K&L Wine Merchants - Staff Favorites

By: Cary Herrman | Review Date: 11/1/2025 | Send Email

A gin that refuses to pick a favorite season. Cambridge's Three Seasons drifts effortlessly from spring bloom to autumn spice, capturing the best of each in a single pour. The nose is bright and floral, the palate smooth and layered - fresh herbs, gentle citrus, and just enough warmth to stick with you. It's elegant without being precious, complex without trying too hard. Perfect for a sunny G&T or a fireside martini.

Price: $99.99

2023 Method California Cabernet Sauvignon

By: Ryan Woodhouse | Review Date: 10/31/2025 | Send Email

Who doesn't love a bargain!? I most certainly LOVE finding wines that deliver amazing quality at modest price points. However, I also know that cheap (or should I say inexpensive) often doesn't correlate with great...and life is too short to drink bad wine. So I'm meticulous, demanding, even downright judgemental even on wines that are below $20. Because you can't give bad a wines a pass just because they're cheap. Well, here's a wine that needs no such pass. This wine absolutely explodes the QPR category and sets an extremely high bar for any of the competition. We have been working closely with the Precision Wine Co. Method Cab for a while now and weren't surprised at all when the 2023 Method California Cab was named as the *No.1 Best Buy Value of the Year* by Wine Enthusiast. Now think about, out of tens of thousands of wines reviewed in 2025, this Cab was deemed the Best Value of them all! When you pour a glass you'll understand why. This is serious juice for an extremely affordable price point. Classic varietal aromas and flavors of ripe blackcurrant, dark plum, cocoa powder, subtle vanilla oak tones. The palate is ripe and juicy with soft, supple dark fruit, hints of dried herbs, and dusty earth. Round, soft and approachable, but never feeling fake or manipulated like so many wines in this category. At it's typical $20 price point this wine is an amazing deal...at our Insider's Advantage pricing is a downright steal. A party wine extraordinaire, load up!

Price: Hidden

WE: 94

Suntory Kanade Yuzu Liqueur (700ml)

By: Aaron Hughes | Review Date: 10/31/2025 | Send Email

Yummy. This smells like how I wanted it to smell, like it's a yuzu trifecta of juice and skin and spirit. I'll be honest, as a current Californian, yuzu reminds me a lot of bougie Meyer lemon, which is already the bougiest of lemons. There's a lot of pretty citrus notes, a floral lemony note, and then there's green herbaceousness in the background. This is fairly sweet, what you would typically expect from a liqueur, but there's a bright acidity and pure yuzu core in there, a little bit of pithy bitterness from the skins and more floral especially on the inhale after you take a sip. This is for people who want to maybe add a splash to a highball or who want something a little more unique in place of a number of orange-flavored liqueurs. Would this make a great margarita addition? Yep! Would I make the martini recipe they have on the back of the bottle? Yep! Will I end up buying this and adding it to a number of things before I find where I think it'll go best? Yep! It's just fun and makes me happy to sip, kind of like getting little little yuzu hugs.

Price: $29.95

Frey Ranch "Single Barrel #3112" K&L Exclusive Nevada Estate Straight Bourbon Whiskey (750ml)

By: Aaron Hughes | Review Date: 10/31/2025 | Send Email

I didn't notice this before but the title of this barrel is "Only Bangers in the Building" and that's just straight hilarious. I've always liked Frey Ranch, they have a great story, they do everything on site from grow the grain to distill and age the Bourbon, and the husband and wife both seem equally involved. Not only that, they're doing a Four Grain mash that has both wheat and rye in the mix instead of one or the other. It's fun, it's a little different, and it's always been a bottle I know I can take and I'll enjoy it. It can come across a little youthful and spritely at times, but that's what an ice cube is for in my world. You see, in my world, people drink things however they want and they don't worry if someone else is going to judge the way they drink their own whiskey. There's some maple on the nose, peanut toffee, lemon oil, dusty grain, and like a little touch of vanilla in the back, all surrounded by barrel and baking spice. The proof on this is pretty outrageous, just a couple points away from Hazmat, it definitely drinks warm and a splash or water or that aforementioned ice cube will definitely be your friend here. I definitely recommend trying a sip before diluting in any way, but be careful, you only get one mouth. The palate is incredibly rich and almost thick, there's a lot going on with lots of barrel spice, but also layers of toffee and cream, with touches of burnt sugar, baked apples, and lingering toast. It's slightly more savory than some bourbons I've had today, but not too much, just a touch more restraint. A delicious bottle that will be joining me at home later.

Price: Hidden

Maker's Mark "The Lost Recipe Series: Edition 02" Kentucky Straight Bourbon (700ml)

By: Aaron Hughes | Review Date: 10/31/2025 | Send Email

So the archived stave for this barrel that they used is the mocha stave. As it follows, quite unsurprisingly, it has a lot of mocha on the front, accompanied by some toffee, orange oil, and some peanut brittle. I'm searching for that Maker's Mark cherry, and it's not really popping out, though there's this really memory spiking scent that I think might be that red-box of chocolate covered cherries you can find most places. I used to get those for my Grandpa every year as part of his Christmas, he loved them. The palate is crazy soft for having as much proof as it does, the bit of peppery heat coming in at the very end, leaving the whole front of the palate just to be deliciously enjoyed. Still a lot of mocha, but there's brighter kind of cherry in the background, orange rind, brown sugar burnt toffee, heavily toasted pecans, and vanilla creme before it launches itself into all the barrel and pie spices, eventually ending with a lingering sweet and toasty finish. Maker's Mark has a soft spot in my heart, they were one of the first bourbons I ever tried and enjoyed long before I was a wine and spirits professional and was instead an eager amateur. This is taking their whole formula both back to when these staves were more available and up a notch overall.

