K&L Wine Merchants - Staff Favorites

2022 Domaine de Cristia Châteauneuf-du-Pape Vieilles Vignes

By: Keith Mabry | Review Date: 6/2/2026 | Send Email

For those who follow my writings on Châteauneuf-du-Pape, you know I'm all about the sandy soils. What originally made this region famous were the large rounded alluvial stones, known as galets roulés. These stones absorb heat during the day and radiate it back into the vineyard at night, allowing the vines to continue working later into the evening and helping create the rich, powerful wines that made Châteauneuf one of France's iconic appellations. But Châteauneuf is really a mosaic of soils, with galets representing only one piece of the puzzle. There are limestone-rich sites, vineyards dominated by red clay, and increasingly sought-after parcels of safres, a decomposed sandstone that forms some of the appellation's finest sandy soils. Unlike galets, sand disperses heat quickly, creating a cooler environment that has proven especially well-suited to Grenache, preserving freshness and aromatic complexity while still delivering impressive depth. The Grangeon family's vineyards at Domaine Cristia are centered around the lieu-dit of Cristia, one of the appellation's classic sandy-soil areas. Combined with old-vine Grenache from carefully selected parcels, these soils produce a wine that showcases both concentration and finesse. Despite the cooling influence of the terroir, this is no shy wine. Deeply satisfying and plush, it offers layers of dark brambly fruit, plum compote, fig jam, anise, and toasted spice. Underlying notes of tapenade, grilled rosemary, and garrigue add savory complexity to one of the most polished and seductive reds in the Southern Rhône. As compelling as the wine itself is, the price may be even more attractive—we haven't seen it this sharp for many years.

Price: Hidden

2021 Massolino Barolo

By: Orazio Campoli | Review Date: 6/2/2026 | Send Email

Often, the true measure of an estate is found in its normale. Massolino’s classic Barolo is a masterclass in traditional blending, primarily sourced from several outstanding sites across Serralunga (including Briccolina, Collaretto, and Broglio). It captures the overarching signature of the vintage with perfect harmony. Broad, savory, and impeccably balanced, it offers exceptional value and serves as the perfect introduction to the house style.

Price: $39.99

2021 Massolino "Margheria" Barolo

By: Orazio Campoli | Review Date: 6/2/2026 | Send Email

While located firmly within Serralunga, Margheria offers a brilliant counterpoint to the commune's typical density. The soils in this MGA contain a significant streak of sand, which imparts a remarkable elegance and finesse to the finished wine. Margheria is incredibly fragrant, bursting with bright red cherry, savory herbs, and an almost ethereal floral lift. It possesses the characteristic Serralunga backbone, but wraps it in a silky, approachable texture that makes it stunningly beautiful even in its relative youth.

Price: $89.99

2021 Massolino "Parussi" Barolo

By: Orazio Campoli | Review Date: 6/2/2026 | Send Email

Parussi is a fascinating outlier in the Massolino portfolio—it is their sole cru located outside of Serralunga, situated across the valley in Castiglione Falletto. The terroir here shifts noticeably, featuring a higher proportion of sand mixed with limestone. This soil composition translates into a Barolo of piercing precision. Parussi trades the sheer weight of Serralunga for intense, lifted aromatics, chalky tannins, and a brilliantly focused, racy energy. It is an intellectual, highly expressive Nebbiolo.

Price: $89.99

2021 WeatherEye "Estate - Hillfighter" Red Mountain Proprietary Red

By: Ryan Woodhouse | Review Date: 6/2/2026 | Send Email

If there’s one vineyard in the country that I’m most excited about right now, it’s gotta be this one. WeatherEye is one of the most extreme, unique, and inspiring vineyard sites I’ve encountered in my 20 years in the wine business. In fact, in August I’m taking a detour from my trip to Walla Walla just to see this spectacular site with my own eyes! WeatherEye is planted on the very crest and upper ridgeline of Red Mountain. Despite Red Mountain’s long history of producing some of the most famous, critically acclaimed, and age-worthy wines in Washington, this upper portion of the hill was, until recently, deemed unplantable due to the almost solid bedrock, lack of soil, and constant exposure to wind. However, a decade ago, the idea for WeatherEye was born: a vineyard planted against all commercial convention. Looking to the Northern Rhône for inspiration, much of the site is planted to high-density, head-trained or single-stake, sur échalas, methods favored on the hills of Hermitage and Côte-Rôtie, where the famed Mistral wind wreaks havoc on the vines. The vineyard is a patchwork of dozens of small blocks draped across the rock-strewn hillside. The team at WeatherEye also made the very unconventional decision not to remove much of the native vegetation from among the vines. The rows are interspersed with mountain chaparral growing freely among the vineyard, and I’m convinced its influence can be seen in the complex, garrigue-like component in the wines. The Hillfighter Red Blend is the perfect introduction to the powerful wines of WeatherEye. It combines some atypical blending partners, such as Grenache and Cabernet Sauvignon, with smaller portions of Syrah and Tempranillo. But this wine really isn’t about varietal typicity. It’s about a sense of place: a bold expression of a rugged, rocky, windswept mountain. There’s rich, powerful dark fruit, but also wildflowers, dried herbs, cured meats, dusty spices, crushed rock minerality, and camphor. I went deep on this compelling wine to get the very best pricing we could, almost 50% off the typical cost. It’s right up there with some of the most intriguing and compelling wines on our shelves anywhere near this price point. If you haven’t experienced these wines yet, there’s no better time, or better wine, to take the leap.

