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- David Othenin-Girard (339)
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- Gary Westby (541)
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- Ryan Woodhouse (900)
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Staff Favorites
| If you’re going to have Robert Parker or Stephen Tanzer over for dinner, selecting a wine they’ve rated highly will be a nice choice. However, when you’re buying wines for yourself, we’d love to see you find wines that match up your unique palate and pocketbook. We have a large staff of friendly and knowledgeable wine professionals that taste hundreds of wines each week. They can put you in touch with bottles that you are likely to love, often at a much lower cost than the highly-rated gems that often see a run-up in price and frequent availability issues. Like any great group of opinionated professionals, our staff has varied tastes themselves. Often our customers will find a particular staff member with a style that corresponds to their own. That concept works extremely well in our retail stores, and this section is our effort to bring you the same online. Don’t get us wrong, we love the highly rated wines from the press and will continue to offer them, but we think you’re missing out if you’re not augmenting those selections with picks from our excellent staff. Here are their favorites. (Click on a name to see their other selections - or to drop them a line.) Cheers! |
Reviews
2022 Yalumba "The Signature" Cabernet-Shiraz Barossa Valley South Australia
By: Rachael Ryan | Review Date: 3/13/2026 | Send Email
By: Rachael Ryan | Review Date: 3/13/2026 | Send Email
As Australia’s oldest family-owned winery, with a legacy stretching back to 1849, Yalumba consistently produces some of the best wines in the country, vintage after vintage. The Signature is one of the estate’s benchmark wines that clearly shows off this dedication to quality. A blend of 53% Cabernet Sauvignon and 47% Shiraz, aged in a combination of French, Hungarian and American oak for 21 months, the Signature is rich, dense and highly complex, yet not overly extracted or heavy-handed in the least. Rather, it showcases what the Barossa does best: balance old vine intensity with elegance and finesse. It’s also so classically Barossa, showing off exactly why Cabernet and Shiraz combine so well in this Mediterranean climate. The wine has equal parts red fruit from the Cabernet – juicy red currant, Santa Rosa plum, pomegranate – and black/blue fruit from the Shiraz – wild blueberry, black plum – all tied together with a distinctly herbaceous streak through the core of the wine. Subtle toasty oak notes support in the background, letting the fruit take center stage. This wine is traditionally Australian in the best way, full-bodied and powerful, but refined and sophisticated at the same time, ready to drink now but also with the density and concentration to age for years to come. Like many countries in the world, Australia has been experiencing a renaissance of sorts, with new varieties and winemaking styles joining the conversation, but sometimes it’s most rewarding to stick to the classics. After all, there’s a reason why these wines have endured for decades – they’re simply delicious.
2022 Viña Zorzal Graciano Navarra
By: Scott Beckerley | Review Date: 3/13/2026 | Send Email
By: Scott Beckerley | Review Date: 3/13/2026 | Send Email
It is very rare to find a 100% Graciano bottling! This little rare bird is a fine example of the varietal. The first scents that were in the glass were a surprisingly clean chalk with bright red fruits, some fresh (dried) herbs and (most unusually!) honeycomb. On the palate, it retains its crispness but, leans into boysenberry and blackberry fruit. The honeyed aspect comes through at the upper palate, and the acidity hits you at the back of the throat. All in all, this wine is a little charmer that should have a wide appeal for those who like a bit of crunch in addition to generous (and very pretty!) red and black fruits. Super versatile!
2023 Suduiraut, Sauternes
By: Ryan Moses | Review Date: 3/13/2026 | Send Email
By: Ryan Moses | Review Date: 3/13/2026 | Send Email
When Suduiraut is at the top of their game, they easily rival the very best in Sauternes. That’s been happening a lot recently, with one spellbinding release after another. Is it the case with the 2023? The professional critics certainly seem to think so, with a 100-point score from Vinous to go along with best-in-class marks from nearly everyone else. And when you consider that acclaim alongside the going rate for Suduiraut, it quickly becomes one of the best buys in fine wine.
I think this may be their best wine since the simply stunning 2015 (with the impossible-to-find 2021 in the conversation as well!). Like the best of the 2023s, Suduiraut hits that magical combination of richness and brightness—luxurious yet refreshing. Gorgeous aromatics layer stone fruit, citrus peel, and orange blossom, while the palate delivers grilled pineapple, blood orange, honey, key lime, and a thread of spice. But it’s the balance and texture that really steal the show—just the right amount of everything. Add the fact that it promises an effortlessly long, broad drinking window, and you won’t have to wait too long to get the best from the 2023 Suduiraut. For Sauternes royalty at a song, I can’t recommend this one enough. How lucky are we to be able to pull the cork on a wine this good without having to think twice?!
2018 Remelluri Reserva Rioja
By: Rachael Ryan | Review Date: 3/13/2026 | Send Email
By: Rachael Ryan | Review Date: 3/13/2026 | Send Email
Telmo Rodriguez is one of Spain’s most famous living winemakers, responsible for several of the most exciting wines produced across the country today, including Yjar Rioja and Matallana Ribero del Duero, but his story begins with Remelluri. This historic site in Rioja Alavesa was purchased by his father in 1968, and Telmo later went off to France as a young man to study winemaking, including stints at Cos d’Estournel, Jean-Louis Chave, and Domaine de Trévallon. Famously, the father and son had a falling out when Telmo returned to Spain to work at the family property. While Telmo was eager to explore the potential of single village and single vineyard wines, his father was more interested in producing lower-priced wines with fruit sourced from across Rioja. In response, Telmo instead created the Compañía de Vinos Telmo Rodríguez, which explores historic vineyards across Spain, and he quickly developed a reputation as a winemaker to watch. He and his father eventually came to an understanding, however, and Telmo returned to the family property in 2009. Since then, all the wines at Remelluri have been made with 100% estate-grown fruit – and the quality has never been better. And while Telmo has gone on to explore the potential of the estate as he always wanted, with the spectacular Yjar Rioja – sourced from a tiny single parcel on the property – as well as his single village “Lindes de Remelluri” wines, the flagship Remelluri Reserva remains a steadfast traditional expression of the overall character of the high-elevation site. Supremely elegant, this is a gorgeous example of a fine-boned Rioja. Framed by well-integrated oak notes of vanilla, toasted almond and cocoa nib, the wine is dominated by fresh red fruit and faintly earthy notes of button mushroom and wild herbs. So typical of the cooler climate of Rioja Alavesa, this such a sophisticated style of Rioja that perfectly balances tradition with a very modern sense of transparency of terroir. If you haven’t had a Remelluri Rioja in a while, I’d highly encourage revisiting this historic estate. It seems like every vintage just gets better and better, thanks to the steadfast determination and vision of Telmo Rodriguez.
