Reviewers
- All Staff Reviews
- Aaron Hughes (10)
- Adam Winkel (96)
- Alex Leonardini (8)
- Alex Schroeder (149)
- Alex Pross (594)
- Alexandre Tweedie (7)
- Amy Monroe (1)
- Andrew Nunes (1)
- Andrew Kitz (1)
- Andrew Whiteley (125)
- Cindy Westby (60)
- Clyde Beffa Jr. (809)
- David Othenin-Girard (335)
- Dejah Overby (147)
- Diana Turk (125)
- Dulcinea Gonzalez (115)
- Gary Lai (56)
- Gary Westby (540)
- Greg St. Clair (389)
- Illya Haase (147)
- Jacques Moreira (704)
- Jason Marwedel (73)
- Jeffrey Jones (372)
- Joel Nicholas (29)
- John Flanigan (1)
- John Downing (80)
- John Majeski (296)
- Julio Santos (1)
- Kate Soto (11)
- Keith Mabry (432)
- Kirk Walker (276)
- Lilia McIntosh (44)
- Mandana Tourani (12)
- Michael Benoit (7)
- Michael Pires (14)
- Miles Philippe (7)
- Neal Fischer (33)
- Ralph Sands (222)
- Ryan Kewin (4)
- Ryan Moses (388)
- Ryan Woodhouse (891)
- Sal Rodriguez (34)
- Scott Beckerley (307)
- Shaun Green (82)
- Thomas Smith (357)
- Tom Martinez (1)
- Trey Beffa (183)
- Will Blakely (26)
- Zaitouna Kusto (3)
K&L Email Alerts
Sign up to receive custom alerts, new arrivals and the latest happenings from K&L Wines
Staff Favorites - Greg St. Clair
|
Reviews
2017 Ferrero Brunello di Montalcino (1.5L)
Review Date: 11-13-2023
When I first tasted this wine, I was stunned by the nose, the fruit aromatics were so complete and tantalizing I couldn’t wait to taste it. On the palate it was just as exciting, supple, smooth, luscious fruit yet balanced with classic Sangiovese acidity making it fresh and enticing. The wine has a verve and brightness to it that really adds to the length and lift to the wine, this wine caught me by surprise, one of my favorites of the vintage.
2017 Ferrero Brunello di Montalcino
Review Date: 11-13-2023
When I first tasted this wine, I was stunned by the nose, the fruit aromatics were so complete and tantalizing I couldn’t wait to taste it. On the palate it was just as exciting, supple, smooth, luscious fruit yet balanced with classic Sangiovese acidity making it fresh and enticing. The wine has a verve and brightness to it that really adds to the length and lift to the wine, this wine caught me by surprise, one of my favorites of the vintage.
2015 Ferrero Brunello di Montalcino Riserva
Review Date: 11-13-2023
Certainly one of the best priced Riserva on the market and in this vintage a superbly drinking wine. The 2015 vintage is really inviting and drinkable and Ferrero's Riserva is no exception, the nose is full of wild cherry and spiced plum. The palate is supple, still structured but it gives a smoother feel as the plum and wild cherry begin to show bits of earth, leather and cedar box. The finish is long and inviting, wonderful to drink now but will last another decade.
2016 Ferrero Brunello di Montalcino Riserva
Review Date: 11-13-2023
Ferrero’s normal richness in this vintage is back seat to the balance, structure and complexity. While still showing their hallmark character of chocolaty, supple opulence and smooth finish it is the layers of spice, wild herbs and structural length that really make this vintage stand out. The wine shows great balance and linearity weaving a luxuriant, tactile fabric of the wild cherry aromatics, black fruits and hints of leather, cinnamon and sage. The tannic structure is certainly there but it is a background stage that allows the flavors to play out without dominating the scene.
2022 Nervi-Conterno "Il Rosato" Vino Rosato
Review Date: 11-05-2023
It is not often that I look to a pink wine to be the center piece of a meal but when I tasted this wine last week I was totally blown away, THIS will be my Turkey wine. The wine is pale, in the Provencal style but the nose is hypnotic, 90% Nebbiolo with its layers of complexity, earth, spice, rose, smoke and truffle, it is tremendous. Yest it is on the palate where the wine really shines, it is voluptuous, sensuous and has an intensity of flavor that saturates your palate. The finish seems not to, the myriad of flavors and texture seem to drive the wine on and on. This is a must before we run out of it you need to buy some.