Price: Hidden

2023 Ernest Sonoma Coast Chardonnay

By: Ryan Woodhouse | Review Date: 6/2/2026 | Send Email

As you probably noticed, the last few offerings we had from Ernest disappeared fast! Thankfully, I was able to go back to the winery and rustle up another phenomenal deal, this time on their 2023 Sonoma Coast Chardonnay. Hailing from a single vineyard called Ocean View Vineyard on the western edge of Green Valley / West Sonoma Coast, the wine is made in part from Old Wente Clone fruit, combined with younger plantings of Clone 4 Chardonnay. The style is classic Ernest: fresh, vibrant, full of zesty mineral tones and lots of energy. Native yeast fermented and matured in largely neutral French oak, this is very much in a Chablis-esque style, with great focus and saline minerality. Coming in at just 12% ABV, this racy Chard has lifted white flowers, crunchy orchard fruit, quince, Golden Delicious apple, citrus oil, raw hazelnut, chalky minerals, and a subtle toasted grain / pie crust note on the finish. Really focused and refreshing, and a spectacular value at our deeply discounted price. We bought everything we could - don’t miss it!

Price: Hidden

JS: 95

DC: 94

2012 Bunnahabhain 13 Year Old "Signatory" K&L Exclusive 1st Fill Oloroso Sherry Butt #19 Cask Strength Single Malt Scotch Whisky (700ml)

By: David Othenin-Girard | Review Date: 5/31/2026 | Send Email

There are few things more pleasurable than the robust, oily, salty malt of Bunnahabhain paired with sultry oloroso-soaked European oak sherry casks for nearly a decade and a half. It's a style we rarely see in modern Scotch, harkening back to an older era that once seemed to define the far-flung distillery on the northeast coast of Islay. The simple fact that these casks once sold for much more does not negate their incredible quality. You'll still find previous releases of similar age from just a few years ago selling for legitimately twice our price. But that's ultimately beside the point, because these newer stocks are now coming of age and we are exploring their quality for the first time. I'm happy to report that the quality, at least of this particular butt, is simply stupendous. On we go. The color is a beautiful, robust burnt umber (1.7). The nose is universally appealing with huge notes of roasted sugar, sweet dried plums, poached pears, and sweetened whipped espresso, recalling the wafting aromas of Sant'Eustachio il Caffè in Rome's Centro Storico. Beneath all that dense sherry lies a sweet saltiness that reminds us the ocean is lapping at the foot of these warehouses. The palate is bold and rich with more herbs and sweet bark than the nose, but plenty of dense, ultra-mature rancio fruit as well. This whisky absolutely loves to swim, broadening and opening beautifully with water, adding both weight and complexity. I wish the distillery would offer more whisky like this; we'd have lots more interest in the brand. But alas, we're relegated to the occasional cask here or there showing this absurdly delicious character. I'll be praying each year that Signatory keeps the prices low on these very special stocks. Replaced the dash in the final paragraph with a semicolon. Everything else stays as before.

Price: $99.99

2024 Anne de Joyeuse "VERY" Chardonnay Haute Valle de l'Aude

By: John Majeski | Review Date: 5/31/2026 | Send Email

In the shadow of the great Pyrenees/ we uncovered a wonderful white/ a Chardonnay surely to please/ filled with an orchard's delights/ with summer's approach that will ease/ to set your budget and palate alight!

Price: $14.99

DC: 95

2021 Boroli "Villero" Barolo

By: Matthew Landau Hassan | Review Date: 5/31/2026 | Send Email

This is a Barolo that already shows remarkable class, even in its youth. Aromas of rose petals, wild cherry, blood orange, and crushed herbs rise from the glass, followed by hints of tar, anise, and earthy complexity. The palate is beautifully structured, with firm but polished tannins framing layers of red fruit, savory spice, and mineral depth. What makes this wine so compelling is the tension between power and elegance—it feels tightly wound today, yet every sip hints at the complexity waiting to emerge with time. Long, perfumed, and endlessly nuanced, this is the kind of Barolo that reminds you why Villero is considered one of the great vineyards of the appellation.

Price: Hidden

JS: 94

2024 Lamothe-Bergeron Bordeaux Blanc

By: Matthew Landau Hassan | Review Date: 5/31/2026 | Send Email

A really polished Bordeaux Blanc that leans into freshness without sacrificing texture. Bright aromas of grapefruit, lemon curd, white peach, and fresh-cut herbs jump from the glass, while the palate delivers vibrant citrus and orchard fruit wrapped around a sleek mineral core. There’s a lovely tension here—crisp and energetic up front, then broadening into subtle notes of honeysuckle and wet stone on the finish. The balance between richness and acidity is impressive, giving the wine both immediate appeal and surprising sophistication. A beautifully crafted white that overdelivers in both elegance and drinkability.

Price: $21.99

2019 Vinos del Atlantico "Calma" Crianza Rioja

By: Scott Beckerley | Review Date: 5/30/2026 | Send Email

One of my very favorite Rioja's in the store has always been Vina Ardanza. I pretty much just automatically buy it. So, it was a pleasure to taste this new Atlantico Calma Crianza Rioja because it reminds me, to a certain extent, of the Vina Ardanza. They both have that wonderful cedar/dill/rye bread thing going on. The Calma also has bright and medium-dark red fruits with savory spice and bright minerals. It is beautifully balanced and fills my craving for Rioja that combine the old and new schools. It's just delicious!