2022 Viña Zorzal Graciano Navarra
By: Rachael Ryan | Review Date: 3/13/2026 | Send Email
By: Rachael Ryan | Review Date: 3/13/2026 | Send Email
Viña Zorzal is well-known for their dedication to Graciano – it’s the variety that helped put them on the global wine radar, and this wine shows exactly why that attention is so well-deserved. Typically a blending grape in both Navarra and neighboring Rioja, the grape contributes both color and acidity, as well as more delicate floral and even lightly spicy aromas. On its own, especially from old vines in warm areas, it thrives. This wine is more black than red-fruited, with juicy blackberry and black plum notes, as well as faint candied violet and iris in the background. The balance between fruit and structure here is impeccable, with racy acidity that ties everything together and silky, fine-grained tannins from the nine months this wine spent in larger French oak casks. Firmly medium-bodied, slightly more intense floral flavors emerge on the palate, along with earthy forest floor and licorice notes. This is very simply, another stunning deal for the price.
2023 Sheild Pinot Noir Nelson
By: Scott Beckerley | Review Date: 3/11/2026 | Send Email
By: Scott Beckerley | Review Date: 3/11/2026 | Send Email
I have long enjoyed the white wines of Sheild, so it was both interesting (and fun!) to try a brand-new red wine from them, especially a Pinot Noir. On the first whiff, there are extremely pleasant scents of smoky cherries and black raspberries. There is also an underlying clean scent of crunchy red fruits. In the mouth, there is a very attractive weight and smoothness that still comes off as quite bright with the acidity hitting the back of the throat. There are flavors of underripe strawberries, tart cherries and a light sandalwood. It finishes with a lovely brightness and just a touch of rose hips. The texture is very supple and the brightness shines through after some lightly plush red fruits. All in all, delicious and quite the value!
Fallet-Dart "Clos du Mont" Brut Champagne (2006)
By: Philip Roufail | Review Date: 3/11/2026 | Send Email
By: Philip Roufail | Review Date: 3/11/2026 | Send Email
The 2006 Fallet Dart Clos du Mont Brut Champagne is big in every way. It is barrel fermented in French oak, from a single vintage (2006), a single vineyard ("Les Hauts des Clos du Mont"), and has spent a mind boggling 15 years on the lees. That's more than most prestige cuvees from the greatest and oldest houses in champagne. This is a beast in all the best possible ways! Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, ripe and developed with vanilla cream, toasted baguette, gingerbread, peach, pear, hazelnut, almonds, Meyer lemon, lime, dried fruit, apple, and aged barrel notes like butter, honey, and caramel.
Price:
$79.99
Fallet-Dart "Grande Sélection" Brut Champagne
By: Philip Roufail | Review Date: 3/11/2026 | Send Email
By: Philip Roufail | Review Date: 3/11/2026 | Send Email
Fallet-Dart has crafted champagne since 1610 so they must be doing something right! The latest release of their "Grand Selection" is the best one I've tasted since I started working at K&L in 2022. 70% Pinot Noir, 15% Meunier, and 15% Chardonnay, let's start with the extended lees aging - 6 years - giving the champagne beautiful leesy character that gives champagne-o-philes (now a word) who love autolytic character a real treat. Fermented in stainless steel tanks and French oak barrels. Powerful, elegant, and round, with aromas and flavors of brioche, ripe orchard and stone fruit, candied red fruit, nuts, fig, pepper, baking spices, hints of chalky minerality, and a long popping finish. A complex and distinctive champagne for under $40!
A.D. Coutelas "Cuvée Louis Victor" Brut Champagne
By: Philip Roufail | Review Date: 3/11/2026 | Send Email
By: Philip Roufail | Review Date: 3/11/2026 | Send Email
Named for its founder, the A.D. Coutelas Cuvee Louis Victor is the quintessential grower-producer champagne. There is variation with each new release made more so by its use of a solera style perpetual blend (started in 2007) in the cuvee that is aged in a large barrel. While the exact composition of the perpetual blend is a mystery, it is 20% of the final cuvee, which Damien professes is Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Meunier in equal amounts. Rich ripe fruit matched by high acidity levels that can be considered extra zippy in champagne's new era of solar (hot!) vintages. Damien forgoes malolactic to maintain the wine's freshness. The dosage is 4g/L so expect a dry (extra brut) finish. Toasty on the nose and finish, floral on the palate, citrus, with subtle oxidized notes due the barrel fermentation and barrel aging of the perpetual blend.
Price:
$39.99
Fallet-Dart Brut Rosé Champagne
By: Philip Roufail | Review Date: 3/11/2026 | Send Email
By: Philip Roufail | Review Date: 3/11/2026 | Send Email
The Fallet family has been growing grapes since 1610 and winning awards for their wines since 1903. In 1953, Gaston Fallet married Genevieve Dart, and they created the Fallet-Dart brand in 1970. Located in the far western part of the Marne Valley, their historic terroir, old vines, and family traditions continue to produce fine champagnes of character and distinction. The Fallet Dart Brut Rose is a Blanc de Noir with an assemblage of 70% Pinot Noir, 15% Meunier, and 15% still red wine. Fermented in stainless steel and French oak barrels with full malolactic conversion, this rose has creamy red fruit character, grapefruit, orange peel, peach, and subtle oak notes. * Gold Medal - Wine International Competition * * Gold Medal - International Challenge"
Price:
$39.99
2024 Anonymous Wine Collective Sonoma Coast Chardonnay
By: Philip Roufail | Review Date: 3/11/2026 | Send Email
By: Philip Roufail | Review Date: 3/11/2026 | Send Email
This has such a beautiful nose for a Chardonnay! Citrus, saline, green apple, vanilla, pie crust, and a zippy dose of minerality are just a few of the delectable aromas wafting out of the glass of this 2014 Anonymous Chardonnay Sonoma Coast. On the palate, a bouquet of flowers, orchard fruit, graham cracker, lemon-lime, with a long tart finish. There is concentration from the old vines, but still restrained and balanced. The new French oak gives it some extra structure and focus. This s an outstanding expression that's going to continue to evolve to greater heights.
