Italian Wine

Valle d'Aosta is probably the least known Italian region. It doesn't even seem Italian; they speak French, for one. Valle d'Aosta lies in the Alps in the westernmost part of Italy, full of steep mountain slopes and, while one might guessglaciers or Abominable Snowmen, grapes. Believe it or not they are growing grapes on the slopes of Mont Blanc above 3,900 feet! The region actually has a history of wine producition going back a couple thousand years. In 1983 the Cave du Vin Blanc de Morgex et de La Salle Coop was formed, and they began to produce high-qu... Read More » 

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco

90 points and a "Best Buy" designate, Wine Spectator. We think it's better than the '06, which out-sold every other Italian red we carried last year: "Displays lovely plummy, chocolaty character. Full and silky smooth, this is packed with flavor. So delicious. Drink now." (12/08) 90 points from Wine & Spirits Magazine: "A vibrant and youthful barbera with fresh plum and cherry flavors, this feels balanced and cool. An everyday red to enjoy with grilled sausage." (12/08) The wine is aged partly in new barrels made of oak from Allier, and partly in large... Read More » 

Inventory: Redwood City

2 glasses Gambero Rosso with an * for extra price to quality ratio! When you think of Barolo producers you don't normally think of chardonnay, but Ettore Germano shook us up with his! Ettore's 1.2-acre chardonnay vineyard was planted more than a decade ago at 1,100-1,200 feet in elevation in limestone-based soils. The vineyard yields about 2.5 tons per acre and he produces about 4,000 bottles a year, hardly a reason to quit your day job making Barolo. The wine has been routinely praised in Italy getting 2 Glasses (out of 3) in Gambero Rosso with an aster... Read More » 

Inventory: Main Warehouse San Francisco

One of our real evolving stars in Montalcino this tiny winery is making great wines. 2006 is one of the best vintages in recent memory and you'll see it in this wine, I've had Brunello that isn't this good! The Poggiarellino Rosso di Montalcino is full of complex dark cherry fruit, with nicely evolved notes of tobacco leaf and has layers of what the Italians call sotto bosco (the flavor of the forest floor). On the palate the aromas are interwoven and fleshed out by an unctuous but not fat body and backed up with a core of mineral, stone, earth and truff... Read More » 

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco

2 Glasses Gambero Rosso*. Bright and focused, and not at all wispy, this ripe white offers melon notes along with Granny Smith apple. If you love fish and seafood, this should be in your repertoire for certain, as its mineral and citrus characters offer a great foil for things from the sea, especially calamari and shrimp. Thanks to a rounder feel on the palate, it is also delicious without food. 

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco

From Ragusa in South Eastern Sicily, this family estate has been growing grapes for 6 generations. Lovely fruit on the nose and the palate, with red cherries and spice. Not a lot of tannin on this pleaser, so it appeals for those who appreciate drinability and softness above structure and longevity. Aged for 4-5 months in steel vats. Enjoy with roast chicken, pizza, or almost anything! 

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco

One of our favorite wines in the store has returned for the 11th straight vintage, the 2007 Maritma Sangiovese or, as the K&L staff refers to it, "The Four Old Guys." This is an amazing wine at a dirt cheap price. Bright, fleshy, this gem offers tons of spicy, sangiovese fruit with good fullness and incredible drinkability. Enough said! Buy your cases now! This wine has increased in price exactly 50 cents over that last five years, and it represents an insanely good value! 

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco

Montalcino's most famous single vineyard is the Montosoli hill, Altesino made this name famous when they designated their best Brunello with their northeastern facing vineyard's name, Montosoli. Nello Baricci and his family have lived and farmed sangiovese on their southeastern facing slope of the Montosoli hill since the 1930's. Their wines are pure, supple, lithe and complex; they are full of tobacco, sweet earth, licorice, violets, rosemary and have long and persistent finishes. The 2006 vintage in Montalcino is in a word stupendous and in these scin... Read More » 

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco

Listed in the Wine Spectator's Top 100 Wines of 2008! 90 points and a Smart Buys designation from the Wine Spectator: "Lavender and blackberry aromas follow through to a medium-to-full body, with a solid core of fruit and a tangy aftertaste of citrus fruit and dried cherry. Best after 2009." (09/08) 89 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate: "The 2006 Chianti Classico is a beautiful, plump wine loaded with vibrant, sweet, ripe fruit. It offers lovely depth in an engaging style that is sure to find many admirers. This is a terrific effort from one of Ita... Read More » 