Price: $69.99

Lehmann "Jamesse Prestige" Grand Champagne Mouth-Blown Wine Glass #45

By: Scott Beckerley | Review Date: 10/31/2025 | Send Email

I had the chance to try these fantastic, mouth-blown glasses in Reims in April of 2014. They are fantastically light and concentrate the nose beautifully! They are also very visually pleasing and elegant. I have a set of much more expensive (over $100 a stem) glasses that are inferior to these. They are rarely used. I use these glasses for special occasions and also keep a set of the machine-made version for everyday use. Update: I eventually gave away my more expensive non-Lehmann Champagne glasses because these are infinitely better. The same set that I purchased 10 years ago is still around and intact! 31 October, 2025.

Price: $44.99

Lehmann "Jamesse Reference" Grand Champagne Glass #40 (we can only ship in 6-packs)

By: Scott Beckerley | Review Date: 10/31/2025 | Send Email

This is the only brand of Champagne glass that I use at home. Not that I do not appreciate traditional flutes but, I find that this Sommelier designed glass gives the bubblies a more concentrated and better nose, as well as keeping the bubbles going and going and going. It reminds me more of a traditional wine glass, which is what I use for tasting and evaluating champagne. I use this super affordable glass for guests that, um, tend to be a little hard on my glassware. They are super resilient. I upgrade to the pricier (and lighter) version of this glass for my more "careful" guests, including most of my co-workers. Most. Years ago, I had the pleasure of visiting the very beautiful showroom for Lehmann glass in Reims. Thank you, Gary Westby for that!

Price: $12.99

Suntory Toki "Black" Japanese Whisky (750ml)

By: Aaron Hughes | Review Date: 10/31/2025 | Send Email

The original Toki has always been a go to recommendation for people who just want a whisky for highballs or a super light sipper that won't break the bank but gives you enough flavor to take the next sip. This is kind of the grown up version, more of the Hakushu distillery in here gives it more smoke, more depth, and overall provides a pretty great upgrade to the traditional Toki. The nose has pretty and soft peaty notes, little whisps of smoke coming off the bouquet, touches of honeyed green apple. The smoky peat comes out more on the palate, but it's never aggressive, it's like when your cat pats your face you with its claws just slightly out. It's incredibly smooth and an enjoyable sip all by itself, I would say this drinks more like a baby Hibiki than it does a grown up Toki all in all, but I still wouldn't hesitate to put it in a highball either. It's pretty delicious, especially for the price.

Price: $39.99

Brucato Mission Gin (700ml)

By: Aaron Hughes | Review Date: 10/31/2025 | Send Email

Brucato does an amazing job of, in my view, being concise with their ingredients, they make delicious Amari that are a bit more focused and accessible than some of the more "classic" styles that have a super long ingredient list. This Mission gin is a continuation of that, while also offering flavors I feel will play so well with their Amari in cocktails. This is definitely a "New Western" style gin, where juniper is attending the party, but isn't the life of the party. The fennel plays a key role on the palate, while citrus and coriander dominate the nose for me. The fennel comes towards the end and then lingers becoming the focus of the lingering and lasting finish. This is super tasty gin, really easy and something I could see going incredibly well in a martini, a negroni, and even a G&T with the right tonic choice and maybe a slightly different garnish. This would also be great in a Bloody Mary. Stop putting vodka in your Blood Mary, you're really doing yourself dirty flavor-wise.

Price: $29.99

BORED Vodka (750ml)

By: Aaron Hughes | Review Date: 10/31/2025 | Send Email

NFT Vodka, sure why not? I'll be super honest right now, I'm not really sure what an NFT is, like gun to the head I'd just say like "online pictures people liked a few years ago" or something like that. Ignorance is bliss, however, and I am actually happy about this vodka. It's good, it's just a really solidly tasty corn based vodka. Even at room temperature it's pretty smooth, it has a kind of roundness in the mouth and gives off some slight hints about the grain behind the spirit, the impression of sweetness on the front and there's something in the nose that just has a slightly corn smell to me, but I could just be imagining it since I know what it's made out of. That's the problem with tasting notes sometimes. All in all, it's worth picking up if you're looking for a nice bottle of American made vodka, made with American grain. It's also, quite legitimately, a decent gift or purchase for people who do know what an NFT is and will explain it to you. In detail. For a while.

Price: $24.99

2022 d'Issan, Margaux

By: Ryan Moses | Review Date: 10/31/2025 | Send Email

2022 is a benchmark year for d’Issan—a remarkable accomplishment given the estate’s many successes over the years. I tend to think of d’Issan as being on the bolder side of Margaux, yet still very much a quintessential reflection of the appellation. The wine opens with aromas of darker fruits—blackberry, tobacco, and subtle savory and floral notes. On the palate, however, it shows much more freshness, purity, and brightness. Those black fruits give way to deep reds, with threads of minerality and plenty of acidity to keep it lively. Textured and deeply flavored, d’Issan’s 2022 captures that magical combination of concentration and elegance that could only come from Bordeaux. A long finish, lined with fine tannins, ties it all together. A scintillating Margaux that speaks volumes about both the great things happening at this estate and the remarkable vintage from which it was born, the 2022 d’Issan is a gorgeous wine. Like many 2022s, it already has an irresistible quality, yet I expect it to enjoy a long, generous drinking window—during which I’m sure many corks will be happily pulled.