Price:
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2024 Anonymous Wine Collective Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir
By: Philip Roufail | Review Date: 3/11/2026 | Send Email
By: Philip Roufail | Review Date: 3/11/2026 | Send Email
The Anonymous series continues with two great selections from the Sonoma Coast. This Pinot Noir meets the high expectations attached to any juice sourced from the Russian River Valley - dee-licious, without the RRV price! On the nose, dark cherry, red berries, cola, vanilla, dried herbs, fennel, and spice. On the palate, light bodied, seamless and soft, with loads of dark red fruit depth and character, cherry cola, espresso, with hints of oak. A must try!
Price:
Hidden
A.D. Coutelas "Cuvée Louis Victor" Brut Champagne
By: Jonathan Parnell | Review Date: 3/11/2026 | Send Email
By: Jonathan Parnell | Review Date: 3/11/2026 | Send Email
Fresh nose of toast and brioche. The palate is tart and crisp. Finish is creamy with balanced acidity. Superb!
Price:
$39.99
2023 Sheild Pinot Noir Nelson
By: Rachael Ryan | Review Date: 3/10/2026 | Send Email
By: Rachael Ryan | Review Date: 3/10/2026 | Send Email
The 2023 Sheild Pinot Noir might just be the perfect wine for springtime: it’s fresh and vibrant, bursting with youthful fruit flavors, and it’s incredibly silky and seamless on the palate. Hailing from Nelson, at the very top of the South Island, this is a delicate, fine-boned example of Pinot Noir that also completely overdelivers for its modest price point. Compared to warmer or more southerly regions of New Zealand, the wines of Nelson are known for being lighter-bodied on the palate, with more subtle earthy notes. Proximity to the ocean lends a coastal feel to the wine, while the region’s ample sunshine ensures perfectly ripe fruit. And while the purity of the fruit in this wine – juicy red cherries, wild raspberry – clearly speaks to the New World, there’s something distinctly Old World about the freshness of the palate and the electric backbone of acidity. It’s just superbly light on its feel and elegant in expression. According to winemaker Trudy Sheild, this wine is crafted from three Pinot Noir clones – Abel, 10/5, and Pommard – with the inclusion of 40% whole clusters during fermentation, which amplifies the bright freshness of the fruit. The wine was then matured in French oak barrels for 9 months, 25% of which were new. In other words, at under $20 per bottle, this is a screaming deal for the quality of winemaking and regional expression of the wine. With only about 1000 cases made, this also is a wine to stock up on by the case.
Rhys "Perpetual Reserve" California Sparkling Wine
By: Ryan Woodhouse | Review Date: 3/10/2026 | Send Email
By: Ryan Woodhouse | Review Date: 3/10/2026 | Send Email
When sparkling wine in California is produced with the utmost care, intention, diligence, and absolute focus on quality, the results can rival even the great wines of Champagne. At Rhys Vineyards, everything they do is guided by an uncompromising dedication to quality - from the clonal selections in the vineyard, to the farming and viticulture, to the meticulous small-lot winemaking in their state-of-the-art cellar. Rhys has long been considered one of the premier Pinot Noir and Chardonnay producers in the country, crafting Burgundian-inspired wines from their incredible estate vineyards in the Santa Cruz Mountains and Anderson Valley.
More than a decade ago, the team at Rhys began experimenting with estate-grown sparkling wines. In the early years, these wines were made only in minuscule quantities and shared among friends and family. As the team dialed in the results, and even planted dedicated vineyard blocks with sparkling wine clones, they edged ever closer to producing enough wine to release to their devoted mailing list. Now, finally, Rhys is making enough sparkling wine for us to get our hands on some. It’s still a tiny production of just a few hundred cases, entirely handmade, riddled, and disgorged. But we secured some cases, both here in California and in NYC.
I shared this wine with our staff during the 2025 holiday season to much applause. They immediately recognized its spectacular quality. In fact, I poured this wine at my own holiday table and was blown away. Then, in February, Jeb Dunnuck awarded it a monster 98-point score. I immediately went back to secure whatever additional cases were available, and today we’re thrilled to offer them to you.
A little about the wine itself: though it carries a broad California AVA designation, don’t confuse this with inexpensive wines sourced from inferior sites. This wine is entirely estate-grown at Rhys’ properties in Anderson Valley, from Bearwallow Vineyard, and in the Santa Cruz Mountains, predominantly from Mt. Pajaro Vineyard in Corralitos. The fruit is organically and biodynamically farmed. The base wine is very gently whole-cluster pressed, fermented with native yeast in neutral oak barrels, and allowed to rest on fine lees for eight months prior to a further two years aging en tirage. After that, the wine is disgorged and finished with a low 4 g/L dosage.
The blend is roughly 75% Chardonnay and 25% Pinot Noir, and around one-third of the wine comes from a solera-style perpetual reserve dating back to the 2016 harvest. The vibrant, crisp, electric freshness of the cool-climate, coastal fruit is beautifully contrasted by the rich, toasty, umami character of the reserve wine, along with the yeasty, brioche notes from extended time on tirage. That interplay of freshness and richness in both the aromatics and flavor profile also carries through to the texture of the wine. It is at once piercing and focused, with incredible tension on the palate, yet the finish fans out with breadth and textural finesse like a vintage Champagne.
It’s a spectacular wine that delivers on every level. I can’t think of another sparkling wine, from anywhere in the world, that rivals this for the price.
2023 d'Yquem, Sauternes
By: Ryan Moses | Review Date: 3/9/2026 | Send Email
By: Ryan Moses | Review Date: 3/9/2026 | Send Email
What an incredible run Yquem has been on in the last few years. I suspect this will rival the famed ’88, ’89, ’90 trio as a sequence of landmark vintages—wines that exemplify one of fine wine’s great treasures at its peak. Stylistically, where the ’21 was focused and bright and the ’22 rich and decadent, the ’23 brings together the best of both, finding a middle ground without ever compromising complexity or depth.