2016 Roccolo Grassi Valpolicella Superiore
Review Date: 08-25-2023
Full disclosure, I love this wine and the style it portrays. Valpolicella is one of the examples of a flavor profile that doesn’t exist anywhere else. In the hills above Verona this blend of grapes grows nowhere else in the world and exudes both the grape essence and the terroir of these hills. Roccolo Grassi is one of my favorites from the region and they represent wines with classic flavors. On the nose the wine explodes out of the glass, swirls of exotic Marasca cherry layered with salted plum, cinnamon, orange peel and whiffs of lavender. That seems like a lot is going on and you’d be correct, yet it all blends seamlessly into a single expression, albeit a complex one. On the palate the wine is supple, smooth with very fine grain tannins. The wine stretches out and shows length, balance while having a impressive palate presence, with weight, viscosity while showing great lift in the finish. A super complex wine, while it doesn’t overwhelm you with size, it is delicious, tantalizing and just makes my mouth water writing about it. This is a wine you really need to try, it is absolutely special.
2019 Valo "Conner Lee Vineyard" Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
Review Date: 07-19-2023
I have to admit that Cabernet is not my go to drink of choice, I eschew most attempts. Not that I don't like the varietal it's that I don't like to have the winemaker's fingers in my glass. This Cabernet surprised me to a level I had to double take, ok double taste. The nose was pure, unadulterated and classic Cabernet Sauvignon, cassis, leather and hints of tobacco. On the palate the wine showed energy, buoyancy, balance and while it still has a luxurious feel to it one character doesn't outweigh the other. The palate flavors show more cassis fruit, but still stays varietally true, lots of complexity and seems that it will grow as well. I really liked this wine and then I looked at the price....you're kidding right? Wow this is a steal!
Price:
Hidden
2018 Fattoria Selvapiana "Bucerchiale" Chianti Rufina Riserva
Review Date: 07-17-2023
x
Greg St. Clair
Greg St. Clair
The 2018 Fattoria Selvapiana "Bucerchiale" Chianti Rufina Riserva $32.99 is superb, always one of my favorite Chianti. The Bucerchiale, pronounced Boo-chair-key-ah-lay, vineyard was first produced in 1948 and sits at over 2400’, it sees 15 months in French barriques but only 10% are new and just over 3,000 cases are produced. The nose of the wine is ethereal, violets and lilac aromatics, clove, orange peel and earth. On the palate there’s lots of wild cherry, plum, leather and middle eastern spices. This is a wine with some structure, a slight bit of grip, it’s vibrant with lots of energy. The Bucerchiale Riserve age for a long time 10 years is nothing for them but 20 to 30 years as well. To enjoy now just decant for a couple of hours ahead of time, while you’re preparing the grill for a Bistecca Fiorentina!
2018 La Massa "Giorgio Primo" Toscana
Review Date: 04-26-2023
The ubiquitous Super Tuscan is always a difficult concept for me to digest. It can be almost any selection of red grapes but the Giorgio Primo is something special. Gianpaolo Motta, owner and winemaker, went to school in Bordeaux for winemaking and he’s no stranger to Bordeaux varieties even in the hear of Chianti Classico in Panzano. His consulting enologist is Stéphane Derenoncourt perhaps the most influential man in the business now and has helped Gianpaolo in making the Giorgio Primo into one of Tuscany’s best examples of the genre. The 55% Cabernet Sauvigon, 45% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot blend gives this wine a powerful central core yet supple, soft and extraordinarily elegant at the same time. I find balance to be the most important feature in a wine and it is something that not everyone sees, power, over the top aromas and flavors and a texture that Robert Parker used to describe as “oozing” generally take one’s attention away from balance. Balance is also what gives the wine aging potential not excessive tannins. This wine shows the best of Bordeaux-like flavors, cassis and cedar but it is Tuscan first and foremost and Panzano’s climate and terroir (perhaps the best in Chianti Classico) offer something truly special. You can drink this wine now with a bit of decanting or it will age 20+ years. Gianpaolo would suggest the Bistecca Fiorentina as the perfect accompaniment.