Price: $21.99

WE: 94

2021 Vinos del Atlantico "Cortijo" Rioja

By: Scott Beckerley | Review Date: 5/30/2026 | Send Email

This will be one of the best go-to wines for the summer months. It is bright and bouncy with tart cherry, spice and cedary scents and flavors. It will pair well with chicken, pork, fish, grilled vegetables and even some lighter red meat dishes. Putting a slight chill on it is perfectly acceptable and adds to enjoying it during the hotter months. A great value, too!

Price: $15.99

2022 Wine & Soul "Manoella" Tinto Douro

By: Scott Beckerley | Review Date: 5/29/2026 | Send Email

This big and bouncy red with the funny name from Portugal is very interesting and just plain old neat-o. Boysenberry, blackberry and red cassis fruit dominate. Very pure and upfront. It is smoooooth and also offers up light baking spices and clean fresh wood at the top of the palate. Fresh is pretty much the word to describe everything about this wine. The finish is long and soft. This one may be a little too scarily easy to drink. Luckily, I know where to buy more.

Price: $27.99

JS: 93

RP: 91

Mas Codina Brut Nature Gran Reserva Cava Penedès

By: Scott Beckerley | Review Date: 5/29/2026 | Send Email

I'm not a huge fan of the phrase "cheap and cheerful" but, that may just be an apt description for this delightful (and delightfully priced!) bubbly. Beautifully dry and full and citrus goodness. Clean and zippy but not without some really fun flavors. Remember Jolly Rancher sour apple hard candy? Well, here it is. Tart and super delicious! Just add a bit of cream to that flavor profile. The bead is also creamy and dare I say, almost elegant. My new go-to for fun and affordable bubbles.

Price: $16.99

2022 Mary Taylor Wines "Filipe Ferreira" Tinto Douro

By: Matthew Landau Hassan | Review Date: 5/29/2026 | Send Email

This is exactly why I love good Douro reds. The nose is packed with blackberries, plum, violets, and crushed rock, but there is a freshness underneath that keeps it from feeling heavy. The palate is dense and dark-fruited, layered with cocoa, licorice, and warm spice, yet the wine maintains remarkable energy and structure. What stands out most is the balance between richness and restraint—there’s plenty of power here, but it’s delivered with elegance rather than force. The finish lingers with notes of dark fruit, mineral tension, and a subtle savory edge that keeps drawing you back for another sip. A beautifully complete expression of the Douro.

Price: $16.99

JG: 93

2022 Dominio de Atauta "Parada de Atauta" Ribero del Duero

By: Matthew Landau Hassan | Review Date: 5/29/2026 | Send Email

This is Ribera del Duero with a beautiful sense of restraint. The nose offers dark cherry, blackberry, crushed violets, and a touch of graphite, while the palate balances ripe fruit with savory earth and subtle spice. There’s plenty of concentration here, but what stands out most is the freshness and precision—nothing feels heavy or overworked. Fine-grained tannins frame the wine nicely, carrying notes of black plum, dried herbs, and mineral-driven complexity through a long, polished finish. A serious and expressive Tempranillo that delivers both power and elegance in equal measure.

Price: $27.99

JS: 92

RP: 92

TA: 92

2022 Dominio de Atauta Ribera del Duero

By: Scott Beckerley | Review Date: 5/29/2026 | Send Email

Far and away my favorite Ribera Del Duero of the year, so far. My first note written during the tasting is "excellent depth!". This is a biggie! Very dark-fruited and definitely geared towards blacker fruits and supple tannins. There are also layers of cinnamon, cardamon, anise and the tiniest bit of black pepper. The tannins do linger on the finish, even with the very generous mouthfeel. I tasted it at the beginning and the end of the day. A thorough decanting brings the fruit even further out. It can also be an excellent selection for the cellar!

Price: $42.99

RP: 93

TA: 93

JS: 92

2021 Dominio de Atauta "La Celestina" Crianza Ribera del Duero

By: Scott Beckerley | Review Date: 5/29/2026 | Send Email

This very pretty release has low to moderate tannins and an upper palate clean spice and bright red fruits. Overall, it is a more mouth-filling style with generous red and black fruits, erring a bit more toward black fruits. The oak and tannin show up at the finish, which lingers for a surprisingly long time. This is certainly the least expensive Ribera Del Duero that I have seen in a very long time!

Price: $19.99

JS: 91

WS: 91

2019 Miguel Merino Gran Reserva Rioja

By: Scott Beckerley | Review Date: 5/29/2026 | Send Email

Of the trio of new Rioja releases from Miguel Merino, the Gran Reserva is the most traditional. That being said, the Merino style always balances "old world" and "new world" extremely well. For a Gran Reserva, this bottling has the perfect amount of tobacco, herbs and cedar wood. Though the fruit is quite dark, a combo of dried and black cherries, the balancing elements make it very complex. There is also a red cassis-like fruit and just a hint of fig. It all finishes very cleanly with the nicest subtle amount of "bite". For a Gran Reserva, the price is also more than reasonable.