The aromatics on the 2023 Yquem might be worth the price of admission alone. This is one of those wines you simply want to spend time with, not rush. On the palate it is majestic, with a superb balance of texture and sweetness, lifted by a thread of acidity that keeps everything fresh. While I have no doubt it will age effortlessly, it should deliver immense pleasure throughout its long lifespan.
2023 Yquem is a truly special wine—one for the ages. Whether you're a longtime collector looking for the best from this iconic label, or someone hoping to experience the magic of this legendary Sauternes at its finest, this is a not-to-be-missed vintage.
2021 Mayacamas Mt. Veeder Cabernet Sauvignon
By: Jackson Kelly | Review Date: 3/8/2026 | Send Email
By: Jackson Kelly | Review Date: 3/8/2026 | Send Email
The 2021 Mt. Veeder Cab is yet another incredible wine from the folks at Mayacamas. Well worth its price tag, this wine is extraordinary, showing incredible depth, beautiful tannins, and notes of ripe dark fruit, iron, cedar, and espresso, balanced out with the perfect level of acidity. Amazing today, but this wine will age beautifully over the next 10-15 years.
2021 Mayacamas Mt. Veeder Cabernet Sauvignon
By: Matthew Landau Hassan | Review Date: 3/8/2026 | Send Email
By: Matthew Landau Hassan | Review Date: 3/8/2026 | Send Email
A benchmark expression of mountain-grown Napa Cabernet, this wine opens with aromas of blackcurrant, wild blackberry, and crushed violets layered with cedar, graphite, and mountain herbs. The palate is structured and energetic, with firm tannins and vibrant acidity framing dense dark fruit and savory mineral notes. True to Mayacamas’ historic style, the wine emphasizes balance, restraint, and longevity over sheer power. A classic Mt. Veeder Cabernet built for aging, showcasing depth, freshness, and remarkable structure.
K&L Liquors' 7 Year Old Every Drop "Living Legend" Batch No. KY-03-25 Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey (750ml)
By: David Othenin-Girard | Review Date: 3/8/2026 | Send Email
By: David Othenin-Girard | Review Date: 3/8/2026 | Send Email
There are few professional moments more gratifying than the work I’ve done on the recent releases of our new K&L Every Drop brand. This historic label, which predates the founding of our store by many decades, fell into my lap thanks to a thoughtful customer who won a little mini from the 1940s at auction and passed it my way. So when the opportunity arose to create a new, store-exclusive brand, I knew this magnificent, long-forgotten IP had to be revived. We painstakingly reimagined every detail of the label, staying faithful to the original design. From its classic clean lines to the timeless tag line “Supreme Quality” stretching across each bottle’s shoulders, it perfectly reflects our ethos.
The label’s revival was inspired by an exceptional batch of rare bourbon that we had acquired by a stroke of good fortune: a great old whiskey from Frankfort, followed shortly by a second release of the same. But how could we continue producing whiskies that lived up to those extraordinary beginnings? My premise was never that Every Drop must be mythical in rarity, but that every bottle, yes, every drop, should offer our customers an experience of unmistakable quality, unique character and unmatched value. That’s a tall order, especially given that I have no control over the aging or production of the barrels we source. With only tiny samples representing entire lots, I set out with a wing and a prayer to find our third batch.
That search led to a parcel of mature bourbons from a certain distillery near Lawrenceburg, Kentucky. While I can’t name it on the label, nothing stops me from saying it outright: it’s that ol' Kickin' Chicken in Tyrone. The question then became, how could a seven (nearly eight) year old Turkey compete with the best in class? The answer lay in blending and proofing. I’ve always found immense joy in blending on the small scale that I've been afforded, and this project gave me the chance to shape the final character through careful selection and proof adjustment. When a customer emailed asking if it might be similar to W.B. Saffel, a whiskey twice the price and up to 12 years old, I knew we’d hit the mark. The proof and batch name pay quiet homage to the great blenders behind that legendary bourbon and, indeed, it was a beacon which I hoped would guide me.
Now, this is my Tuesday to Sunday whiskey. It’s exuberant, balanced, and endlessly satisfying. It’s unquestionably the best value on the shelf today in this style, which is quite distinct from regular WT or Russell’s Reserve. It just so happens that it’s a style I love. Expect an elegant balance of sweet oak, fragrant fruit, zesty spice, and a rich caramel backbone. It shines in cocktails and stands beautifully on its own. And if you don’t appreciate “Minerva's Purple Wax”, I know a monk in Midway who wants a word.
Price:
$49.99
K&L Liquors' 7 Year Old Every Drop "Living Legend" Batch No. KY-03-25 Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey (750ml)
By: Josh Gelfand | Review Date: 3/8/2026 | Send Email
By: Josh Gelfand | Review Date: 3/8/2026 | Send Email
Seven years, bottled at entry proof, from one of my favorite Kentucky distilleries that you can rarely get independent barrels from? Oh, yeah. Sign me up. To say this is one of the most ridiculous values I’ve seen from us here at K&L would be an understatement. Getting our own liquid from this undisclosed Lawrenceburg distillery - one that, let’s just say, pairs nicely with the main dish at your late November family feast - is, pretty, ahem, wild. I’m certainly giving thanks for this whiskey. The nose gives all those beautiful fall spices, with cinnamon and clove, allspice and dried flowers, like the potpourri surrounding the gourd on your table. The oak from an old barn, sweet caramel, along with apple, apricot, and cherry pie all play roles in the lovely aromatics as well. On the palate the spices continue along with musty oak, toffee, some orange peel, and pepper, with a bit of peanut brittle and nutmeg to round it all out before finishing with a little more of that barnyard rickhouse funk, soft leather, and roasted honey. You’d be a turkey not to gobble up this bottle for your holiday festivities.