Price: $89.99

2023 Anonymous Wine Collective Santa Cruz Mountains Chardonnay

By: Aaron Hughes | Review Date: 10/30/2025 | Send Email

I find myself sitting here, typing things and then backspacing them into oblivion since I just can't quite find the words. It's just such a pretty wine, and I'm so happy we have this to sell to you. I'm a bit entranced by the nose, I just opened it and it seems like it wants some air but it's just really got this lovely backbone of lemon flowers and lemon curd with some apple flesh coming into the picture and then goes into this roundness that feels like oak to me. I let the wine sit to warm up a bit, totally on purpose not because I got called away, and and now I'm getting even more apple, touches of white flowers, a little hint of honey, and just the lightest touch of dried pineapple. The palate is gorgeous, lots of fruit with honeyed apple, lemon curd, a little more dried pineapple, and then a touch of river stones and a little bit of forest in the very far back. This is just magnificent and super full without being too rich, the acidity is a straight line through and there's barrel roundness but not really barrel spice. It's just a super well put together Chardonnay that is everything I wanted it to be and maybe a little bit more.

Price: Hidden

2023 Anonymous Wine Collective "Pagani Ranch - Ancient Vine" Sonoma Valley Zinfandel

By: Aaron Hughes | Review Date: 10/30/2025 | Send Email

What a wonderful new addition to the AWC lineup, it's a shame that we won't ever be able to disclose who made this Pagani Ranch Zinfandel, and it will forever be shrouded in a haze of mystery and intrigue. Ultimately, the beauty is that it doesn't matter who makes these wines, they're fantastic bottles for the price and at first sniff, I see how this one made the cut. There's just lots of fruit on here, lots of blackberry, dried cherry, really ripe raspberry, but then in the back there's a bit of laurel leaf and some dustier tones along with just a little hint of maybe some creamy fruit in there as well. The palate is definitely more structured, with a nice firm tannin grip and there's just gobs of acidity as well, pushing through and giving this wine a lot of structure. The fruit is a little more tart than the nose would lead you to believe, but it's just super well balanced and it's made for food. This is like the perfect BBQ wine, maybe pizza if you're feeling it, burgers would be a breeze, it's just a really great bottle of food-friendly Zinfandel made by mysterious and wonderful Anonymous strangers.

Price: Hidden

2022 PROJECT M "Bednarik Vineyard" Tualatin Hills Pinot Noir

By: Ryan Woodhouse | Review Date: 10/29/2025 | Send Email

We have just a small parcel of these tiny production wines from Project M winery in Oregon. The Bednarik Vineyard Pinot Noir comes from a very interesting site in the little known, but historic sub-region of Tualatin Hills. This area is home to several older plantings of Pinot Noir, Bednarik Vineyard being one of the jewels. Planted over 40 years ago, these own-rooted, dry-farmed, Pommard selection vines produces wines of incredible depth and character. There's a deep, brooding, brambly resonance to the wine. Quite dark fruited, blackberry, forest fruits, dusty earth, moss, warming spices, and hints of leather, too. Medium plus bodied, great fruit density in the attack, but long, persistent acidity really draws out the palate nicely with some of the more savory, earthy tones. We have a limited amount of wine at a really great price, so if this one appeals to you, get what you can before it's too late.

Price: Hidden

JD: 93

VN: 93

WE: 91

Bollinger "PN TX20" Brut Champagne

By: Lilia McIntosh | Review Date: 10/29/2025 | Send Email

Brilliant expression of 100% Pinot Noir Champagne! Full bodied, rich, textural with ripe apple and honey aromas. It's balanced nicely with freshness of Meyer lemon acidity but doesn't come across as too austere. Very supple and mouthwatering, opulent, and delicious all by itself, though can be a good match to heavier meals like Thanksgiving dinner, complementing the complexity of all sides and a turkey.

Price: $129.99

Bollinger "PN TX20" Brut Champagne

By: Gary Westby | Review Date: 10/28/2025 | Send Email

This was one of the smash hits of our big champagne tent events, and for me, the best thing I have tasted from Bollinger since the 2008 RD! The sixth edition in the "PN" series from Bollinger, this all-Pinot Noir bottling shows of the great chalkiness, deep minerality, and clean power that this house is so well known from. The base vintage of 2020 is considerably brighter than expected, thanks to reserves from 2012 and 2008 in the blend, and the great red fruit style is framed by beautiful baguette toast. The village of Tauxieres (the TX in the name) has never been shown off in a better way! What a wine!

Price: $129.99

2023 Domaine du Chêne Vert "L'Enracinée" Crozes-Hermitage Rouge

By: Kerry Kennell | Review Date: 10/28/2025 | Send Email

Produced with a light touch from organically grown Syrah selected from the finest lots of the vintage, the 2023 Domaine du Chêne Vert “L’Enracinée” Crozes-Hermitage Rouge comes from 60-year-old, massal-selection vines, the best of the best. Medium-bodied, dark, and lushly layered, it reveals notes of black cherry, freshly picked raspberries, cola, and vanilla, with a subtle touch of crushed gravel that hints to old, deeply rooted vines. Sip now or cellar and savor later.

Price: $34.99

Wine Club

$29.99

JGD: 96

JD: 90

2022 Domaine de Verquière Gigondas

By: Keith Mabry | Review Date: 10/28/2025 | Send Email

When Thibaud Chamfort showed me his new Gigondas vineyards back in 2022, his excitement was palpable. He had just acquired the property, already fully planted, and he knew the potential of this site was outstanding. In the years since, I kept asking him, “When are these going to be ready?” Well, the wait is over—and it was worth it. The debut release is a treat: lush and complex, with gorgeous red fruit tones—deep framboise, strawberry coulis, and a touch of currant. Layers of spice, lavender, and fennel round out the palate beautifully. We’ve long admired Thibaud’s wines, from his bright and approachable Côtes du Rhône to his expressive Rasteau, but this new Gigondas shows how much his winemaking has evolved. In the cellar, he’s embraced a “less is more” philosophy, allowing the vineyards to speak as clearly as possible—and they have plenty to say.

Price: Hidden

WE: 94

JD: 89 - 91

2022 Hamilton Russell Chardonnay Hemel-en-Aarde Valley

By: Simon Li | Review Date: 10/26/2025 | Send Email

The 2022 Hamilton Russell Chardonnay is a distinctive white wine from the cool, maritime Hemel-en-Aarde Valley. On the palate, this wine comes across as very clean, with prominent notes of crisp green apple. It is structurally defined by a notable medium-plus acidity, giving it a vibrant and refreshing backbone. This acidity balances the winemaking influences, resulting in a focused and expressive Chardonnay.

Price: $44.99

2021 Montes "Purple Angel" Carménère Valle de Colchagua

By: Matthew Landau Hassan | Review Date: 10/26/2025 | Send Email

The 2021 Purple Angel reminds me why this wine has such a loyal following. A deep brooding Carmenère and Petit Verdot, opens with dense aromas of blackberry compote, cocoa, and espresso, lifted by a touch of fresh mint and spice. The palate is plush and layered- silky tannins framing waves of ripe dark fruit, chocolate, and tobacco. Despite its richness, this balance is spot-on this vintage, with freshness that keeps it lively through a long, polished finish. Powerful yet refined, this is one of Chiles most impressive reds, and it's drinking beautifully now with the potential to age gracefully for another decade.

Price: $117.99

2023 Domaine Cécile Chassagne Gigondas

By: Keith Mabry | Review Date: 10/24/2025 | Send Email

Cécile Chassagne’s father helped establish the Cru appellation of Gigondas in 1971 — the very same year he planted the family’s vineyards. Today, working from those original vines, Cécile crafts classically styled Gigondas that captures the cooler side of the appellation, with vibrant raspberry fruit, tobacco, and savory garrigue notes. Fermented and aged in large, well-seasoned wood, there’s no trace of heavy-handed oak—just a pure and transparent expression of Grenache, with a touch of Syrah and Mourvèdre. This is one of the most authentically Gigondas wines in the region.

Price: $24.99

JD: 92

2023 El Enemigo Chardonnay Mendoza

By: Rachael Ryan | Review Date: 10/24/2025 | Send Email

El Enemigo is a collaboration between Adrianna Catena, historian and youngest daughter of Nicolas Catena Zapata, and Alejandro Vigil, the director of winemaking at Bodega Catena Zapata. Vigil is a Chardonnay expert, and he is responsible for crafting the famed Catena Zapata “White Stones” and “White Bones” Chardonnays – perhaps the most collectible Chardonnays in South America. The El Enemigo Chardonnay, however, offers a compelling alternative viewpoint at a very reasonable price. Sourced from high-altitude vineyards in the Uco Valley, this Chardonnay stands out because a portion of the wine is aged under a layer of flor (a veil of yeast, similar to the method used for Fino Sherry), an uncommon technique that imparts subtle savory, nutty, and saline notes, balancing the vibrant fruit from the high-altitude terroir. The wine is fermented in large (500L) French oak barrels, 35% of which are new, and aged in the same barrels for 9 months. The resulting wine is not oxidized, however, but the contact with the flor contributes a faint white almond note, along with a weighty mouthfeel and texture. With a pH of 3.04 this is also an exceptionally racy wine, offering a wonderful counterbalance to the richness on the palate. The oak is so seamlessly integrated, melding perfectly with ripe golden apple and quince notes, and there is a line of minerality streaking through the core of the wine. With so many outstanding Chardonnays made in the New World, this one remains a standout, for its effortless balance between its golden fruit intensity and a stony, electric palate. This is, quite simply, one of the best Chardonnay deals we have available right now, from any country.

Price: $24.99

2023 Domaine Marc Sorrel "Le Greal" Hermitage Rouge

By: Keith Mabry | Review Date: 10/24/2025 | Send Email

On my recent trip through the Rhône, I had the privilege of tasting the new vintages from some of the region’s top producers. Among an impressive lineup of Côte-Rôties, Hermitages, and Cornas, the wines of Marc Sorrel stood apart. It’s not to diminish the exceptional work being done elsewhere, but I simply couldn’t shake these wines from my mind. The Hermitage “Gréal” is sourced from two legendary lieux-dits — Les Gréffieux and Le Méal. While the concentration and depth are unmistakable, there’s also an ethereal quality that gives this wine remarkable lift and dimension. One of the truly superb wines of the vintage and an absolute must-own for any serious fan of the Northern Rhône.

Price: $299.99

JS: 100

RP: 100

DC: 97

2023 Domaine Marc Sorrel "Le Rocoules" Hermitage Blanc

By: Keith Mabry | Review Date: 10/24/2025 | Send Email

I would rank this as the single greatest white I tasted on my recent trip through the Rhône. It’s rare to find a white from this region with such poise and expression. This is a deeply compelling wine that draws you in with a kaleidoscope of flavors, all framed by remarkable balance and precision. Move over Montrachet—this Rocoules reaches beyond to the next level.