2021 Ermacora Pinot Grigio Colli Orientali del Friuli
Review Date: 04-23-2023
While Pinot Grigio seems ubiquitous to us here in America it has a different reputation in Italy. In Friuli, which is a predominantly white wine making area, Pinot Grigio is looked at as an export machine and also the “Festa” wine because it is so open, fruity and easy to drink! Floral and fruity, Pinot Grigio offers easy aromas and flavors that entice both novice and expert. Pinot Grigio is usually a bit round and simplistic, but this wine has facets, brilliant edges emphasizing the fruit and spice. It still has plenty of weight and richness but coupled with that central purity, lifting its flavors, easy to drink and accompanies almost any dish. 2021 has produced the best wines I have ever tasted from Ermacora (by the way, it is pronounced air-MA-kor-ra). The wines have beautiful aromatics, rich bodies, and vibrant cores.
2021 Ermacora Pinot Bianco Colli Orientali del Friuli
Review Date: 04-23-2023
The 2021 Ermacora Pinot Bianco is Ermacora's flagship wine and a hidden gem from Friuli, a region often overshadowed by its abundant Pinot Grigio. But it is in Friuli that the elegant Pinot Bianco is the drink of choice and true winemaking artistry can be found. Un-oaked and majestic, this white wine presents an impressive focus and concentration on the palate. The luxurious notes of creamy custard are complemented by the refreshing flavors of green apples, bergamot-spiced white peach, and a zesty hint of lemon. The wine's textural presence on the palate is marked by a perfect harmony of concentration, balance, complexity, and length. While other wines may lose their finesse as they age, the Ermacora Pinot Bianco only gets better—allow it some time to age (about 2-3 years, I personally do it about 5-6 years), and you'll witness its extraordinary evolution.
2016 Poggiarellino Brunello di Montalcino
Review Date: 09-13-2022
The nose of this wine is bold and saturated, bursting with savory wild cherry, salted plums, mushroom, and leather that seem to say power incarnate, but in a restrained, country gentleman manner. On the palate, the density of the 2015 vintage takes over. It is discreet power: full yet never heavy, it just shows a subtle energy. The flavors show Poggiarellino's trademark Marasca cherry that emerge from a pool of plummy depth. Hints of cola, leather, and wild herbs segue across your tongue, while the wine's central backbone is always apparent. Gentle hints of tannin only emerge in the end. The finish replays much of the Marasca cherry, with subtle earthy spice lingering on for some time. A long life ahead for this wine that will really begin to open in 2025 but is delicious now.
2019 Poggiarellino Rosso di Montalcino
Review Date: 08-07-2021
Let me be one of the first to let you know that the 2019 vintage is sensational. And this 100% Sangiovese is stunning. Because we buy direct from the winery, this Rosso—which is actually a declassified Brunello—is an unbelievable deal. The wine shows the classic Marasca cherry aromatics from the north of Montalcino coupled with a bold, full-bodied richness on your palate. This wine is delicious now, but it will age well for another 5–7 years.
Price:
$19.99
Lini "Labrusca" Lambrusco Emilia Bianco
Review Date: 08-07-2021
Lambrusco is one of the most popular wines in Italy this time of year, but it’s a much-misunderstood category in the States. This is mostly due to the ocean of cheap, sweet versions that were popular here in the 1970s and 1980s, plus a perplexing diversity of grape varieties, styles, and colors. Lambrusco has half a dozen different appellations, half a dozen different grape varieties, and ranges from the extremely high yields in the flatlands to lesser yields in the rolling hills of Castelvetro. It takes a bit of work to figure it out, but wow—once you try a couple, you will be hooked.
Some of the more delicate versions have the Emilia appellation, where Lini is one of the top producers. These wines are lighter, crisper, and dry, while being perfect for salumi on a hot afternoon. Lower in alcohol, they are the perfect daytime wines and should be served refreshingly cold.
(Greg St. Clair, K&L Italian wine buyer)
Price:
$15.99
Lini "Labrusca" Lambrusco Emilia Rosso
Review Date: 08-07-2021
Lambrusco is one of the most popular wines in Italy this time of year, but it’s a much-misunderstood category in the States. This is mostly due to the ocean of cheap, sweet versions that were popular here in the 1970s and 1980s, plus a perplexing diversity of grape varieties, styles, and colors. Lambrusco has half a dozen different appellations, half a dozen different grape varieties, and ranges from the extremely high yields in the flatlands to lesser yields in the rolling hills of Castelvetro. It takes a bit of work to figure it out, but wow—once you try a couple, you will be hooked.