Price:
$49.99
K&L Liquors' 7 Year Old Every Drop "Living Legend" Batch No. KY-03-25 Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey (750ml)
By: Jonathan Parnell | Review Date: 3/8/2026 | Send Email
By: Jonathan Parnell | Review Date: 3/8/2026 | Send Email
Taste a bit of history for under $50? Sign me up! You had me at "Lawrenceburg", actually. Oak and spice on the nose. Black tea, crème brûlée, ginger, and woodsy goodness abound. 107 proof hits just right. Get some before this homage to Kentucky's finest is all angel's share! Perfect for a hosting gift during the holiday season.
Price:
$49.99
K&L Liquors' 7 Year Old Every Drop "Living Legend" Batch No. KY-03-25 Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey (750ml)
By: Aaron Hughes | Review Date: 3/8/2026 | Send Email
By: Aaron Hughes | Review Date: 3/8/2026 | Send Email
I really like that in our K&L Liquors "Every Drop" series, we're including some more budget-conscious options for people who want to try something from this series but don't have the means or inclination to drop a couple hundred bucks on a bottle. Josh gave you all the hints that we could possibly give for the source of this, so I'll just leave that part to him. The nose had this kind of maple note when I let it sit in the glass for a little bit, and it promptly went away with a single swirl. Now it's just baking and barrel spices, everything that goes into the pie except the pumpkin. There's vanilla crème brûlée in the background, the palate is fairly sweet but not overly so, lots of toffee, peanut shells, vanilla custard, and a little bit of lemon oil working its way through the whole thing. This is just really a lovely bottle, and for the price, I think it really over-delivers. This is a particularly favorite distillery of mine, so I could be biased, but I do think that for what you're paying you get a really fairly priced bottle. Plus, we picked this one just for you, so give it a try.
Price:
$49.99
K&L Liquors' 7 Year Old Every Drop "Living Legend" Batch No. KY-03-25 Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey (750ml)
By: Cary Herrman | Review Date: 3/8/2026 | Send Email
By: Cary Herrman | Review Date: 3/8/2026 | Send Email
The caramel hits first - bold and buttery, like sunshine melting over an old porch swing. It's the flavor of a Midwest afternoon. As it settles, a touch of oak and spice steps in, rounding the edges with a quiet confidence. "Living Legend" fits: familiar, comforting, and just a little golden around the edges.
Price:
$49.99
2024 Bodegas Frontonio "Microcosmico" Garnacha Valdejalon
By: Shasha Beard | Review Date: 3/7/2026 | Send Email
By: Shasha Beard | Review Date: 3/7/2026 | Send Email
If you're looking for a red that will work well this Spring and Summer with dining al fresco, barbecue or just sipping on a picnic blanket, winemaker Fernando Mora has delivered this gem of nouveau Spanish style. Lively with lots of red fruit, but with a wonderful tension and food-friendly personality. This is all about terroir and the expression of pure, fresh Garnacha!
Fallet-Dart Brut Rosé Champagne
By: Graham Collis | Review Date: 3/6/2026 | Send Email
By: Graham Collis | Review Date: 3/6/2026 | Send Email
What a great representation of Champagne Rosé! This bottle has loads of different fruit aromas, reminiscent of fruit cocktail, while maintaining Champagne’s signature elegance through hints of sweet cream and toasted brioche. The palate is full of ripe nectarine, red apple, and finishes with a lovely iodized mineral character. This is a crowd pleaser, and at 40 dollars offers great value.
Price:
$39.99
2024 Viña Elena "Bruma Paraje Marín" Monastrell Jumilla
By: Rachael Ryan | Review Date: 3/6/2026 | Send Email
By: Rachael Ryan | Review Date: 3/6/2026 | Send Email
The 2024 Viña Elena "Bruma Paraje Marín" was wine critic Tim Atkin’s Value Red Wine of the Year for 2025, and I couldn’t agree more. Wildly expressive and bursting with youthful aromas of wild lavender, juicy blackberry, black plums and wisteria, the wine also has a nervy, exuberant energy – quite simply, it’s a joy to drink! Made from 100% Monastrell (better known as Mourvèdre in France and occasionally Mataro in the New World), this wine is a wonderful expression of the variety, which is thought to be native to Jumilla, where Viña Elena is located. Winemaker Elena Pacheco is the youngest of four sisters, and the daughter who most closely trailed her father in the vineyards and winery, absorbing the knowledge passed on from his own father, who planted the family’s vineyards. Her father’s business was mainly selling bulk wine, but in 2002, Elena bottled her first wine, named after her father. The family winery is located in Estrecho de Marín, a valley encircled by gentle, low-lying mountains at the southern edge of Jumilla. This Monastrell is sourced from several vineyards surrounding the winery, combining fruit from warm, west-facing slopes with that of cooler, east-facing sites. The wine is then fermented and aged in concrete vats to maintain its fresh, vibrant fruit character. There’s so much going on with this wine aromatically, yet on the palate it feels silky and refined, almost ethereal. The flavors glide across the palate effortlessly, supported by refreshing acidity and grippy, yet well-integrated tannins, and the finish just goes on and on. There’s also something darker and meatier lingering in the background: faint campfire, black licorice and freshly ground pepper, all very subtle, but just enough to add an intriguing component. This wine would be wonderful with a charcuterie board but also could stand up to spring lamb or grilled chicken, or even something more intense like a wild boar sugo. It would also be great slightly chilled on a warm day. This Monastrell is just so delicious and so drinkable, and I’m in agreement with Tim Atkin – it’s a stupendous value for the price.
2016 Siaurac, Lalande de Pomerol
By: Matthew Landau Hassan | Review Date: 3/5/2026 | Send Email
By: Matthew Landau Hassan | Review Date: 3/5/2026 | Send Email
Elegant and beautifully mature, this Right Bank Bordeaux opens with aromas of ripe plum, black cherry, and cassis layered with notes of cedar, graphite, and subtle baking spice. The palate is supple and refined, with Merlot-driven dark fruit supported by silky tannins and a gentle earthy complexity. With several years of bottle age, the wine shows impressive harmony, where fruit, structure, and secondary notes of leather and spice come together seamlessly. A classic Right Bank Bordeaux offering depth, elegance, and exceptional value for those seeking the character of Pomerol without the Pomerol price tag.