Price: $54.99

2022 Overshine "Tina's Block - Maple Vineyard" Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel

By: Ryan Woodhouse | Review Date: 5/29/2026 | Send Email

I had not seen the Overshine wines until recently, but when I learned that Sam Bilbro was making the wines I immediately payed full attention. I have long loved Sam's wines from his other brand, Idlewild, that is focused on Italian grape varieties. Knowing his exceptional skills in the cellar, deep connections to great vineyards across Sonoma, and his dedication to top-notch farming, I knew these wines would be special. Overshine's "Tina's Block" Zin comes from a tiny 2-acre block of vines planted in 1910 at Maple Vineyard in Dry Creek Valley. The wine is a classic ancient vine field blend. The block is thought to be roughly 80% Zinfandel interplanted with Petite Sirah, Carignan, Mission, Alicante Bouchet, and Cinsault. The wine is medium to full bodied with lots of beautiful brambly dark fruit, hints of hot stone and dusty earth. Soft, ripe tannins, hints of baking spice and subtle oak. Lush, rich, soft, but not sweet or overly jamy. Really excellent Zinfandel from a fantastic old block of vines. Classic California in a bottle. Our Insider's Advantage price on this is laughable given the quality. Load up for summer grilling season, at $15 this can't be beaten.

Price: Hidden

2019 Miguel Merino Reserva Rioja

By: Scott Beckerley | Review Date: 5/29/2026 | Send Email

This is, by far, one my most favorite Rioja's that I have tasted since the beginning of the year. Like the "Vinas Jovenes" Rioja from this producer, it is cherry dominant though the fruit in this one run more toward darker cherries combined with increased rustic elements of more traditional Rioja. There are earthy scents, tobacco, baking spices, herbs. The fuller mouthfeel integrates with the traditional elements most brilliantly and the overall effect is one of increased complexity. I was quite astounded by the price to quality ratio! It's just a wonderful bottling and can drink beautifully now or it should cellar well for several more years.

Price: $39.99

2022 Miguel Merino "Viñas Jóvenes" Rioja

By: Scott Beckerley | Review Date: 5/29/2026 | Send Email

It's super nice to see the return of this line to our portfolio. The Miguel Merino wines have always been ones of excellent quality with attention to detail. This "entry level" version is cherry- fruit dominant with sweet and bright red cherries on the palate. There are also some nicely traditional elements of (lightly) rustic spices, crushed lavender, aromatic cedar. It starts out deep and finishes brightly. It is a hugely enjoyable rioja that has just enough traditional elements blended with a softer and more accessible style.

Price: $21.99

RP: 91

TA: 91

VN: 91

2021 WeatherEye "Estate - Hillfighter" Red Mountain Proprietary Red

By: Kirk Walker | Review Date: 5/28/2026 | Send Email

The wines from Weather Eye are some of the most exciting wines that we have tasted recently here at K&L. It was first brought to my attention a few years ago by a Spanish wine importer. It makes sense, they do have Garnacha and Tempranillo planted, but when you look at the images of the vineyards, it looks so much more like Spain than California, or in their case, Washington (that being said, I have no feet on the ground experience in that corner of the state. These vineyards were deliberately planted in what most viticulturalists would never plant vines. They are planted in bush vine style and echalas, making sure that everything is done manually. What is even more exciting is that they never cleared the native scrub when planting the vines, it gives the wines a distinctive local “garrigue”. These are wines that were intentionally crafted to take on a very challenging terroir and express it! And these wines are expressive! The Hillfighter is their entry into the project, and it has captured my attention. A blend that does not make immediate sense when you see it; Garnacha, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, and Tempranillo. It reminds me a little bit of the wines that you find in the hills of Aragon, and I do not think it is a stretch of the imagination to say it reminds me a little bit of Priorat!. The fruit has a vibrancy and richness and there is a distinctive mineral energy to the finish. The CS and Syrah give this wine a little more structure than you will find in wines from that region. But the aromatic lift, purity, and complexity put me in an “old world” mindset rather than anything from the “new world”. For $30 this is a crazy deal, especially when you stop and think about the cost and effort that went into the production of it.

Price: Hidden

Mas Codina Brut Rosé Reserva Cava Penedès

By: Rachael Ryan | Review Date: 5/28/2026 | Send Email

Made from 100% Pinot Noir, the Mas Codina Brut Rosé Reserva Cava is fresh, juicy, and loaded with gorgeous red fruit notes – think ripe red cherry, strawberry and plum – all kept in check with bright, racy acidity and a chalky finish. A touch fuller-bodied than the white Reserva and Gran Reserva, the more prominent fruit notes make this an ideal Cava to pair with soft cheeses and charcuterie, or even dishes featuring grilled chicken or shrimp. It’s also an astounding value, considering that it’s made from organically grown fruit and handmade at a family-owned estate that has been in operation since the 1600s. The quality of Cava has never been better, and this one is a prime example of that trend!

Price: $14.99

Mas Codina Brut Reserva Cava Penedès

By: Rachael Ryan | Review Date: 5/28/2026 | Send Email

Don’t let the low price of this wine fool you into thinking that it’s a simple, forgettable wine – instead it might just be one of the greatest values we stock. Made from organic fruit grown on the Mas Codina estate, the wine is creamy and toasty on the palate, with a rich round mouthfeel arising from the minimum of 18 months aging on the lees before disgorgement. This Cava is balanced by ripe golden apple, quince and lemon zest notes, with subtle minerality in the background. The bubbles are fine and refreshing, making this Cava dangerously easy to drink. Perfect for brunch, backyard parties, and sunny days by the pool, this is a sparkling wine that should be purchased by the case.