Some of the more delicate versions have the Emilia appellation, where Lini is one of the top producers. These wines are lighter, crisper, and dry, while being perfect for salumi on a hot afternoon. Lower in alcohol, they are the perfect daytime wines and should be served refreshingly cold.
(Greg St. Clair, K&L Italian wine buyer)
Price:
$15.99
Montechiara Prosecco
Review Date: 06-05-2021
With the explosion of Prosecco on the market at ever escalating prices you can't find a better Extra Dry Prosecco at this price point, clean, richly textured, fresh, crisp so easy to drink with a wonderfully balanced mousse! This is the perfect afternoon refresher, just as you finished gardening or if you love Aperol Spritz this will be your companion mixer! Friends coming over before dinner aperitif, everyone loves a little Prosecchino!
Price:
$10.99
Ariston Aspasie "Réserve" Brut Champagne
Review Date: 12-17-2020
I've always been a fan of this wine since we started bringing it in way back in 2001. It's always been the top price performer for the price point, but when I tasted the latest batch I did a double take. I had to ask Gary Westby if he had poured me the right wine, and he nodded at me and said ya, you figured it out, this batch is out of this world! There isn't a Champagne around that can compete at this price point with the Carte Blanche, layers of complex brioche, wonderful aromatics...wow!
Price:
$34.99
Canard-Duchêne Brut Champagne
Review Date: 05-19-2020
Rich, complex, with great central focus, a hint of biscuity aromatic, broad and supple on the palate this wine really gives you a sense of weight and concentration while still being light on its feet! At this price an outrageous steal!
Alvear "1927" Pedro Ximenez Solera Montilla-Moriles (375ml)
Review Date: 10-01-2019
I have to admit I generally am not a fan of Pedro Ximenez the molasses like syrupy nature is just not for me, yet I was incredibly surprised by this wine, it is sensational. The nose if full of hazelnuts and honey it shows extraordinarily well balanced just from that. On the palate the wine has real weight but it’s not like a couple of 40lb. dumbbells on your tongue it’s got focus a center that is wrapped in a luscious texture, this isn’t a “lean” wine it is bold and rich. The flavors for me are what really separate this wine instead of the prune like molasses character I’ve been used to this is toasted hazelnuts, so perfectly balanced with the sweetness I can’t stop wanting to drink this wine. Give this a try, it is a really great dessert wine.
San Venanzio Fortunato Brut Prosecco di Valdobbiadene Superiore
Review Date: 08-01-2018
I was stunned by the superlative quality in this vintage of San Venanzio: 2016 has been just an exceptional vintage across Italy and most of Europe and it didn’t skip Valdobbiadene. The fruit in the nose of this wine is so pure, clean and vibrant it outgrows the appellation, the wine has so much minerality, clean focus yet still retains that Prosecco elegance and balance. Sensational finish!
Drink from 2016 to 2016
Price:
$15.99
2015 Lanessan, Haut-Médoc
Review Date: 06-13-2018
If you had the “Old” Lanessan, this wine tastes nothing like that one. The nose is classic Bordeaux, dead leaf, graphite and hints of vanillin. On the palate the wine shows a lushness that its forbearer could only have dreamed of, full, supple and giving the wine is then framed by good tannic structure that shows just a slight bit of grip. Nice finish, balanced, complex and shows off the richness of the vintage.
Drink from 2018 to 2018
Amara Sicilian Amaro d'Arancia Rossa (750ml)
Review Date: 08-27-2017
A confession, I love Amaro, there’s a huge trend toward Amaro, vermouth and bitters but this one is really unique. The Sicilian orange peel just dominates not only in the aromatics but it is the signature flavor throughout. I frequently find Southern Italian Amaro too sweet for my taste this one is impeccably balanced. I love it over ice with a sprig of rosemary, sometime I add a splash of soda.