2021 Château Sainte-Eulalie "La Cantilene" Minervois La Liviniere
By: Lauren Fisher | Review Date: 3/5/2026 | Send Email
By: Lauren Fisher | Review Date: 3/5/2026 | Send Email
The 2021 Château Sainte-Eulalie “La Cantilene” is aromatic and textured. The nose shows blueberry, eucalyptus, and wild herbs layered with warm baking spices. The rustic palate is savory and spice-driven, with tart dark fruit lifted by balanced acidity and refined tannins. Notes of dried herbs and pepper linger on a long, earthy finish that reflects its Mediterranean origins. This would be a lovely little accompaniment to your go-to weeknight dinner.
2022 Tread "Sierra Madre Vineyard" Santa Maria Valley Chardonnay
By: Kirk Walker | Review Date: 3/5/2026 | Send Email
By: Kirk Walker | Review Date: 3/5/2026 | Send Email
This wine smells coastal! Here is a California Chardonnay that has more cut, minerality, and persistence than many wines that are grown around the village of Chichée. I know that those are fighting words… but this is a terroir-driven wine with lots of personality. Heirloom apples, citrus zest, seashells, and a whiff of salt from an onshore breeze. This is not a typical California Chardonnay; this is a wine that shows off the potential of a truly cool-climate growing region. Speaking of potential, this wine has awesome potential. I would like to see what this is like in 5 years!
2022 Tread "Sierra Madre Vineyard" Santa Maria Valley Chardonnay
By: Ryan Woodhouse | Review Date: 3/4/2026 | Send Email
By: Ryan Woodhouse | Review Date: 3/4/2026 | Send Email
I’ve long been a fan of this vineyard site, and I even had the chance to work with the fruit during my time in the cellar 15 years ago. Originally planted in the 1970s, it’s a historic site that has long earned its Grand Cru status. The wines from here always strike a fascinating balance between power and precision—naturally concentrated and dense, yet driven by vibrant, piercing, mouthwatering acidity. That’s exactly the case here.
This isn’t a fruit-forward Chardonnay; it’s all about saline, stony minerality, freshly baked pie crust, hints of jasmine, citrus peel, and Marcona almond. Complex and compelling, it clearly reflects the pedigree of the site and its intense maritime influence. Chablis-like perhaps, but it doesn’t need to imitate anything. This wine has a true sense of place all its own.
2024 Anonymous Wine Collective Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir
By: Jackson Kelly | Review Date: 3/4/2026 | Send Email
By: Jackson Kelly | Review Date: 3/4/2026 | Send Email
Another incredible Pinot from the Anonymous Wine Collective, this wine retails for $100 under its producer's label and it's evident. This Sonoma Coast Pinot is light bodied and smooth, with notes of cherry, raspberry, blackberry, and a hint of oak on the palate. An elegant Pinot at a steep discount.
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2024 Viña Elena "Bruma Paraje Marín" Monastrell Jumilla
By: Matthew Landau Hassan | Review Date: 3/4/2026 | Send Email
By: Matthew Landau Hassan | Review Date: 3/4/2026 | Send Email
Wild and expressive, this Monastrell opens with aromas of ripe blackberry, dark plum, and Mediterranean herbs, lifted by subtle notes of black pepper and warm earth. The palate is rich yet energetic, with dense dark fruit balanced by fresh acidity and a distinct mineral edge from the region’s limestone soils. Fermentation in concrete preserves the wine’s purity, giving it a vibrant, lifted texture and savory depth.
For customers who love bold reds but want something with more character than the usual Cabernet or Malbec, this is a perfect discovery bottle. It delivers the power and dark fruit people crave, but with the rustic charm, freshness, and sense of place that make Spanish Monastrell so compelling.
2022 Tread "Sierra Madre Vineyard" Santa Maria Valley Chardonnay
By: Aaron Hughes | Review Date: 3/4/2026 | Send Email
By: Aaron Hughes | Review Date: 3/4/2026 | Send Email
Another really clean and fresh little guy from this winery. This is probably, of the ones I've tasted, one of the bigger and richer Chardonnays but it's still really accessible and fairly easy. The nose has a little bit of oak to it for me, but it's probably in the low double digits. Please understand I am just guessing and it's my impression from what I'm tasting and smelling, so if I'm wrong, I'm okay with that. There's that pretty and crisp red apple, some lemon curd, and then that little touch of oak. The palate is elegant and really has a great texture while maintaining this beautiful line of acidity the whole way through, very crisp and tart red apple, lemon juice, lemon zest, and a little bit of chalk on the finish round everything out. It's really gorgeous and a great deal at this price. Buy it, you'll like it.
Michel Arnould "Acuité" Grand Cru Extra Brut Champagne
By: Aaron Hughes | Review Date: 3/4/2026 | Send Email
By: Aaron Hughes | Review Date: 3/4/2026 | Send Email
This has such a really inviting nose, there's some soft very freshly baked brioche, but just the crumb and then some white flowers, crisp apple, quince, and lemon zest. The palate is incredibly round and inviting, with a good level of acidity but definitely an easy drinking style of Champagne. This has such a long and pretty lemony finish on it, it really just makes me want to have this with nothing in particular for the most part, this pairs super well with just the glass, but if forced some passed appetizers or a baked oyster or two would certainly not go amiss. Absolutely delicious.
Price:
$44.99
2025 Anonymous Wine Collective Contra Costa County Rosé of Mourvedre
By: Scott Beckerley | Review Date: 3/4/2026 | Send Email
By: Scott Beckerley | Review Date: 3/4/2026 | Send Email
This is THE Rose of Spring! It has wonderful depth, intriguing brightness and bouncy acidity. It is full of raspberry-fruited goodness with tart strawberry, a little bit of watermelon rind and crunchy juicy fresh cut mandarin orange flavors. The finish is clean and has bright acidity. The Mouvedre fruit adds lush mouthfeel and deeper red fruits. This one is made by one of my very favorite producers of so many varietals. They are MasterCraft winemakers! This delectable Rose is full proof of that!
Price:
$14.95
Damien Hugot "Hommage 1921" Extra Brut Champagne
By: Craig Morris | Review Date: 3/4/2026 | Send Email
By: Craig Morris | Review Date: 3/4/2026 | Send Email
From Damien Hugot comes a deeper, more complex style of Champagne! This uses a blend of current harvest grapes for the Chardonnay, but the red grapes are coming from a solera style blend, and this is where a lot of depth and complexity comes from in Champagne. This blending, coupled with some large oak aging, creates an elegant Champagne (as one would expect from Hugot), but also adds softer texture for added depth. It's still full of citrus thanks to the Chardonnay, but the roundness on the palate creates a lovely contrast.
Price:
$49.99
2016 Damien Hugot Grand Cru "Cramant" Blanc de Blancs Millesime
By: Craig Morris | Review Date: 3/4/2026 | Send Email
By: Craig Morris | Review Date: 3/4/2026 | Send Email
This is my kind of Champagne! The nose is citrus and lemon curd right up front. Once on the palate it's electric with bright, tart acidity and loads of chalky minerality. There's also toasty brioche and sourdough baguette to play against the citrus, and all permeated with very fine, sharp bubbles. This makes for a bright, elegant, and sunny style of Champagne that's great as an aperitif or for sipping on all night.
Price:
$64.99
2019 Smith Haut Lafitte, Pessac-Léognan
By: Kerry Kennell | Review Date: 3/3/2026 | Send Email
By: Kerry Kennell | Review Date: 3/3/2026 | Send Email
The 2019 Smith Haut Lafitte, Pessac-Léognan is one of those wines that makes you feel like you should be better dressed. When a colleague at work said, "here, try this," I made the mistake of not saving it for last because the wines that followed paled in comparison, making it nearly impossible to be objective. As soon as I raised the glass to my nose, I knew I was about to sip pure sophistication. Aromas of freshly turned soil, blackberries, and beef consommé made me stand a little straighter. The palate is confident and richly layered with soft waves of blackberry, cassis, an alluring umami note, tobacco, black tea, fresh soil after a rain, and a lick of graphite. Time stopped and I felt momentarily embraced. In a word: exquisite.
Boulard-Bauquaire "Trepail" Brut Blanc de Blancs Champagne Vieilles Vignes
By: Scott Beckerley | Review Date: 3/3/2026 | Send Email
By: Scott Beckerley | Review Date: 3/3/2026 | Send Email
A lovely, creamy nose of lemon meringue, bread dough and chalk. On the palate, it starts out a bit richly with caramel green apple, cream, and macaroon. By the mid-palate, up pops the acidity, chalk, and citrusy lemon flavors. There is a long, chalky finish that lingers with a very fine bead. An excellent value for this quality of Blanc de Blancs!
Price:
$44.99
Boulard-Bauquaire "Trepail" Brut Blanc de Blancs Champagne Vieilles Vignes
By: Ryan Woodhouse | Review Date: 3/3/2026 | Send Email
By: Ryan Woodhouse | Review Date: 3/3/2026 | Send Email
A longtime favorite of mine even amongst the plethora of great wines Gary has sourced from all over Champagne. This old vine bottling from Boulard Bauquaire always delivers. An ultra mineral-driven Blanc De Blanc from a parcel of vines over 75-years of age! This wine is so fine, aromatic and complex. I just love the delicate floral aromas, lingering minerals and elegant texture this wine expresses. It's also a remarkable value for money especially when you consider this is coming from a small grower-producer, with top pedigree, and sourced from a single parcel of vines planted in pure chalk soils. Fantastic as always!
Price:
$44.99
2025 Anonymous Wine Collective Contra Costa County Rosé of Mourvedre
By: Kerry Kennell | Review Date: 3/3/2026 | Send Email
By: Kerry Kennell | Review Date: 3/3/2026 | Send Email
Aged in stainless steel and neutral oak, the 2024 Anonymous Contra Costa County Rosé of Mourvèdre is rumored to be composed of 83% Mourvèdre, 9% Zinfandel, 7% Carignane, and 1% Grenache = 100% deliciousness in total. I'm not ashamed to admit that my third sip of this at K&L in San Francisco prompted a combo of jazz hands and a little happy dance. I didn't care who saw me, because I am so ready for spring! I am ready for fun! I am ready for THIS WINE! Refreshing bright red raspberry, fragrant wild strawberries, blood orange zest, and tulsi rose tea put the joy in enjoyment. This is a case-buy proposition — drink young, drink often.
Price:
$14.95
2024 Anonymous Wine Collective Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir
By: Kerry Kennell | Review Date: 3/3/2026 | Send Email
By: Kerry Kennell | Review Date: 3/3/2026 | Send Email
Massively overdelivering for its price point, the 2024 Anonymous Wine Collective Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir walks that perfect line where California fruitiness meets Burgundian clarity and restraint. At the moment it is youthful and primary, but who cares when the fruit is this delicious. A kaleidoscope of black raspberry, red cherry, violets, and a hint of bay laurel evolves on the palate. The finish hums with bright cherry and delicately whispered black tea sweet nothings. This is the kind of Pinot to sip slowly and revisit because the aromatherapy coming off the glass is half the experience. As a California girl with French ancestry, this is exactly what I want in domestic Pinot Noir. SOLD, to the woman in the flat cap!
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2021 Boroli "Villero" Barolo
By: Orazio Campoli | Review Date: 3/3/2026 | Send Email
By: Orazio Campoli | Review Date: 3/3/2026 | Send Email
The Villero cru in Castiglione Falletto is, without question, one of the most historically significant and architecturally profound vineyards in the entire Barolo appellation. When working with this prized, limestone-rich terroir in a classic vintage like 2021, the result is a wine of power.
it reveals distinct layers of ferrous crushed rock, iron, and a soaring balsamic wave of wild mint and licorice root. It smells ancient and completely tied to the earth.
A magnificent, traditional masterpiece for the long haul.
2021 Boroli "Brunella" Barolo
By: Orazio Campoli | Review Date: 3/3/2026 | Send Email
By: Orazio Campoli | Review Date: 3/3/2026 | Send Email
If you still associate Boroli with the modernist movement of the 1990s and early 2000s, it is time for a serious recalibration. Their strict return to traditional winemaking and large oak casks over a decade ago has completely unlocked the soul of their vineyards, and nowhere is that more evident than in their monopole cru, Brunella. Sitting entirely within Castiglione Falletto, this exclusive, sandy-soiled site is a masterclass in the village's signature balance of ethereal perfume.