Price: $13.99

Mas Codina Brut Nature Gran Reserva Cava Penedès

By: Rachael Ryan | Review Date: 5/28/2026 | Send Email

With a minimum of 30 months aging on the lees, this beautifully crafted Cava bursts from the glass with notes of fresh brioche, toasted almond, lemon zest, and Granny Smith apple, all wrapped in fine, persistent bubbles. The palate is energetic yet creamy, balancing bright citrus fruit with layers of chalky minerality and a subtle hint of honey. Bottled as a Brut Nature, with just 1.5 g/L of residual sugar, the finish is crisp and clean, achieving a great balance between the lees-derived rich mouthfeel and the austerity of the acidity. Despite its serious pedigree and traditional-method craftsmanship, the wine feels joyful and approachable — the kind of bottle that disappears far too quickly once opened. It’s equally at home paired with oysters, sushi, roast chicken, or even juts salty potato chips. This is a sparkling wine that overdelivers in every possible way and proves just how exciting great grower Cava can be.

Price: $16.99

2019 Miguel Merino Gran Reserva Rioja

By: Matthew Landau Hassan | Review Date: 5/28/2026 | Send Email

This is Rioja with real gravitas. The nose opens with dried cherry, tobacco leaf, cedar, worn leather, and sweet baking spice, but there’s still a vibrant core of red fruit keeping everything alive and lifted. The palate is silky and layered, unfolding slowly with notes of black tea, balsamic, dusty earth, and finely integrated oak. What makes this especially compelling is the balance between maturity and energy—it carries the soul of traditional Rioja, but with remarkable precision and freshness underneath the depth. Long, elegant, and quietly dramatic, this feels like a wine made to linger over for hours rather than simply drink.

Price: $54.99

2023 Ricca Terra "Juicy June" Chillable Red Blend Riverland South Australia

By: Rachael Ryan | Review Date: 5/28/2026 | Send Email

The 2023 Juicy June from Ricca Terra might just be the Southern Hemisphere version of Beaujolias Nouveau! The 2023 blend is composed of 53% Grenache, 30% Nero d’Avola, and 12% Black Muscat, all sourced from the sun-drenched Riverland region of South Australia. It is bottled only a few months after harvest, resulting in a wine that is intensely aromatic, refreshing, and yes, juicy. Bursting with notes of candied cherry, ripe raspberry, wild strawberry, and red plum, the wine also shows subtle floral lift and a touch of spice from the Black Muscat component. Light-bodied and silky smooth on the palate, it’s an easy-drinking style of light-bodied red wine that is best enjoyed chilled down. Its lively fruit profile and fresh texture make it an ideal wine for casual gatherings, sunny afternoons, and relaxed outdoor meals. Juicy June pairs beautifully with charcuterie, wood-fired pizza, roast chicken, burgers, or smoky barbecue.

Price: $14.99

JH: 90

2023 Vigneti Repetto "Quadro" Timorasso Derthona DOC

By: Carlo Delgado | Review Date: 5/28/2026 | Send Email

I've been drinking lots of Italian white wines lately, and it is because of delightful wines like these. Beautiful aromas and flavors of the fresh stone fruits, yellow pears, jasmine tea, and a touch of crystallized ginger. A crisp, refreshing wine that kept growing on me till it was gone. Enjoy!

Price: $24.99

WE: 91

2021 Vigneti Repetto "Quadro" Timorasso Derthona DOC (Vintage Release)

By: Carlo Delgado | Review Date: 5/28/2026 | Send Email

What an expressive wine showcasing deep aromas yellow apples, Asian pears, Canary melon, cherimoya, lemon rind, with a wet flint & chalky minerality. Bottle age gave this wine a touch of nutlike character, while it maintains the refreshing laser focused acidity. At a nice equilibrium between pure enjoyment and subtle complexity.

Price: $39.99

2015 Billecart-Salmon Rosé Champagne

By: Craig Morris | Review Date: 5/28/2026 | Send Email

For me, Billecart makes one of the best non-vintage rose sparklers out there with their Le Rose, so I was very excited when our Champagne buyer Gary Westby opened a bottle of this 2015 vintage for the staff and it did not disappoint. This bottle has such a depth and intensity. It is at once savory and complex, but also bursting with juicy fruit, all with the chalky minerality one expects from Champagne...and for a shockingly low price tag. Champagne fans or those needing something for a special occasion need to pick this up!

Price: $119.99

2023 Domaine du Pegau "Cuvée Réservée" Châteauneuf-du-Pape

By: Keith Mabry | Review Date: 5/28/2026 | Send Email

I’ve had a long love affair with the wines of Pegau. Dating back nearly 30 years to when I first started in the wine business, Pegau was one of the very first Châteauneufs I ever encountered. I was immediately struck by the wine’s sensuous fruit tones layered with all of those savory, sauvage characteristics that make the region so compelling. I still remember serving it alongside braised bresaola — one of the first truly memorable food-and-wine experiences I ever put together for myself and a couple of close friends. A few decades later, the wines still speak volumes to me. The 2023 shows lovely nuance, highlighting the slightly fresher profile of the vintage compared to the more brooding intensity of the 2022s. Blackberry, potpourri, and smoked brisket are just a few of the aromas that leap from the glass. There’s real lift on the finish as the acidity keeps the wine focused and energetic. Another beautiful example of classic Châteauneuf-du-Pape from one of the region’s truly iconic estates.