Price: $299.99

JS: 100

DC: 97

2023 Domaine Barge "La Ribaudy" Saint-Joseph Blanc

By: Vanessa Serrano | Review Date: 10/24/2025 | Send Email

Bright and lightly floral, this is my kind of Rhone Blanc! The ripe fruity notes of white nectarine and Meyer lemon zest give way to more herbal notes of white flower and something like citrus leaf. This has a rounded, oily texture with a lively acidity. If you're a fan of the classic Marsanne/Roussanne blend, give this 100% Marsanne a try!

Price: Hidden

2022 Domaine Barge "Coeur de Combard" Côte-Rôtie

By: Vanessa Serrano | Review Date: 10/24/2025 | Send Email

The soft rose petal and incense aromas immediately drew me into this Cote-Rotie. This is one of those wines that invites you keep sniffing before you finally take your first sip. Once the wine hits your palate, you're greeted with bright, crunchy notes of strawberry, cherry, and pomegranate. This wine is fresh and vibrant, with a great structure and well-integrated tannins. This wine is quite charming and is a great candidate for any special occasion.

Price: Hidden

JD: 94

RP: 94

2023 Domaine du Chêne Vert "L'Enracinée" Crozes-Hermitage Rouge

By: Matthew Landau Hassan | Review Date: 10/24/2025 | Send Email

From the first swirl, this Crozes shows everything I love about Northern Rhône Syrah—violets, black olive, and cracked pepper over a core of ripe blackberry. The palate is sleek and savory, with fine tannins and a touch of smoked meat and iron giving real depth. What makes L’Enracinée stand out is its balance—bright, lifted fruit framed by just the right amount of structure. It’s elegant without losing its rustic soul. Drink now with a quick decant, or cellar for a few years to let the savory notes deepen.

Price: $34.99

Wine Club

$29.99

JGD: 96

JD: 90

2024 Wrath "EX" Monterey County Sauvignon Blanc

By: Ryan Woodhouse | Review Date: 10/24/2025 | Send Email

This bright, vibrant, explosive Sauv Blanc is entirely estate-grown at Wrath's SIP Certified Sustainable San Saba Vineyard in Monterey. The vineyard is nestled up against the Santa Lucia Highlands, just a few feet too low in elevation to make the offical AVA, but sharing the characteristics of this ultra cool climate growing region. The clone is 100% Sauvignon Musqué, that provides a particularly aromatic, lifted expression of the varietal. The vines grow in extremely gravelly soils laid down by the Arroyo Secco River. Cool winds and daily fog from the Monterey Bay, combined with the very rocky soils give this wine a saline, mineral undercurrent that compliments the juicy, upfront fruit components. Try this wine is oysters, moules marinières, or with crunchy crudité vegetables with an herb-infused aioli. An amazing value, and a great wine to have around the house when you need something versatile and refreshing.

Price: $14.95

Wine Club

$9.99

WE: 91

Lehmann "Jamesse Prestige" Grand Champagne Mouth-Blown Wine Glass #45

By: Alex Leonardini | Review Date: 10/22/2025 | Send Email

I get it, you want the best. Well, here it is. The Lehmann "Jamesse Prestige" are ultralight, ultra-thin, and ultra sleek. All mouth-blown in Europe, this is next-level stemware that makes any occasion special. There is no next step, no higher rung, no mountain peak. You can pay more for other high-end Champagne stems if you like, but this is as good as Champagne glassware gets.

Price: $44.99

Lehmann "Jamesse Reference" Grand Champagne Ultralight Glass #40 (we can only ship in 6-packs)

By: Alex Leonardini | Review Date: 10/22/2025 | Send Email

We've been carrying the Lehmann "Jamesse" Champagne glasses at K&L for quite some time, but it wasn't until I spent several days drinking out of them in Reims and Epernay that I truly fell in love with the shape and style. Visit Champagne and these are the glasses that you will find in almost every winery, Champagne bar, and restaurant in the region, and for good reason. Flutes are far too narrow to allow the lifted aromatics of Champagne to truly soar, and standard wine glasses allow the bubbles to dissipate far too quickly. The Lehmann "Jamesse" glasses give you the best of both worlds, and the "Ultralight Glass 40" is beautifully thin yet affordable enough that I actually use them rather than leaving them tucked away for fear of breakage. Bringing out these glasses truly elevates every bottle.

Price: $19.99

Lehmann "Jamesse Reference" Grand Champagne Glass #40 (we can only ship in 6-packs)

By: Alex Leonardini | Review Date: 10/22/2025 | Send Email

We've been carrying the Lehmann "Jamesse" Champagne glasses at K&L for quite some time, but it wasn't until I spent several days drinking out of them in Reims and Epernay that I truly fell in love with the shape and style. Visit Champagne and these are the glasses that you will find in almost every winery, Champagne bar, and restaurant in the region, and for good reason. Flutes are far too narrow to allow the lifted aromatics of Champagne to truly soar, and standard wine glasses allow the bubbles to dissipate far too quickly. The Lehmann "Jamesse" glasses give you the best of both worlds, and the entry level "Glass 41" is thick enough to bring out for guests yet sleek enough to truly impress. These have become my go-to glasses for Champagne and for the price an absolute no-brainer. If you enjoy Champagne, these are a must.

