinot Noir from the chalkiest portion of the Tarlant family's hillside vineyards in Oeuilly (Vallée de la Marne). The Tarlant family uses organic practices in the vineyard- but they are very coy about calling themselves organic, no doubt due to the family's prominence in the vignerons association in Champagne. The plot that the grapes come from is called "les Crayons" and the vines are all over 45 years of age, but... Read More » 

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco

This is 100% Pinot Noir from Verzenay! 

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco

95 points Wine Spectator: "A mature Champagne from a great vintage. This is lean, yet mellows nicely to a toasty bubbly flavored with lemon and candied ginger. It still has its racy structure and is beginning to take on a smoky note. The long finish evokes roasted hazelnut, smoke and mineral. Drink now through 2023." (11/08) Our Notes: This wine was first released in 1997, but a portion was held back and recently disgorged. It is composed of 1/3 Chardonnay and 2/3 a combination of Pinot Noir and Meunier. From a vintage that is fast becoming my pick for... Read More » 

Inventory: Hollywood

According to the Wine Enthusiast: "The best-selling Champagne in the world has only recently been introduced to this country, replacing the White Star label. Moët maintains an impressive consistency with this lemon- and lime-flavored wine, smooth but crisp, and eay to drink." (12/09) According to Robert Parker's Wine Advocate: "The NV Imperial is a straightforward, tasty Champagne made in a easygoing style, with good length and a clean, refreshing finish. Anticipated maturity: 2008-2010." (12/08) 

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse 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

Do you like dry Champagne? A real brut style? Well, this is it-a no-dosage-added beauty from Tarlant! It is a vibrant, even electric style of Champagne, with no sweetness whatsoever to cloud the purity of its flavor. Unlike some other "ultra brut" Champagnes, this wine has great texture and richness, mostly from a generous use of reserve wines and barrel aging. This is a great introduction to this style of wine! Tarlant is one of a handful of cult producers in Champagne, but unlike most other trendy estates, they have been around for awhile -since 1687! ... Read More » 

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco

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 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 p... Read More » 

Inventory: Hollywood

The Demoiselle Tete du Cuvee Brut Champagne is composed of 80% Chardonnay and 20% Pinot Noir and goes through primary fermentation in 100% stainless steel. It completes malolactic fermentation in stainless steel and is then bottled and aged for three years on the lees. The Champagne is quite golden in color, with a touch of green from the high Chardonnay content and has a decadent, generous nose that the Pinot dominates. Flavors of buttered toast, apples and even a bit of chanterelle mushroom unfold on the complex palate. This is very vinous, potent Cham... Read More » 

Inventory: Hollywood Redwood City San Francisco

Now with the "Aspasie label- picture coming soon! 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! Like almost all Champagne, this wine has relativly low a... Read More » 

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco

This super rare bottling is made with some of the nearly extinct, native varietals of Champagne. It is composed of 40% Meslier, 40% Arbanne and 20% Pinot Blanc. I think it is the best of the excellent Ariston portfolio, and it was my favorite Champagne from my 2009 trip. The nose has only hints of exoticism, the over all impression is of rich cream and toast, but underneath is a hint of pine and exotic white fruit from the old varieties. On the palate the Champagne makes for a double take: it is very rich and textural, but finishes with a laser beam of c... Read More » 

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco

90 points Wine Spectator: "Delicate in style, with fine bubbles and apple, wheat beer and mineral flavors. Precise and intense, this is balanced, with a lingering aftertaste of chalk. Drink now through 2012" (11/09) K&L's notes: This very friendly and open non-vintage Champagne is composed of 70% Pinot Noir, 20% Chardonnay and 10% Meunier. (Gary Westby, K&L) 

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco

The Aristons vineyards are vastly different than the other blanc de blancs producers that we carry. The steeper slopes, less chalk and more fossils in the soil of Brouillet make for a rich, creamy style Chardonnay Champagne that will appeal to just about anyone. This is one of my favorite toasting Champagnes, all of the flavors are up front, it is open knit and fun. It is a perfect way to start a party. (Gary Westby, K&L Champagne Buyer) 

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco

91 points Wine Enthusiast: "A rich Champagne, beautifully elegant, touched by yellow fruits, apples and just the right amount of weight. There are final hints of toast, spice and creamy coconut milk, giving a Champagne that is as much about wine as about bubbles." (12/09) 90 points Wine Spectator: "A round, generous style, offering peach, candied lemon and honey flavors on a creamy texture. Its mousse is refined, and this turns drier on the long finish. Drink now through 2011." (10/09) According to Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar: "Yellow-go... 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 Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco

90 points Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar: "Dark pink. Fresh, zesty nose offers pure strawberry and pomegranate aromas and hints of Asian spices. Then deep, rich and smoky on the palate, with a chewy texture to the ripe red berry and cherry flavors. Finishes with noteworthy length. This medium-bodied wine has the clarity and energy to work as an aperitif but is also rich enough to serve at the table." (Nov/Dec 06) According to Wine Enthusiast: "A full, creamy Champagne that has ripe fruits and dry but rich character that lends itself ideally ... Read More » 

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco

This fantastic Champagne was made by De Meric as a tribute to Mr. Rene Collard, and it is one of the greatest Champagnes that we stock at any price. It is made exclusively from biodynamic meunier from the village of Crouttes-sur-Marne in the western part of Champagne. It was aged in old, small oak casks before bottling in 2003. The color is a gorgeous light gold, with an amazingly compact and powerful bead. On the nose it is explosively spicy with caramel apple and freshly-toasted bread notes heading a long list of adjectives. On the palate it is savory,... Read More » 

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco

This is a real deal Champagne from Courteron, a village in the Aube department of Champagne, closer to Chablis than the city of Reims! Their methods are as Burgundian as their location. They are biodynamic, too, the strictest form of organic viticulture. The assemblage of several pinot noir vines from different years results in a very expressive and intense Champagne. Fruity and delicate, this very elegant and long-lasting Champagne is classic, smooth and quite rich in style. Mr. Fleury's obsession with quality shows through in the wine; it is the most... Read More » 

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco

94 points Wine Spectator: "A beautiful Champagne, from the complex floral-, coffee- and brioche-scented nose to the graphite, vanilla and citrus flavors. Light-weight and intense, with a lively structure and a long, lingering finish. Drink now through 2018." (11/07) 93 points Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar: "Pale straw. Vibrant, exotically perfumed bouquet evokes fresh pear and nectarine, with a wild spicecake quality adding complexity. Cinnamon-accented orchard fruit flavors are strikingly precise and palate-coating. Delivers outstanding co... Read More » 

Inventory: Hollywood

91 points Wine Spectator: "A fresh, medium-bodied style, this shows finesse, with notes of apple, peach, ruby grapefruit, vanilla and toast. The refined texture and vibrant structure keep this focused and lingering, with fine length. Drink now through 2012." (11/09) K&L's notes: 55% Pinot Noir, 30% Meunier and 15% Chardonnay, two years of ageing on the lees and 20% Reserve wines. (Gary Westby, K&L Champagne buyer) 89 points Wine Enthusiast: "In a delicate style, this is pure, delightful aperitif Champagne that enters the mouth gently, the lightest of m... Read More » 

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco

This balanced, elegant Champagne is composed of 30% chardonnay, 60% pinot noir and 10% meunier. The grapes are all from the Gonet families estate, spread from the southernmost premier cru of Vertus to the valley of the Marne. It is made of 70% 2001 and 30% reserve wine from 2000. It is a gorgeous wine to toast with: toasty, vibrant and flavorful. (Gary Westby, K&L Champagne Buyer) 

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco

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 Avize, Oger and Cramant and one hell of a wine. It is nervy, complex and has a clean, elusive toastiness that is hard to put a finger on, but extremely easy to drink! This wine just has it all: concentratio... Read More » 

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco

From the Wine Enthusiast: "Baked apple aromas lead to a palate that has ripe fruit, and caramel over acidity. The wine is perfumed, full, with suggestions of some oxidation." (12/09) 

Inventory: Hollywood 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 is one of the few "cult" Champagnes that we have been able to get for our customers. A K&L favorite, this has a new package with an impressive old-fashioned bottle shape and new label. Luckily we bought direct, making it a great deal! Identical to the Reserve but not as heavily carbonated - it has four atmospheres (59psi) of pressure instead of the normal six (88psi). While I would be hard pressed to tell by looking at or tasting this Champagne that it has lighter carbonation, it tastes very different from the Reserve. Since less yeast and sugar wer... Read More » 

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco

The 2004 François Diligent Cuvée Tradition Brut Champagne is all chardonnay, a rarity in the southern part of Champagne, where the pinot noir grape is king. The grapes are grown both in Buxeuil and in Polisy, a village just to the northwest. The vineyard sites are rich in kimméridgien clay. That’s the same soil as in Chablis, which is less than 40 miles southeast of here. Not surprisingly, the chardonnay here has a very Chablissiene character to it, with more rich warmth than one expects from a Mesnil or Avize Blanc de Blancs. 

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

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

The Moutard-Dilligent family has a lot of experience growing grapes and making wine in Champagnes Cote de Bar area- they have been doing it since the 1600's! This very tasty Champagne is a blanc de noir made entirely from Pinot Noir harvested from vines of 10 to 20 years old and given three years of ageing on the lees. In the glass it has a pale color with a hint of gold from the Pinot Noir and a slow, spiraling bead. The wine is very savory on the nose, and reminds me of Cotes de Beaune Burgundy with Champagne brioche integrated perfectly into the aroma... Read More » 

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco