Italian Wine

91 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate: 'The single-vineyard 2003 Brunello di Montalcino Montosoli, from one of the region's top sites, is fresher and more vibrant than the regular bottling, with superior balance and finesse. It shows lovely plumpness, clarity and depth in its black cherries, oak, spices and tobacco. This medium to full-bodied wine should drink beautifully over the next decade or so. Anticipated maturity: 2008-2018." (04/08) 90 points Wine Spectator: "Displays stewed cherry and mahogany. Full-bodied, with jammy fruit character and a me... Read More » 

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse

90 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate: "The 2006 Non Confunditur is fat and super-ripe in its expression of dark plums, cherries, smoke, tar, herbs and licorice. It offers notable harmony and best of all, is a terrific value. Drink this fat, silky-textured red over the next few years. Anticipated maturity: 2008-2016." 

Inventory: Main Warehouse

This fragrant, beautiful wine spent eight months in neutral oak casks, which has resulted in an intense, balanced red, very much a baby Brunello, and very much deserving of your finest pork and veal dishes. Or Tuesday night pasta tossed with a sauce made from Saturday night's pork or veal! 

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse Redwood City

This medium dry sparkling wine is made with the Charmat method, a process discovered by Antonio Carpene and Louis Pasteur, which allows a sparkling wine to be made in approximately three months. This process limits the influence of the yeast and places emphasis on the fruit. Golden delicious apples dominate the flavors, while the fine perlage cleanses the palate and refreshes the taste buds. Great with any dish! 

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse

95 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate "The 2005 Barolo Pajana is off the charts. This deeply scented, layered Barolo possesses a striking bouquet of spices, tobacco, graphite, dark cherries and new leather that come together in a breathtaking display of elegance and power that is hard to fully capture in words. The tannins are, as usual, quite broad but they are also remarkably fine. In 2005 the Pajana shows breathtaking balance and harmony with a long, sensual finish. This is a superb effort from Domenico Clerico, and his team led by the mega-talented... Read More » 

Inventory: Main Warehouse

Giovanni Blason and his consulting enologist Andrea Rossi have turned this 37-acre property into a juggernaut of affordable quality wines. Giovanni and his wife Valentina own this winery in Gradisca d’Inzonzo, 3.75 miles from the Slovenian border and about 20 miles north of Trieste. Franconia is rarely seen in the U.S. (the name of the grape has nothing to do with Franken wines of Germany), and it's a shame. This is a ruby red wine, with a distinctively herbal aroma and flavor, and a velvety mouth feel. Best of all, it is quite low in alcohol, making it ... Read More » 

Inventory: Redwood City

Considering the myriad grape varieties of Italy, it's not surprising that many of us have not even heard of more than a few of them. Chances are good, however, that we'll all be hearing a lot more about Inzolia, one of Sicily's native grapes found mainly in the region surrounding Mt. Etna. This stupendous new arrival is vibrant, fresh, balanced yet soft and luscious, and a great value 

Inventory: Redwood City

Ribolla Gialla with a small portion of Friulano and Riesling 

Inventory: Hollywood

97 points Wine Spectator: "Shows a very ripe nose, with rose, berry and hints of meat. Full-bodied and powerful, with chewy tannins and a long, long finish. Massive yet balanced. What a wine. The greatest Saffredi ever made. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Alicante. Better than previously reviewed. Best after 2012." (10/07) 95 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate: "Le Pupille's 2004 Saffredi is a remarkable wine, in fact the aromatics alone are worth the price of admission. This French oak-aged blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Alicante possesses s... Read More » 

Inventory: Redwood City

93 points Wine Spectator: "Intense aromas of ripe blackberry and flowers, with rosemary and coffee hints. Full-bodied, with chewy, polished tannins. Excellent fruit concentration and a flavorful aftertaste. Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. Best after 2012." (10/09) 92 points Robert Parker: "The 2006 Tignanello is especially opulent in this vintage. Masses of dark red fruit, scorched earth and sweet oak emerge as this richly-textured Tignanello flows from the glass. The wine possesses superb density; all it needs is another few years to... Read More » 

Inventory: Redwood City

The Sella wine estates are one of the oldest active Italian wine producers. The Sella family has produced wine in Lessona from their own vineyards since 1671. The documents from that period are still preserved in the Sella Foundation. Over the next three centuries, the Sella family has kept the estate intact and its cellars still hold old vintages of these wines, including Lessona dating back from as early as 1881. Today the estate still maintains its original artisanal scale and is still devoted to the limited production of high-quality wine. Majoli is... Read More » 

Inventory: Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco

Muscat grapes, being particularly aromatic, require a special wine-making technique in order to preserve the fruit's potent fragrance and to create a wine that is light on its feet and a fine accompaniment to fruit- and nut-based desserts. The gently pressed grape juice is kept in refrigerated tanks until it is processed into the autoclave to obtain a sparkling wine by means of a fermentation at controlled temperature, using selected yeasts. 7.10% alcohol, with 95.20 g/l residual sugar. 

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco

The winery has been producing grapes in the sunny hinterland of Albenga since time immemorial and, starting from the year 2000 harvest, they have begun to make their own wine. Within a few years - thanks to the excellent quality obtained - the wines have become very popular with the best wine shops and restaurants in Liguria and beyond. The Vermentino variety does particularly well planted in proximity to the sea, from where it takes its saline character. This amber-yellow grape yields a wine of clear gold with green highlights, elegantly aromatic and f... Read More » 

Inventory: Redwood City San Francisco

Half dry and half blissfully sweet (but never cloying), this bubbly red is fragrant and fruity on the nose with black cherries and maraschinos. The bubbles are quite elegant and persistent on this number, ushering in a palate impression that is richly full bodied and harmonious. More full flavored and intense that other Ca Berti wines. 

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco

According to the Wine Spectator: "Aromas and flavors of mixed citrus fruits, with light heather and mineral notes. Medium-bodied, with a fresh, balanced palate and a persistent, almond-tinged mineral finish. Lacks a bit of a midpalate. Drink now." (08/08) 

Inventory: Hollywood

According to the Wine Spectator: "Aromas of dried cherry, tobacco and vanilla follow through to a full-bodied palate... Drink now. 850 cases made." (Web only, 2008) 

Inventory: Hollywood

From 40-year-old nerello mascalese vineyards, this ruby red wine, grown on the lunar-like slopes of Mt. Etna, offers a richly fruited aroma with notes of vanilla and layers of red and black fruits, while on the palate it is long and supple, with firm tannin and amazing persistence. 80% Nerello Mascalese and 20% Nerello Cappuccio. Benanti is one of the best producers of the region and was recently awarded the Winery of the Year title at a Gambero Rosso event in San Francisco! According to Robert Parker's Wine Advocate: "The 2005 Etna Rosso di Verzella (N... Read More » 

Inventory: Redwood City

An unusual blend for this richly fruity pink wine, 70% merlot and 30% franconia, however the taste is anything but bizarre. Strawberries and spice mix with flowers and lots of refreshing acidity, which makes this the rose to wash down cheese-rich foods like ricotto-stuffed ravioli. Minerals and stone fruit make for a fascinating finish on this value-packed rosé. 

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco

La Casaccia is an old winery with historic cellars carved out of the solid rock beneath the winery. It was taken over recently by Giovanni Rava and his wife Elena. Their wines are carefully made and very expressive of their variety and 'territorio'. None of the wines I import from them are aged in wood, which means that the flavors from the vineyard are expressed in the bottle; they are direct, fresh and distinctive. Grignolino is a very distinctive grape variety native to Piedmont. It combines pale, Pinot-like color with mouthfilling grip and strawberry... Read More » 

Inventory: Redwood City

Raspberry and plum fruit join with a dry, rich and full palate impression in this hand-picked number. This grape variety is relatively unknown in this country, which is a shame. It is a delicious, forward wine to serve with everything from burgers on the grill to more ambitious fare like leg of lamb. 

Inventory: Redwood City

90 points Robert Parker: "The 2005 Amarone della Valpolicella Classico is a relatively straightforward wine but I loved it for its superb balance and harmony. Sweet red cherries, herbs, leather, spices and earthiness are buffered by finessed tannins as this soft-textured wine opens in the glass. This is a great introduction to Amarone. Curiously, the 2005 comes across as more advanced than the 2004, and I would choose to drink it on the young side. Anticipated maturity: 2008-2015." (10/08) According to Wine Spectator: "Displays aromas and flavors of rai... Read More » 

Inventory: Redwood City

One of my favorite Barolo wineries, Oddero is a traditionalist and makes wines of classic style. They use big Slavonian oak barrels instead of the small French oak barrels, looking more for unadulterated purity in their wines than manipulation. The Oddero Barolo is a classic and 2004 is a tremendous vintage, the power of 1996 and 1999 with the suppleness of 2001, capable of aging 10-20+ years without a problem. (Greg St.Clair, K&L Italian buyer) 