Price: $12.99

2022 Domaine Barge "Les Cotes" Côte-Rôtie

By: Aaron Hughes | Review Date: 10/21/2025 | Send Email

I am really enjoying how different all of these wines are, the Domaine Barge wines seem to have a more savory kind of take and this one is no exception to that. There's dusty fruit there, black cherry, raspberry flower, a little something dark and inky, but then the savory kicks in with tar and a little bit of leather, there's a lot of complexity there and I feel like there's some neutral barrel spice buried in the pleasant mire towards the end. The palate is similar, with a savory dark note piercing through every piece of fruit there, and then on the finish there's inky fruit and barrel spice in a neck and neck race. This is delicious and definitely for someone who is looking for a dark and very slightly chewy Cote Rotie.

Price: Hidden

DC: 93

RP: 93

JD: 92

2023 Domaine Courbis "Les Royes" Saint-Joseph

By: Aaron Hughes | Review Date: 10/21/2025 | Send Email

Definitely tall, dark, and mysterious, this wine really has that kind of rugged allure on the nose, there's dark fruit and an inky core, but there's also this kind of spicy floral aroma. The palate has creamy fruit, and just a little more tannin than I expected, but not enough to really slow me down especially if I had a little something to each with it. This has an elegance behind the rugged exterior and the overall product ends up really smooth and well put together. The acidity on the finish is really what makes it all come together perfectly, the mouth watering beating the drying by more than a little bit. All of the wines these brothers make are just impeccable, and I really feel like you can taste the care and the love behind the product.

Price: Hidden

2022 Domaine de l'Abbé Dîne "La Reserve des Cieux" Châteauneuf-du-Pape

By: Aaron Hughes | Review Date: 10/21/2025 | Send Email

Big and ripe on the nose, this really wasn't what I was expecting, but that's the problem with having expectations. There's this kind of cherry-berry fusion going on here, as well as some kind of dusty dried fruit in the back, like a sultana or fig and a touch of dried herbs rounding everything out. This is a really alluring wine, that I'm liking even more now than when we first tried it, the air really opening it up nicely and it's kind of unraveling its core a bit and showing its belly. The palate is crazy silky and the mouthfeel is just off the charts, the tannin is there but it's playing a super backstage presence to the fruit and acidity that are in the forefront, and then there's this kind of inky note at the core before you pass through and into the dusty cocoa fruit finish. This is just so nice and really easy and approachable, I would definitely decant for a few hours but the result is just pretty superlative. 10/10 would taste again.

Price: Hidden

JD: 92 - 94

2023 Domaine Courbis "Les Royes" Saint-Joseph

By: Keith Mabry | Review Date: 10/21/2025 | Send Email

Blackberry and black cherry are accented by peppery spice. The fruit is so pure here and the light savory tones add that Syrah complexity. Seamless tannins give that silky sensation that makes this wine accessible now. Great length on the palate. This should continue to grow and evolve for a decade to come.

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Faultline 19 Year Old Single Barrel #2 Indiana Straight Bourbon Whiskey (750ml)

By: David Othenin-Girard | Review Date: 10/21/2025 | Send Email

Finding these four barrels of old MGP was such an exhilarating experience. We've been trying to revive the original Faultline Bourbon for some time but had trouble finding the right components. Just as those components became available in this new market, these four barrels crossed my desk. It felt like a sign, FAULTLINE is back! Each of these four barrels is distinct from the next. I can't say why or how they were aged or what makes them different, except barrel #3, which shows a clear French oak influence. Barrel #2, which we have here today, is an extremely classic example of old MGP. The 21% rye mashbill ages beautifully, and this barrel is no exception. Among the very few ultra-aged MGPs on the market today, the closest regularly released product is the Redemption 18 Year, but this single barrel clocks in 20 proof points higher. That whiskey is a blend of both mashbills, like the original Faultline 100 proof, but it sold out entirely and now trades for many multiples of its $400 release price. In any case, I'm fairly confident these single barrels are the best deal on old MGP bourbon on the market today, bar none (and don't confuse this with the old light whiskies you sometimes see from MGP). Let's taste it and see what all the hype is about. The color is a deep, revelatory shade of burnt umber (1.7). The nose is alluring and explosive, offering dense dark cacao, sweet red cherry, brambly black fruit, wild exotic herbs, and tobacco. As it aerates, it builds beautifully around the dark red fruit and roasted herbal character, and yes, there's some dill. On the first sip, the tension is almost unnerving, with huge juicy red fruit up front and powerful cinnamon and clove tingling the mid-palate, yet no harsh tannin tearing at the sides of the mouth. It's extremely well integrated and adds deep, rich herbal and savory notes on the finish, which is long and satisfying. I find this whisky truly delicious, and while it might not tear you apart like some very old tannic American whiskies, it's absolutely not lacking in flavor. Let's hope more of this is still hidden away somewhere.

Price: $350.00

2022 PROJECT M "Bednarik Vineyard" Tualatin Hills Pinot Noir

By: Mariah Mier | Review Date: 10/20/2025 | Send Email

Notes of damp evergreen, wood ash, and wild berries give this pinot noir a woodsy vibe that is a perfect expression of its place of origin. Grippy tannins and mouth-watering acidity create a firm backbone for this lovely wine. Give it a little time to open up in your decanter if you would like to showcase more of the floral aromatics and ripe berry notes.

Price: Hidden

JD: 93

VN: 93

WE: 91

2022 PROJECT M "Bednarik Vineyard" Tualatin Hills Pinot Noir

By: Simon Li | Review Date: 10/20/2025 | Send Email

This 2022 Bednarik Vineyard Pinot Noir opens with an inviting and pure aromatic profile centered on ripe dark cherry. That primary fruit is beautifully accented by a subtle, savory herbal lift, which speaks to its Tualatin Hills origin. The wine is immediately approachable on the palate, defined by a smooth, polished texture and very fine, well-integrated tannins. This is not a wine of overt power, but rather one of balance and finesse, making it exceptionally easy to drink right now.