Inventory: Hollywood

I have been looking for a Prosecco producer that we could import directly for a few years. Last April in Italy I met with the very young brother-and-sister team of Silvano and Alberta Follador. We didn’t even taste their wines when we first met. They just wanted to meet me before we even thought about the wine. We liked each other immediately. In today’s world of fast-paced business it was very refreshing to see that producers were more interested in who was going to take care of their wines rather than how much we were going to buy. I walked away hoping... Read More » 

Inventory: Hollywood

91 points and a Smart Buys designation from the Wine Spectator: "Full-throttle, with lots of vanilla and ripe fruit character. Almost cherry liqueur. Full-bodied, round and soft, with lots of flavor. Drink now." (10/07) 90 points Wine Enthusiast: "A generous and modern wine with plush aromas of sweet vanilla, black cherry, ripe blueberry, spice and a healthy wallop of chocolate fudge that proves to be a true crowd pleaser. Beautiful in the glass, with brilliant ruby reflections, the wine is silky-smooth in the mouth with bright berries flavors that ride... Read More » 

Inventory: Hollywood Redwood City

2 Glasses Gambero Rosso! This wine is full of ripe sangiovese fruit, lush plum and chocolate flavors that coat the palate, and the inherent structure of this incredible 4-star vintage that gives this wine superb depth, concentration and scintillating aromas. Drink it now and it will give you a thrilling drinking experience and will age well for the next 4-5 years. Try it now with pasta, roasted chicken or grilled meats. (Greg St.Clair, K&L Italian buyer) 

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco

2 Glasses Gambero Rosso* This 2005 Nebbiolo is truly fabulous! It has a great body with lots of focus, size and power. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the nebbiolo (the main grape of Barolo and Barbaresco), here is a way to experiment with the varietal at half the price or more. The wine is full of the classic nebbiolo aromas of dried roses, truffle, and smoke with hints of earth. Lot's of richness, loads of fruit, and a long finish, tannin but very well integrated! Drink now or age for a few more years, try it with risotto with Porcini, smoked... Read More » 

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco

There is nothing musty or old fashioned about this straight forward red, with fresh "modern" styling in its rich dark fruit and sweet tannins. Made entirely of the Montepulciano grape from the region of Abruzzo, this will work well with pizza/pasta or just as an all-around excellent Tuesday night quaffer! 

Inventory: Hollywood San Francisco

This one's a clean, crisp and ultimately refreshing sparkler that is one of our favorties. Just this year imported to the U.S. and now available for your holiday celebrations! 

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco

This sparkling white wine was obtained, as you might guess by the name, from the Prosecco grape using the Charmat method in autoclave. It is the epitome of prosecco, where the harmony of its elegant body is accompanied by a delicate bouquet. The freshness and fragrance of this wine, together with a fine and persistent perlage, make it ideal for any occasion. And the price doesn't hurt either! Serve at a cooler temperature than most whites, and watch bottle after bottle disappear at your next party. 

Inventory: Hollywood Redwood City San Francisco

90 points Wine Spectator and a Smart Buy Designation "Exhibits lots of blackberry and vanilla character on the nose, with hints of flowers. Medium- to full-bodied, with fine tannins and a long, crisp finish. A beautiful wine. Best after 2011. 12,500 cases made. JS" This is a true classic Chianti but with much more ripe plum richness and palate softenss than most. Great fruit coupled with spicy earth all wrapped up in a superb finsih. (Greg St.Clair K&L's Itlalian Wine Buyer) 

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco

The color of this wine is dark, ruby-red, almost impenetrable. Refinement in wood intensifies the bouquet with red berry fruit, plum, vanilla and licorice scents. The taste is properly tannic, meaning just enough to pair with robust Northern Italian fare, especially red meat. The acidity merges with the fullness, leaving a persistent and pleasant aftertaste. Favà ages for 12-14 months in small and almost new French "carati." 2 Red glasses in Gambero Rosso 

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse Redwood City

2* Glasses Gambero Rosso. This is the latest addition to K&L's direct import portfolio and it is stunning. 2006 is a great vintage for dolcetto and you'll know why from the first burst of fruit from the glass. In the mouth the wine is lush; it rolls across your palate, with layers of black fruit flavors. This is a food wine if ever there was one, and it goes with everything from meat and cheese filled pastas to roast fowl, lamb chops on the grill, or your favorite pasta! (Greg St.Clair K&L's Itailan Buyer) 