Price: $69.99

JD: 94 - 96

VN: 92 - 94

RP: 93

2020 Pauline Collin Bérêche Ludes 1er Cru Vieilles Vignes Extra Brut Champagne

By: Gary Westby | Review Date: 5/28/2026 | Send Email

We only received 60 bottles of this tinyproduction champagne from the Bereche family, which is sure to quickly gain a cult following. This wine is made in the style of all the hottest producers right now and is super saline, ultra dry, with a nutty hint framed by baguette toast. The 2020 vintage was a warm one and this bottling shows not only the great ripeness of the harvest, but also good back-end acidity. If you love producers like Selosse and Egly, this is a great producer to buy- at the "ground floor" price- this is only the 2nd vintage!

Price: $109.99

Bollinger "Special Cuvée" Brut Champagne

By: Gary Westby | Review Date: 5/28/2026 | Send Email

Bollinger has a sterling reputation for standout quality in Champagne for a great reason—they do the hard work to make great Champagne, and their "Special Cuvée" is the standard bearer for their range. Along with Krug, Bollinger is the only grand marque to refuse to give up their barrels, which they still ferment the wine in to this day. They are located in the village of Aÿ, famous for being the chalkiest terroir for Pinot Noir in all of Champagne, and Aÿ is the soul of this blend. It is one of the fullest, most powerful non-vintages from the grand marques and also one of the driest. If you are a fan of Champagne and haven't tried this classic lately, you should!

Price: $69.99

JD: 93

JS: 93

WS: 93

2015 Billecart-Salmon Rosé Champagne

By: Aaron Hughes | Review Date: 5/28/2026 | Send Email

This is absolutely glorious, coming from what would normally be the Cuvee Elizabeth from Billecart-Salmon, but their choosing to declassify it give us the best 2015 Champagne I've ever tasted and probably the best Champagne I've tasted so far this year. The nose after opening for a little while is full of plump alpine strawberries, white plum flesh, blood orange zest, the middle of a loaf of fresh brioche, and a whisper of hyacinths. The palate unfathomably dense and deep, the fruit is spritely and bright with white strawberry, blood orange pith, and a little bit of green apple. This is not just a Champagne, this is an experience. This is something you want to sit and dig into the whole time, slowly peeling it back layer by layer, and every time you think you have it figured out something else comes to the forefront. This is like the best book you've ever read, the one that made you just turn page after page after page until you had finished it, and then when you were done you felt like something was taken from you. This bottle is a transcendent magical portal that will take you into a newer and better future, because you'll have had this bottle.

Price: $119.99

2015 Billecart-Salmon Rosé Champagne

By: Lilia McIntosh | Review Date: 5/28/2026 | Send Email

This is a real treat from Billecart-Salmon! The complexity of this Champagne is stunning. It has gorgeous aromatics of raspberry coulis, fresh wild strawberries and a touch of tulip. Palate is expressive with berries note lingering on and saline minerality backing it up. It's long and mouthwatering on the finish. Definitely opening up with more nuances as it decants itself in your glass. Great Champagne to enjoy slowly, letting it unwrap itself like a flower.

Price: $119.99

2015 Billecart-Salmon Rosé Champagne

By: Gary Westby | Review Date: 5/28/2026 | Send Email

What an unbelievable deal. The Billecart family decided not to release this 2015 as cuvée Elisabeth Rosé (at more than double the price) because they don't think it will age for two full generations... To me, the only problem with this wine is that it is too delicious! I have found it to be the best 2015 vintage champagne that I have tasted period, with great complexity and depth hidden behind freshness and ease of drinking. I love the blood orange and black cherry depth from the ancient vine red that makes up 6.6% of the blend, and chalky, bright drive from the 52% of chardonnay. In the mouth, this wine has incredible texture from 100 months of ageing on the lees, and an airy ease that belies its depth. The finish is a wower, a real peacocks tail display, just as long as it is spectacular. Don't miss this one!

Price: $119.99

2023 Famille Isabel Ferrando "Colombis" Châteauneuf-du-Pape

By: Keith Mabry | Review Date: 5/28/2026 | Send Email

Made from 100% Grenache, this wine beautifully reflects the diversity of the soils from which it is sourced: the cooler-climate home vineyard of Colombis on the western side of the appellation, the cooling sandy soils of Rayas, and, of course, La Crau, whose deep limestone sub-soil and heat-reflective galets contribute richness and depth. All of the fruit is composed from the oldest vines in these parcels as well. "Colombis" is one of the most compelling Grenache-based wines in the region, it puts the purity of the grape fully on display, balancing richness with a seamless structure and a lifted, floral finish. In many ways, it recalls a great Bonnes-Mares from Burgundy — though thankfully at a fraction of the price. Exceptionally ageworthy, this should begin hitting its stride in the 2030s and continue to drink beautifully for another decade or more beyond that.