Price: Hidden

JD: 93

VN: 93

WE: 91

Found North "Season 6 - Tawny Port Finish #6118" K&L Exclusive Single Barrel Cask Strength Canadian Whisky

By: Josh Gelfand | Review Date: 10/17/2025 | Send Email

If you really want to see how much a finishing barrel can transform a whisky, look no further. The Found North team continues to uncover exceptional spirits and showcase blending skills rarely seen from our neighbors to the north. This exclusive release, like its Madeira casked counterpart, combines an almost even split of corn and rye whiskies, with a touch of malted barley, all aged between 12 and 25 years. The blend is then finished in tawny port casks, creating something that, as cliché as it sounds, is truly greater than the sum of its parts. The nose opens with blackberry jam, figs, and Mexican chocolate, all wrapped in the warm air of a dusty saloon. Those rich, stewed berries carry through to the palate, joined by cloves, anise, wet bark, and a touch of molasses, before finishing with black cherry compote over dense dark chocolate. It’s remarkable how distinct it is from the Madeira cask version, proving just how dramatically different fortified wine barrels can shape a great blend. Both are stunning and well worth tasting side by side.

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2023 Aurore Dezat "Les Montaignes" Sancerre

By: Keith Mabry | Review Date: 10/16/2025 | Send Email

Sourced from a small parcel opposite the famed Les Chasseignes vineyard, Montaignes sits on a northwest-facing slope rich in clay and Kimmeridgian marl. The wine is harvested and fermented in a mix of amphora and stainless steel, highlighting its purity and texture. As with most sites rooted in marl, there’s an inherent weight and density that promise further evolution with time in bottle. Today, it shows bold intensity balanced by notes of lime gelée, green apple, and dried pineapple. Long and lingering on the finish, Montaignes is poised to develop beautifully over the next several years.

Price: $34.99

2020 Fattoria dei Barbi Brunello di Montalcino

By: Orazio Campoli | Review Date: 10/16/2025 | Send Email

This is the perfect introduction to the history of Montalcino. In a warm and generous vintage like 2020, Barbi’s traditional approach has yielded a Brunello that is both powerful and wonderfully approachable in its youth. It is a fantastic Brunello for the dinner table with its generous fruit makes it a joy to drink now, it has the structure to age gracefully for a decade or more.

Price: $49.99

Found North "Season 6 - Madeira Finish #6131" K&L Exclusive Single Barrel Cask Strength Canadian Whisky

By: Josh Gelfand | Review Date: 10/16/2025 | Send Email

These guys sure know how to pick them. Here’s a Canadian whisky that defies what most Americans might expect from the north. Blended from 49% rye, 48% corn, and 3% malted barley, and drawn from barrels aged between 12 and 25 years before a final rest in Madeira casks, this is a stunning example of thoughtful craftsmanship. Each grain and the finishing cask have their moment to shine. The nose opens with sarsaparilla, allspice, toasted coconut, and buttery pastries, all of which carry gracefully onto the palate. The flavors unfold further, revealing lemon custard (a hallmark of Madeira cask aging), orange marmalade, white chocolate, and a cascade of baking spices. It finishes with a touch of earthy potpourri, laced with spice, dried flowers, and cream soda. Despite the high proof, it drinks with deceptive ease and leaves you wondering what other treasures might be resting in those northern warehouses.

Price: Hidden

Found North "Season 6 - Tawny Port Finish #6118" K&L Exclusive Single Barrel Cask Strength Canadian Whisky

By: David Othenin-Girard | Review Date: 10/16/2025 | Send Email

If you’re not yet familiar with Found North, allow me to be the first to tell you that this brand is probably the most exciting new bottler in years. The Taylor brothers, who founded the company, seem to have cracked some sort of whisky cheat code. What they’ve proven is that mature whisky doesn’t need to spend its entire life in fresh wood to be complete. If you take well-aged whisky, blend it skillfully, and finish it thoughtfully, you can create something far greater than the sum of its parts. Of course, it’s not that simple. You need great whisky and great wood from the start. Blending is a huge factor as well, but it’s clear these guys are overachievers on both fronts. We’ve never had a Found North release that didn’t overdeliver, and these two new barrels are no exception. Let’s see how an old tawny port cask works with these exceptional old Canadian rye and corn whiskies. The color is a deep, sanguine auburn (1.5), an absolute about face from the Madeira cask, offering dense red fruit notes of cherry, cassis, and raspberry. Next come layers of roasted nuts and rich herbal tones such as cassia bark, cinchona, and kola nut. The palate shows dense rye spice and earthy warehouse floor more overtly than the Madeira, with the spice kicking up at the end. It begins with sweet, jammy red fruit like dark cherry and fudge before melding into gravelly rye spice and exotic herbs. Both whiskies are excellent and particularly fascinating to taste side by side to understand what a long, thoughtful finish can do when you start with bold, high-quality aged whisky.