Inventory: Hollywood

95 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate "The 2004 Barolo Arborina is a surprisingly super-ripe, concentrated and soft-textured wine loaded with sweet fruit. It offers outstanding length and ripe tannins in a very seductive style of Barolo. Three bottles have shown some degree of variation, suggesting the wine is still acquiring its balance after its bottling this summer. Altare says the very low levels of SO2 in the Barolo Arborina probably contribute to the wine’s flatness. I didn’t pick up on a flat quality in the wine, but the Arborina is decidedly le... Read More » 

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco

100% Nebbiolo here, in its most delicate though potent self (remember the old adage: iron fist in a velvet glove). Raspberry notes on the nose make way for a palate of velvety fruit and spice. This one's not a big bruiser, but an elegant, supple red that is aromatically similar to a white. Try it with robust fish dishes like tuna in a spicy red sauce with capers. 

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco

From 40-year-old nerello mascalese vineyards, this ruby red wine, grown on the lunar-like slopes of Mt. Etna, offers a richly fruited aroma with notes of vanilla and layers of red and black fruits, while on the palate it is long and supple, with firm tannin and amazing persistence. 80% Nerello Mascalese and 20% Nerello Cappuccio. Benanti is one of the best producers of the region and was recently awarded the Winery of the Year title at a Gambero Rosso event in San Francisco! 

Inventory: Hollywood

93 points Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar: "Veglio’s 2004 Barolo Arborina offers a quintessential expression of one of La Morra’s best-known vineyards thanks in large part to a restrained use of oak that was missing in previous vintages. Flowers, spices, mint and perfumed red fruit flow from this gorgeous, poised Barolo. It offers lovely purity and inner sweetness supported by the firm tannins that are the hallmark of Arborina. This wine of remarkable beauty and precision is a superb effort from Mauro Veglio. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2022." ... Read More » 

Inventory: Hollywood

Supple, aromatic and 100% Nero d'Avola in a really pure expression of Siciliy's most famous varietals. Greg St.Clair K&L's Italian Buyer 

Inventory: Hollywood

92 points Wine Spectator Insider: "Rich and subtle, delivering plum, berry and ripe strawberry character, with dried mushroom undertones. Full, with a ripe, velvety tannin backbone and beautiful fruit. Features coffee and berries on the finish, with bright acidity. Best after 2011." (04/09) 18.5 points (out of 20) from Jancis Robinson " A rich, broad palate of flavours here: tomato, earthy, cherry, vanilla, violets, tannin that grips the mouth with gentle force and a funky cheesiness grated on top. Excellent. 13.5% Drink 2011-21" 4 Stars from K&L's Ita... Read More » 

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco

The Coenobium is a vino da tavola from the Lazio district (in the area of Vitorchiano about 60 kilometers north of Rome) produced from vineyards organically farmed by the sisters of the Cistercian order. The wine is composed of three grape types: Verdicchio, Grechetto, and Trebbiano Toscano. The vinification is rather straight forward and occurs in stainless steel tanks but, under the guidance of Giampiero Bea, the sisters have begun to leave the juice in contact with the skins for a more sustained period, and the results are most impressive indeed! 

Inventory: Hollywood

This is a full-blooded dark red wine with an appealing fruity bouquet reminiscent of red berries with hints of spices. Delicious and succulent on the palate, it boasts an elegant structure and ripe, velvety tannins with a warming finish. Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Lagrein BioDynamic producer 

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse

96 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate "The 2005 Barolo Ciabot Mentin Ginestra emerges from the glass with endless layers of sweet spices, menthol, violets and dark fruit on a powerful, authoritative frame. This is a beautifully defined, sculpted wine of the very highest level. Tar, smoke and licorice linger on the finish. The tannins are massive at this stage, and the wine needs time, but the 2005 is undoubtedly one of the stars of the vintage. Anticipated maturity: 2015-2030. Wine Advocate # 182 (Wine is due December 2009) 

Inventory: Main Warehouse

92 points Wine Spectator " Dried violets, berries and hints of vanilla follow through to a full body, with racy, silky tannins and a tanned leather, berry aftertaste. Chewy. Needs bottle age to mellow. Better than the 2001. Best after 2010. 2,800 cases made." (Web Only, 2009) 90 points Wine Enthusiast: "Here's a Brunello with thick concentration and broad aromas of mequite smoke, black cherry and Indian spice. Despite that bold bouquet the wine is actually tight and compact in the mouth, where it performs with easy elegance thanks to its bright and acid... Read More » 