Price: $179.99

JS: 98

JD: 96

DC: 95

2022 Famille Isabel Ferrando Châteauneuf-du-Pape

By: Keith Mabry | Review Date: 5/28/2026 | Send Email

Isabel Ferrando is one of the true cult icons of Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Long regarded as an outsider in the region—coming from a background far removed from the wine industry—she proved how transformative that perspective could be. After taking over the historic St-Préfert estate, situated on some of the sunniest and warmest soils of the appellation, she began crafting wines of remarkable finesse and lift, a striking contrast to the bold, powerful style traditionally associated with the region. Her boundary-pushing approach, including special cuvées like 100% Cinsault or 100% Clairette, challenged long-held norms and has since inspired many others to follow in her footsteps. The new 2022 Ferrando is superb, brimming with blackberry fruit, herbs de Provence, and subtle peppery spice. Its seamless structure and silken texture are unmistakably Ferrando—elegant, composed, and deeply expressive. While it has the architecture to age beautifully in the cellar, it already offers impressive complexity and charm for those eager to enjoy it now.

Price: $94.99

Mas Codina Brut Nature Gran Reserva Cava Penedès

By: Matthew Landau Hassan | Review Date: 5/27/2026 | Send Email

For the price, this is wildly impressive. Bone-dry and sharply focused, with crisp green apple, lemon peel, toasted almond, and that classic salty minerality that makes great Brut Nature Cava so addictive. The mousse is fine and energetic, giving the wine a clean, refreshing lift without ever feeling thin. There’s real depth beneath the brightness too—subtle brioche and leesy complexity start to emerge as it opens. This drinks far above its price point and feels more serious and gastronomic than most sparkling wines anywhere near this range.

Price: $16.99

2019 Miguel Merino Reserva Rioja

By: Matthew Landau Hassan | Review Date: 5/27/2026 | Send Email

This is Rioja with depth, patience, and real class. Layers of dried cherry, plum skin, tobacco, and warm baking spice unfold slowly from the glass, giving a wine beautifully mature and composed despite its youthful energy. The palate is silky and deeply savory, with finely integrated oak framing the fruit rather than overpowering it. There’s a quiet intensity here—nothing flashy, just confident winemaking and exceptional balance. The finish lingers with notes of leather, crushed herbs, and earthy minerality, making this a Reserva that feels both timeless and remarkably polished.

Price: $39.99

2022 Miguel Merino "Viñas Jóvenes" Rioja

By: Matthew Landau Hassan | Review Date: 5/27/2026 | Send Email

A beautifully modern Rioja that still respects its roots. Bright red cherry, crushed raspberry, dried herbs, and subtle baking spice lead the way, while the palate stays energetic and precise rather than overly oaked or heavy. There’s a purity to the fruit here that makes the wine feel incredibly alive, backed by silky tannins and a streak of earthy minerality that adds depth. The “Viñas Jóvenes” bottling showcases the freshness and vibrancy of younger vines without sacrificing complexity. Elegant, soulful, and dangerously easy to keep drinking.

Price: $21.99

RP: 91

TA: 91

VN: 91

2022 Fèlsina Chianti Classico Riserva

By: Orazio Campoli | Review Date: 5/27/2026 | Send Email

Fèlsina is the undisputed king of Castelnuovo Berardenga, and in a deeply warm, solar vintage like 2022, they are one of the very few estates in the southern reaches of the appellation that completely retained their nerve. It leaps from the glass with a fiercely high-toned wave of crushed alberese rock, dried tobacco, scorched earth, and a deeply "crunchy" core of tart black cherry and dried blood orange peel. It smells intensely savory, cool, and firmly anchored to the dirt.

Price: $34.99

VN: 92

WE: 92

2018 Fèlsina Vin Santo del Chianti Classico (375ml)

By: Orazio Campoli | Review Date: 5/27/2026 | Send Email

The process is a painstaking labor of love. A blend of Trebbiano and Malvasia grapes are hand-harvested and then hung to dry (appassimento) in airy lofts for months, concentrating their sugars and flavors. The thick, sweet juice is then pressed and sealed in small oak and chestnut barrels, called caratelli, where it ferments and ages slowly for at least a decade in the vinsantaia—a process that exposes it to the natural temperature fluctuations of the seasons. It is rich and lusciously sweet but with a vibrant, electrifying acidity that cuts through the richness, preventing it from ever feeling cloying. This is a wine to be sipped slowly on its own at the end of a meal, or paired with the classic Cantucci (almond biscotti). A small bottle will last for weeks after opening, its flavors continuing to evolve. This wine is immortal; you can keep it in the cellar for generations.

Price: $34.99

2021 Federico Mencaroni Lacrima di Morro d'Alba

By: Orazio Campoli | Review Date: 5/27/2026 | Send Email

Venture to the rolling hills of the Marche region, caught between the Apennine Mountains and the Adriatic Sea, and you will find the Federico Mencaroni estate. Located in the picturesque town of Corinaldo, this family-run winery is currently guided by its fourth generation. Federico Mencaroni took the reins from his uncle in 2009, combining modern precision with a deep respect for his family's agricultural heritage. His vineyards are planted in ideal clay and limestone soils, benefiting from a unique microclimate that marries continental mountain air with moderating coastal breezes. While the Marche is famous for white Verdicchio, its greatest red secret is Lacrima. Indigenous to the tiny Morro d'Alba appellation, the Lacrima grape takes its name (meaning "tear") from the fact that its thin skin often weeps juice when fully ripe. Mencaroni ferments this entirely in stainless steel to preserve its astonishingly pure aromatics. This wine is an absolute aromatic explosion. It pours a deep ruby with violet reflections, but the nose is what stops you: an intoxicating wave of blooming violets, wild strawberry, and sweet spice. On the palate, it is smooth, charmingly fresh, and unburdened by heavy tannins. Pair this floral beauty with a charcuterie board or a savory meat ragù.

Price: $17.99

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2024 Bianchi "Il Rosato" Vino Nebbiolo Rosato

By: Orazio Campoli | Review Date: 5/27/2026 | Send Email

The legendary Pasquero-Elia family, the visionary minds behind the historic Paitin estate in Barbaresco, have embarked on a thrilling new chapter with their "Bianchi" venture. While Paitin has been a cornerstone of traditional winemaking in Neive since 1796, the Bianchi project serves as a fresh, modern canvas for the family to explore vibrant new expressions of their beloved Piedmontese terroir. This Rosato is a masterclass in the versatility of the noble Nebbiolo grape. While their Barbaresco demands years of patient cellaring, this wine is designed to capture the grape's youthful, immediate energy. Sourced from the Langhe's famous calcareous-clay soils, the fruit is harvested specifically for rosé production to maintain high acidity, undergoing just a brief, delicate maceration to extract a perfect kiss of color without the heavy tannins. As the weather warms up, this is exactly what you want chilling in the fridge. It pours a brilliant, pale salmon hue. The nose trades Nebbiolo's brooding dark notes for a bright, springtime bouquet of wild strawberry, white peach, and crushed rose petals. On the palate, it is crisp, bone-dry, and electric, finishing with a savory, mineral snap. It is the ultimate seasonal aperitivo and a gorgeous pairing for fresh goat cheese or a vibrant spring pea risotto.

Price: $29.99

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$24.99

2023 Gianfranco Bovio 'Firagnetti' Langhe Nebbiolo

By: Orazio Campoli | Review Date: 5/27/2026 | Send Email

When discussing traditional Piedmontese winemaking, the Bovio family holds a revered place in La Morra. Originally famous as local restaurateurs, the late Gianfranco Bovio revitalized his father's estate in the 1970s, establishing a winery that has become a benchmark for classic, terroir-driven Nebbiolo. Today, the third generation continues this legacy, deeply committed to preserving the historic style of the Langhe. The "Firagnetti" Langhe Nebbiolo—named after a Piedmontese dialect term referring to a vineyard area with short rows—is the perfect introduction to the Bovio philosophy. Sourced from the estate’s younger vines, this wine offers the noble pedigree of Barolo without the prerequisite decade of cellaring. The vines thrive in the calcareous-clay soils of La Morra, known for yielding Nebbiolo with pronounced elegance and perfume rather than brute force. In the glass, it reveals a brilliant, translucent ruby color. The nose is incredibly expressive, offering a classic bouquet of dried cherries, crushed roses, and the subtle hint of leather and spice that defines the grape. On the palate, it is vibrant and approachable. Instead of gripping tannins, it delivers a lively freshness and a graceful, spicy finish, making it a dream pairing for agnolotti del plin or roasted poultry.

Price: $29.99

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$24.99

2022 Lagar de Costa "Calabobos" Albarino Rias Baixas

By: Aaron Hughes | Review Date: 5/26/2026 | Send Email

The nose is so perfectly round and there's these little bright and perfect touches of fruit that expose themselves as you keep taking in the bouquet. Really ripe and perfect pear, white peach, yellow plum, bruised golden apple, and jasmine. The palate has this really great weight to it, the fruit mirrors the nose especially with the bruised golden apple coming out a bit more in front, there's this really great acidity that pushes through and a very slightly saline finish. This is really top tier white wine, both really well made, but also supremely enjoyable. I would definitely recommend decanting this because while I liked it this morning, it's taking a huge step up with some air. The fruit has taken on this kind of honeyed quality and the whole nose is a lot more expressive. Super super good. Maybe my favorite wine from the whole tasting today.

Price: $29.99

2024 Lagar de Costa Albarino Rias Baixas

By: Aaron Hughes | Review Date: 5/26/2026 | Send Email

Really pretty and almost crystalline nose. There's white peach, ripe pear, a little lemon candy, and some white flowers. This is a little bit more light and pretty and less juicy than some of other other Albarinos but no less amazing, and definitely with a little bit more elegance. The palate is still fairly juicy with more white peach, apricot, lemon zest and pith, and more pretty and lovely white flowers coming through. This is really fantastic and a super crushable bottle for the summer time, when you want to crush something of quality.

Price: $21.99

RP: 92

TA: 92

JD: 91

2022 Dominio de Atauta Ribera del Duero

By: Aaron Hughes | Review Date: 5/26/2026 | Send Email

The florals on this are going crazy with a few hours open and it's got this really perfumed red fruit thing going on that I am totally vibing with right now. The fruit is pretty and ripe and really plush on the nose, with the perfume giving it this kind of glossy aura. It makes sense in my head. Gosh it is a deep one too, dark and inviting. There's some really good structure with moderate tannins and really nice acidity framing the really pretty and dark fruit, this is really interesting as it's bigger than wines I often like, but I really am just into it right now.

Price: $42.99

RP: 93

TA: 93

JS: 92

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