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Found North "Season 6 - Madeira Finish #6131" K&L Exclusive Single Barrel Cask Strength Canadian Whisky

By: David Othenin-Girard | Review Date: 10/16/2025 | Send Email

If you’re not yet familiar with Found North, allow me to be the first to tell you that this brand is probably the most exciting new bottler in years. The Taylor brothers, who founded the company, seem to have cracked some sort of whisky cheat code. What they’ve proven is that mature whisky doesn’t need to spend its entire life in fresh wood to be complete. If you take well-aged whisky, blend it skillfully, and finish it thoughtfully, you can create something far greater than the sum of its parts. Of course, it’s not that simple -you need great whisky and great wood from the start. Blending is a huge factor as well, but it’s clear these guys are overachievers on both fronts. We’ve never had a Found North release that didn’t overdeliver, and these two new barrels are no exception. Let’s start with the Madeira Cask Finish. This one isn’t rye- or corn-heavy; instead, it perfectly balances its aromatic and palate-driven elements. The color is a lovely russet (1.3). The nose is explosive, offering baked orchard fruit, exotic spice, tense earthy oak, candied apricot, gravel, and caramel candies. On the palate, it’s dusty and old-school with loads of rye spice and earthy warehouse floor. With some air, the nose opens beautifully to sweet peach tea, fig jam, pink peppercorn, and wet cement. The palate stays bold, spicy, and earthy, while adding layers of sweet oak and candied corn. A tremendous and surprising whisky that fits into no box—and doesn’t need to. It’s simply delicious.

Price: Hidden

2019 Gulfi "NeroBufaleffj" Nero d'Avola Sicilia

By: Lilia McIntosh | Review Date: 10/15/2025 | Send Email

I have been a fan of Gulfi wines for years, so it's great to see it back in stock. This wine is outstanding example of properly made Nero d'Avola. It's a full bodied wine with depth, textural richness and velvety ripe tannins, packed with mulberry, blackberry and black currant with lovely bright acidity that keeps wine shine from from start to finish. there is also a savory note in it due to some age which adds extra layer of complexity. Delicious to pair with traditional Pasta 'Ncasciata.

Price: $44.99

VN: 96

JS: 93

2017 Launois "Helia" Grand Cru Brut Blanc de Blancs Champagne

By: Alex Leonardini | Review Date: 10/15/2025 | Send Email

The 2017 Launois "Helia" Blanc de Blancs, which in past vintages would have been bottled as the Special Club offering, lives among the best Champagnes in the store. Crisp green apple and lemon curd harmonize with richer roasted hazelnut and baked sourdough flavors, while the zippy acidity and soft texture find perfect cohesion. If you, like me, have bottles of Launois' Special Club bottlings tucked away for future consumption, the 2017 "Helia" has more than earned its place in the stash.

Price: $79.99

2019 Gulfi "NeroBufaleffj" Nero d'Avola Sicilia

By: Aaron Hughes | Review Date: 10/14/2025 | Send Email

Wow, that's quite the nose. Not the first time I've said that to something Italian. There's a kind of punchy dried fruit, cherries, spiced figs, little hints of sultana, all pushing through to the top along with some pepper and what smells like some neutral barrel spice. The palate is a little chewy, but also really beautifully fruited, it's just delicious with such a lovely line of acidity pushing through the whole thing. There's a kind of lightness to the body that the nose never even hinted at, an elegance that was belied by the heavy elbow-nudge of the nose. This is another Italian wine that's about a purity of fruit, and the true expression of the area put into a glass and delivered to you by your friends here at K&L. This is just a really tasty bottle.

Price: $44.99

VN: 96

JS: 93

2022 Hamilton Russell Chardonnay Hemel-en-Aarde Valley

By: Aaron Hughes | Review Date: 10/14/2025 | Send Email

There's a little bit of kind of light funk at the very start of this, that it takes a couple sniffs to get past, but once you're acclimated what's behind it is so incredibly pretty and worth the time you took. There's a soft and pretty green apple, honeyed lemon, a little bit of barrel, and then it all just integrates perfectly into a seamless single unit. The palate has amazing mouthfeel, really creamy and silky with a touch of barrel in the very back, but the front is that super classic apple and lemon combination with a sort of creaminess and softness to the fruit. There's acid, but it's laid back and kind of enjoying the whole party not really into getting super involved. This is a really well made and put together bottle of Chardonnay from South Africa, and something worth checking out if you're looking for the next adventure, or just want a nice bottle of Chardonnay.

Price: $44.99

2024 Bodega Chacra "Mainqué" Chardonnay Rio Negro Patagonia

By: Aaron Hughes | Review Date: 10/14/2025 | Send Email

There's this super ephemeral note that I'm trying to chase down in this wine that I just cannot quite seem to nail down, at first I think it's a little honey or beeswax, but then there's a more natural sort of apples and lemon curd rounding the whole thing out. The palate is really savory, there's some pretty fruit and a lot of pithy lemon in there, but there's also a sort of oily mid-note that I'm really enjoying, this is just a bottle of super classy Chardonnay that has finesse and polish, I want a little more age on this because this is absolutely the type of Chardonnay that's going to sing with a little more time.

Price: $69.99

JS: 97

RP: 93

2024 Aniello Blanco de Pinot Noir Rio Negro Patagonia

By: Aaron Hughes | Review Date: 10/14/2025 | Send Email

This is super fun wine, it's a white of Pinot Noir that's got a little bit of a coppery light salmon color in the glass. The nose is a little tropical and ripe, there's also some raspberry flowers, a little bit of bubblegum, and white cranberry. The palate has great acidity, a little bit of tropical before going more into the white cranberry and white raspberry kind of notes. I've had a few red varietals that have been vinified white, and really enjoyed every single one of them, this being no exception. It's something we're going to have to look at more and more as things get a little bit warmer and warmer as time goes on.

Price: $14.99

JS: 91

VN: 90

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