Inventory: Hollywood

94 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate: " have been looking forward to tasting the estate's 2004 Barbaresco Ovello for some time. It is an exceptional wine that expresses the pedigree of the vintage in its sweet, expansive personality. Ripe dark fruit, toasted oak and balsamic nuances are all woven together in a powerful, structured style. Ovello is one of the cooler micro-climates in Barbaresco and this wine remains quite powerful and tannic today. It should develop beautifully over the following years. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2024." (10/08) 

Inventory: Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco

91 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate: "Once again, the Produttori have turned out a gem in their 2005 Barbaresco. A beautiful, perfumed Nebbiolo, the wine flows effortlessly from the glass with captivating notes of crushed flowers, raspberries, sweet herbs and spices. This classic, mid-weight Barbaresco possesses plenty of clean, bright fruit framed by elegant tannins, showing notable harmony. Simply put, this is a classic wine Piedmont lovers won’t want to miss. Ideally, the wine should be cellared for a few years, but readers will have a hard time e... Read More » 

Inventory: Hollywood

95 points and #13 on the Wine Spectator's Top 100 Wines of 2009: "Chocolate, blackberry and black cherry aromas lead to a full-bodied palate, with velvety tannins and a deep concentration of fruit. Powerfully rich and polished. Big and structured. Best after 2012." (10/09) 94 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate: "The 2006 Fontalloro is much more sweet and open than the firmer Rancia. Enticing, expressive aromatics lead to an expansive core of fruit. Round, finessed tannins give the wine an additional level of polish. Today the Fontalloro is fleshier an... Read More » 

Inventory: Special Order

95 points Wine Spectator: "Enticing aromas of meat and mushroom pie mingle with rich plum and spices. Full-bodied, with silky, caressing tannins and intense fruit and mineral flavors. Well-crafted, finishing long. The flagship Brunello in 2003. The wine of the vintage. Best after 2010." 91 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate: "Valdicava’s 2003 Brunello di Montalcino is a fat, super-ripe offering that flows with masses of opulent fruit..." In an earlier review (same score): "Valdicava’s 2003 Brunello di Montalcino is a big, brooding effort loaded with b... Read More » 

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco

Forward, more open fruit, balanced, fresh and a long finish. 12 months in barrique. (Greg St.Clair, K&L Italian buyer) According to Wine Enthusiast: "Here's a Brunello with a lighter more restrained style that will prove a successful match with delicate ravioli topped with parmigiano, butter and sage. The tannins are polished and smooth and the wine offers good acidity backed by aromas of cured meat, freshly brewed tea, licorice, cherry cola and mequite." (06/09) 

Inventory: Hollywood

2 Glasses Gambero Rosso! Rich and complex, densely colored, almost black ruby red, leather and vanilla; full-bodied, yet elegant and balanced, it is an ideal accompaniment to red meats and roasts. 

Inventory: Redwood City San Francisco

Bellini is a cocktail which, according to the original recipe, is composed of two parts of sparkling wine, one part of white peach juice (obtained from select, perfectly ripe peaches) and a few drops of wild raspberry. It is a classic aperitif, with an inebriating peach fragrance. Bellini, estate-bottled in clear, satin-finished glass bottles, is the result of the fruit drink processing technology perfected by Canella after many years of long and scrupulous research, which guarantees its naturalness. It is best enjoyed chilled. 

Inventory: Redwood City

The Germano winery is a few hundred yards north of Serralunga. Sergio Germano is typical of the new generation of producers in the Langhe; after completing six years of study at the school of Enology in Alba he made wine for a few years at Fontanafredda, one of the largest wineries in the area, before returning to the family winery in 1993. This is an unusual white for the region, made of Riesling from Sergio's new vineyards in the village of Ciglié, about thirty minutes south of his estate in Serralunga. The property is a steep chalky south-facing hills... Read More » 

Inventory: Main Warehouse Redwood City

The quality of Dolcetto from the village of Dogliani has been skyrocketing in the last few years, and Anna Maria's work is a good example of this. Anna Maria has become a convert to the doctrine of low yields, and she has joined the elite of Dogliani. First, understand that producers in Dogliani take Dolcetto as seriously as producers in Barolo take Nebbiolo; Dolcetto is planted in all the best sites, and vinified with great care, which is not always the case with Dolcetto d'Alba. Anna Maria's oldest vines were planted by her uncle in the thirties, and h... Read More » 