IIt vibrates with that "nervous" energy I am always hunting for. It is straight, vertical, and propelled by a tense, saline snap that literally makes the mouth water. The 2021 tannins are undeniably serious—granular, chalky, and demanding, but pleasent nonetheless.
The new enologist, Cristiano Garella is really making this wine shining. A beautiful surprise.
2024 Anonymous Wine Collective Sonoma Coast Chardonnay
By: Kerry Kennell | Review Date: 3/3/2026 | Send Email
By: Kerry Kennell | Review Date: 3/3/2026 | Send Email
The 2024 Anonymous Wine Collective Sonoma Coast Chardonnay opens with Golden Delicious apple and ripe pear, layered with hints of white blossoms and vanilla-kissed butterscotch. The finish lingers on bright orchard fruit, leaving a fresh, sunlit impression that makes me look forward to warmer days ahead. It’s definitely a mood-lifting Chardonnay with lots of charm.
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2022 Tenute Inverso Montepulciano d'Abruzzo
By: Orazio Campoli | Review Date: 3/3/2026 | Send Email
By: Orazio Campoli | Review Date: 3/3/2026 | Send Email
I taste a lot of Montepulciano d'Abruzzo, and too often, the market is flooded with heavy, jammy, and over-oaked versions that completely lose the grape's natural identity. This 2022 is the exact opposite. Because it is fermented and aged entirely in stainless steel, it is exactly what everyday Montepulciano should be: pure, fresh, and deeply tied to its region.
By keeping the wine out of wood, Tenute Inverso preserves all of its "crunchy" energy. The nose doesn't try to overpower you with sweet, extracted fruit or vanilla. Instead, it offers a vibrant, savory mix of crushed dark cherries, wild blackberry, and a distinct hint of roasted earth and black pepper.
This isn't a wine to overthink; it is a wine to drink. Pop the cork on a Tuesday night and enjoy.
Price:
$17.99
2024 Tenute Inverso "Anfora" Montepulciano d'Abruzzo
By: Orazio Campoli | Review Date: 3/3/2026 | Send Email
By: Orazio Campoli | Review Date: 3/3/2026 | Send Email
Let's start off by saying this is one of the most exciting, under-the-radar projects in Abruzzo right now. Tenute Inverso is a tiny, family-run discovery that produces an incredibly small amount of this wine—just around 2000 bottles. We are incredibly proud to have this as an exclusive gem.
Often, Montepulciano can fall into the trap of being too heavy, overly extracted, or masked by aggressive oak. Tenute Inverso completely bypasses that. What makes this wine so singular is its aging method: it is fermented and aged entirely in clay anfore. By removing the influence of wood, the producer allows the pure, rugged terroir of the Abruzzo backcountry to speak for itself.
In the 2024 vintage, the result is a wine that vibrates with nervous energy. The nose is a lively, high-toned blast of sour cherry and crushed amarena, woven with savory wild herbs, forest floor, and a distinct, smoky minerality.
It feels alive and vertical, offering a refined, almost saline texture that only clay aging can impart. It is intensely savory, lacking any heavy, jammy weight, and finishes with a pure, mouthwatering grip. A steal at this price point.
Price:
$22.99
Boulard-Bauquaire "Trepail" Brut Blanc de Blancs Champagne Vieilles Vignes
By: Michael Benoit | Review Date: 3/3/2026 | Send Email
By: Michael Benoit | Review Date: 3/3/2026 | Send Email
Wow! The Boulard-Bauquaire "Trepail" Brut Blanc de Blancs is everything I want in a blanc de blancs. The nose is floral and faintly bready, and the slight sourdough toast on the palate is in perfect balance with the flavors of Meyer lemon, pear, and apricot. The wonderful fine bead gives this champagne a velvety texture that goes down easy, and the acidity is fairly delicate, but plenty to keep it refreshing and keep you coming back for more. A great champagne to enjoy on the first warm days of summer!
Price:
$44.99
Boulard-Bauquaire "Trepail" Brut Blanc de Blancs Champagne Vieilles Vignes
By: Gary Westby | Review Date: 3/3/2026 | Send Email
By: Gary Westby | Review Date: 3/3/2026 | Send Email
This is our most exotic and intense Blanc de Blancs, all from one ancient vineyard in the 1er cru of Trepail, now over 75 years old. This bottle just took the staff by storm when I poured a flight of all Chardonnay Champagne for my final training seminar of the year. The Boulard Bauquaire made bottles twice the price seem hollow with its wonderful richness and white fruit quality. Luckily, this Champagne also has a great dry, long, chalky finish!
Price:
$44.99
2022 Matthiasson Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
By: Ryan Woodhouse | Review Date: 3/3/2026 | Send Email
By: Ryan Woodhouse | Review Date: 3/3/2026 | Send Email
As you can see from the long list of staff reviews, this wine is exactly what we love to drink here at K&L—wines with balance, poise, purity, and precision. Steve Matthiasson crafts exactly that: wines rooted in elegance, varietal typicity, and a profound sense of place—first and foremost, gastronomic wines meant to be enjoyed at the table.
A farmer above all else, much of Steve’s magic happens in the vineyard, where the vines are meticulously hand-tended with an uncompromising focus on quality. He aims for modest yields and true physiological (flavor and phenolic) ripeness at lower sugar levels. Farming organically and regeneratively, Steve sources from both his estate vineyards and select parcels up and down the valley that he farms with the same loving care and attention.
Our team (myself included) absolutely fell in love with this wine’s old-school sensibility. At just 13% alcohol, it offers plenty of savory, lifted aromatics—tobacco, wintergreen, bay laurel, and freshly turned earth—woven seamlessly with pure mulberry, dark cherry, and black raspberry fruit. All that classic Cabernet character is beautifully interlaced with freshness and clarity.
The wine is alive on the palate, buoyed by vibrant acidity and framed by fine yet tactile tannins. It’s youthful and already open and delicious, yet with its electric freshness, I have no doubt it will age gracefully for 10 years or more. It will be fascinating to watch those classic varietal notes evolve as bottle age begins to shape the wine.
A singularly brilliant Cabernet, confidently charting its own course through the modern era of Napa Valley. And an exceptional value in its own right.