Drink from 2017 to 2017
Price:
$39.99
Casa Dragones Joven Sipping Tequila (750ml - ships as a 1.5L due to bottle shape)
Review Date: 06-15-2016
It’s not often I review Tequila but this one is I have to. This is a really unique product, the color makes you think that is an inexpensive, simple, un-aged spirit, but the nose immediately ends that train of thought. The nose is not one of those explosive, overpowering bolts of aroma that singe your nostrils the aromatics are really pure, intense and penetrating. It was enough for me to just smell this Tequila for a couple of minutes it was so fascinating while totally engaging and easily accessible. On the palate the depth of the aged flavors comes forward, wave after wave of cured Agave sweep across your tongue, no bite, no burn yet not fat just perfectly balanced. The finish….I can still taste it as I write this 10 minutes later, long, intense yet lifting. Superb spirit, not often you get to taste something like this.
Drink from 2016 to 2016
Blason Isonzo Bianco (3L Bag-in-a-Box) (cannot ship)
Review Date: 10-07-2015
While visiting Giovanni Blason in we spied some odd boxes stacked in a corner. I asked Giovanni, “What the hell are these?” He responded, “You won’t want any of those; you Americans like bottles.” I responded, “On the contrary we Americans like bargains, how much is that 3-liter box.” An answer, some brief calculations on my part and I said, “Okay, we’ll take 'em"! $19.99 for 3 liters (that's four 750ml bottles). Crisp, clean, refreshing with a elegant fruitiness, touch of tarragon and a hint of mineral. If you don't want to do the math that’s $5 a bottle! Giovanni tells me it lasts for more than 3 months in the refrigerator, I told him that couldn’t happen in mine! The wine is made predominantly from Friulano
Drink from 2015 to 2015
Price:
Hidden
Michel Arnould "Réserve" Grand Cru Verzenay Brut Champagne
Review Date: 07-15-2015
I love the smooth nature of this Champagne, that subtle richness of the mousse, just a creamy texture yet backed up by an excellent acidity, crisp, light and refreshing--the best of both sides. Such a deal, buy two!
Drink from 2015 to 2015
Price:
$34.99
Bollinger "Special Cuvée" Brut Champagne
Review Date: 07-15-2015
Do I really have to encourage you to buy this? Wow... one of the few barrel fermented Champagnes left. So good, focus, texture, etc., etc. Damn, that's good.
Drink from 2015 to 2015
Baron-Fuenté "Grande Réserve" Brut Champagne
Review Date: 07-15-2015
A broad, creamy, texturally rich Champagne, lots of leesy complexity, yet remarkably well balanced, and for a song of a price. Only because we import this directly can you get prices like this with quality as well!
Drink from 2015 to 2015
Sorelle Bronca Prosecco di Valdobbiadene Extra Dry
Review Date: 05-13-2015
Valdobbiadene is the heart of Prosecco for me, perhaps not geographically but certainly stylistically. Here the wines have more soul; they vineyards are extraordinary, splattered over a maze of steeply sloping hills, not one big mass but a conglomeration of hundreds of small growers. It is here that the Bronca Sisters (Sorelle Bronca) make their Extra Dry Prosecco DOCG, theirs is an excellent expression of soil, sun and fruit, superb balance and incredibly refreshing, the hallmarks of great Prosecco.
Drink from 2015 to 2015
2001 La Fortuna Brunello di Montalcino (1.5L)
Review Date: 02-13-2015
There is a particular energy in this wine that resonates from an interior core of structure. The wine's warm, sweet ripeness is full of intense plum and dark cherry aromatics that seem poised to jump out of the glass. The thick, lush, yet dazzlingly fresh fruit character is accented with hints of earth, spice and mineral that is wrapped around a powerful foundation. While profoundly concentrated the silky texture of this wine sends waves of smooth, unctuous, texture across your palate. Powerful, complex, drinkable, age worthy this luscious Brunello shows the great balance inherent in this 2001 vintage and it will age well for another decade plus.
Carpano Antica Formula Sweet Vermouth (1L)
Review Date: 07-09-2009
If you have never tasted this product you must. If you think you know what vermouth is think again; this will absolutely blow you away. Inordiately complex, so full of spice, balanced...it is really good. Try it on the rocks with a twist and a splash, straight up or in a Manhattan.
Drink from 2009 to 2009