Inventory: Redwood City San Francisco

Made of Schiava (90%) (in German, Vernatsch) with a small amount of Lagrein(10%), this wine is fermented and aged in stainless steel. Notes: pale red color; aroma of strawberries and tomato leaf, very appetising; the palate is bigger and more assertive than the color would suggest but still very drinkable. A faint hint of apple-skin bitterness on the finish adds to its appeal with food. It is delicious paired with most any pork dish, especially ham. I've heard it can be drunk with grilled salmon as well. Very small quantities. This (Schiava) delicious ... Read More » 

Inventory: Redwood City San Francisco

The grape is called Timorasso, and in case you didn't know, it's a local white grape that had pretty much disappeared off the wine map of the world, and certainly would have if it weren't for the likes of Andrea Mutti and one or two other Piedmontese vintners bent on saving the region's lesser known wine styles. Not to use a much relied upon cliché, but this one really has to be tried to be believed. Complex doesn't even begin to describe the myriad of aromas and flavors: roasted nut, apricot, orange flower blossoms, river bed rock, ginger, vanilla ice c... Read More » 

Inventory: Hollywood

The Sella wine estates are one of the oldest active Italian wine producers. The Sella family has produced wine in Lessona from their own vineyards since 1671. The documents from that period are still preserved in the Sella Foundation. Over the next three centuries, the Sella family has kept the estate intact and its cellars still hold old vintages of these wines, including Lessona dating back from as early as 1881. Lessona and Bramaterra are located in northern Piedmont, in the foothills of the Alpine mountains. This area covers the western part of a ci... Read More » 

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco

93 points Wine Spectator: "Coffee, currant and light mint aromas lead to a full body, with lots of chocolate, mineral and eucalyptus character. Gorgeous and polished. Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. Best after 2012. 170 cases made." (10/08) 

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco

The 2005 San Vincenti Chianti Classico is an expression of this lone highland vineyard; it is 100% sangiovese and classic. Sangiovese's linear character on the palate makes a dramatic statement about length, coupled with a very rich mid palate feel. This mid palate richness doesn't portray itself with gobs of ripe, sweet fruit it just gives density to the middle of the wine. The nose is molten Galestro, sweet earth, tobacco, new saddle leather, sage, and rosemary, spicy, vibrant and full of mineral. On the palate the wine really comes together the densit... Read More » 

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco

90 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate: "The 2005 Bramaterra is a joyous wine for its generous core of red fruit and finessed, silky tannins. This is an especially pure, elegant Bramaterra with gorgeous textural balance and a long, refreshing finish. Anticipated maturity: 2009-2013." (10/09) The Sella wine estates are one of the oldest active Italian wine producers. The Sella family has produced wine in Lessona from their own vineyards since 1671. The documents from that period are still preserved in the Sella Foundation. Over the next three centuries,... Read More » 

Inventory: Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco

92 points Wine Enthusiast "Opaque with a dark brooding nose. Great, if somewhat hidden, depth of fruit and excellent balance: the fruit-acid-tannin triangle is textbook perfect. Very tight now, this is a keeper for sure. Try to avoid touching it for three to five years. Some day it will drink like a $50 bottle. Will keep till 2015." (5/1/1999) 90(+?) points Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar: "Good dark red-ruby color. High-toned aromas of violet, dried flowers and spearmint. Ripe, juicy red berry and dried flower flavors given clarity by sound ... Read More » 

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse

90 points Stephen Tanzer: "Medium-deep red. Enticing pomegranate and red cherry aromas soar from the glass, nicely complicated by sweet spices and a whiff of rare meat. Enters the mouth sweet and juicy, then turns full and quite tannic, with pretty licorice, quinine and red cherry flavors lingering on the refined, strongly mineral finish. Picks up flesh and volume with air, but the tannins remain quite assertive, which caused me to lower my score somewhat. By Ian D'Agata Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar, Jul/Aug 09 " 

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse Redwood City

Imagine you have just shared a date with George Clooney (or maybe Catherine Zeta Jones). How could you go out with a mere mortal ever again? After trying Marisa Cuomo's Fiorduva, other white wines pale in comparison. Cantine Marisa Cuomo is a small winery located in Furore on the Amalfi Coast, where the vines grow on terraced slopes teeming with lemon and fig trees and peregrine falcons still nest. The Fiorduva, named for the Fjord of Furore, is a blend of three indigenous grapes: 30% fenile, 30% ginestra and 40% ripoli harvested late into the season. Fr... Read More » 

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse Redwood City