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco

Pasetti's vineyards lie in the heart of Italy's Abruzzo, between the Tirino and Pescara valleys at the foot of Gran Sasso and Maiella. The location's favorable climate, varied terrain and clay chalk and skeleton-rich rocky subsoils result in some of the best wines coming out of Italy today. Made by husband and wife team Franco and Mimma from vineyards at 550 meters above sea level, their Montepulciano d'Abruzzo has a soft, almost sherried nose with subtle chocolate notes. On the palate this wine is powerful, structured and elegant. It is nicely balanced ... Read More » 

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco

The Drusian Family has been producing wine for three generations. It all started with Grandfather Giuseppino in the middle of 19th Century. His son Rino followed… all the way up until 1984, after which Francesco has carried on the duties. He is deeply enchanted by his land and its grapes, and it is thanks to him that certain technological innovations were made at this historic estate. Production at the moment is about 200 thousand bottles a year of Prosecco and Cartizze, thus it is limited in quantity and of an extremely high quality. No pesticides or in... Read More » 

Inventory: Main Warehouse Redwood City

"What's so compelling about Moscato d'Asti? It's a slightly sweet, fizzy white wine with low alcohol (typically only 6 percent, which is less than half that of a regular table wine) and a captivating taste and scent. Made entirely from the moscato bianco grape variety, it comes from the Asti zone in Italy's Piedmont region. An artisanal wine originally made by small winegrowers for consumption by family and friends, Moscato d'Asti has since acquired a devoted following from lovers of Italian wines worldwide. It is the ideal summer sipper because its comp... Read More » 

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco

This wine, made from 100% Pigato, is planted on steeply terraced vineyards with lots of sun exposure. Soil content is sandy with some loose gravel and a diverse mineral content. It undergoes a temperature-controlled fermentation in stainless steel vats. Pale yellow with reflections tending towards gold. An ample nose with immediate fruit suggesting ripe peaches. Floral aromas of wildflowers and sage. Hints of musk and tree sap. Dry, yet soft - peachy fruitiness with suggestion of bitter honey on the finish. Serve with shrimp risotto, roasted garbanzo be... Read More » 

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse

(Wine is arriving in 3 weeks) #6 in the Wine Spectator's Top 100 Wines of 2008! 94 points Wine Spectator: "This big, juicy, chewy wine is one of Piedmont's most reliable and widely available quality blended Barolos. Pio Boffa represents the fourth generation to run this estate, located in the heart of Barolo's capital of Alba. He sources Nebbiolo grapes from the winery's own vineyards in the Serralunga d'Alba commune and supplements them with grapes from trusted suppliers in the region.Extremely attractive aromas of blackberry, fresh mushroom and mahogan... Read More » 

Listed in the Wine Spectator's Top 100 Wines of 2008! 91 points Wine Spectator: "A rich, round wine, with plum and berry character and soft tannins. Full-bodied, with berry and dark chocolate character and a long finish. Juicy. Outstanding value. Drink now through 2012." (10/08) 91 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate: "Gorgeous aromatics waft from the glass as the 2006 Chianti Classico Querciabella (95% Sangiovese and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon) opens to reveal a super-elegant expression of fresh berries, flowers and tobacco. The plumpness of the fruit make... Read More » 

Inventory: Hollywood Redwood City

In the most outstanding vintage years, Sella & Mosca produces a Riserva version of its Cannonau, made from grapes picked in selected portions of its Cannonau vineyards. Aged three years in oak prior to release, this aristocratic red will sustain a decade or more of aging. It offers a mesmerizing scent that is redolent with violets. On the palate this rustic red is abundantly fruity (think heirloom plums), assertive and intense, with a sustained finish that calls out for lamb seasoned with rosemary! 

Inventory: Hollywood Redwood City San Francisco

2006 is a wonderful year for Chianti Classico and Rocca di Montegrossi is really no exception. Lush, forward fruit with structure, balance and depth. Juicy cherry and plum like fruit flavors mixed with a luscious feeling on the palate and good finish make this wine an amazing bargain at the price. Try it with some grilled sausage or your favorite pasta! (Greg St.Clair K&L's Italian Buyer) 

Inventory: Hollywood 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. This one is so good you won't believe it! The flavor just bursts out of the glass, spice laden, black pepper, red fruits, vivacious, fresh and curvy all at the same time, and at an unbelievable price. Please try this wine if you haven’t or even if you have had Italian Caberne... Read More » 

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco