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- Gary Westby (541)
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- Keith Mabry (433)
- Kerry Kennell (1)
- Kirk Walker (276)
- Lilia McIntosh (44)
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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
Suntory Toki "Black" Japanese Whisky (750ml)
By: Aaron Hughes | Review Date: 10/31/2025 | Send Email
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 (750ml)
By: Aaron Hughes | Review Date: 10/31/2025 | Send Email
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
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:
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2022 d'Issan, Margaux
By: Ryan Moses | Review Date: 10/31/2025 | Send Email
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.
2023 Anonymous Wine Collective "Pagani Ranch - Ancient Vine" Sonoma Valley Zinfandel
By: Aaron Hughes | Review Date: 10/30/2025 | Send Email
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:
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Bollinger "PN TX20" Brut Champagne
By: Lilia McIntosh | Review Date: 10/29/2025 | Send Email
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.
Bollinger "PN TX20" Brut Champagne
By: Gary Westby | Review Date: 10/28/2025 | Send Email
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!
2023 Domaine du Chêne Vert "L'Enracinée" Crozes-Hermitage Rouge
By: Kerry Kennell | Review Date: 10/28/2025 | Send Email
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.
2016 Cos d'Estournel, St-Estèphe
By: Ryan Moses | Review Date: 10/28/2025 | Send Email
By: Ryan Moses | Review Date: 10/28/2025 | Send Email
It’s no secret that the 2016 Cos d’Estournel is a monumental wine. I remember the buzz when our team returned from En Primeur, and they were absolutely right—it became the signature release from the estate and one of the standout wines of the vintage, earning multiple perfect ratings and delivering one spectacular showing after another. I recently opened a bottle and was completely floored, even with my already sky-high expectations.
What I love about the 2016 is how it sits perfectly between the hedonistic tilt of the 2009 era and the super-refined style of more recent years. Both approaches have their merits, and only time (and a few open bottles) will tell the full story, but the way the 2016 draws from each while layering on the incredible character of the vintage is simply stunning.
Cabernet takes center stage here, with floral, cassis, and cedar aromatics. Deep, perfectly ripe red fruits coat the palate, but—as with all wines of this caliber—it’s the seamless texture, remarkable balance between fruit and acidity, and the incredibly fine tannins that steal the show. It just goes on and on, and this is still a young wine with many more levels to reveal. An undeniable success, I cannot recommend the 2016 Cos d’Estournel highly enough.
2022 Dominio de Pingus "PSI" Ribera del Duero
By: Rachael Ryan | Review Date: 10/27/2025 | Send Email
By: Rachael Ryan | Review Date: 10/27/2025 | Send Email
Though not Spanish by birth, Peter Sisseck is a legendary figure in Spain. After training in Bordeaux and California, he planted roots in Spain and established the now very famous Dominio de Pingus in Ribero del Duero. PSI is a relatively new project by Sisseck, meant to preserve the historic old bushvine vineyards in the region. The 2022 PSI is mainly Tinto Fino (Tempranillo) along with a small percentage of Garnacha – unusual for the region – as well as the white variety Albillo. Sisseck is committing to preserving these old vines as well, not just the Tinto Fino. Unlike Pingus, which pushes the boundaries of Tinto Fino’s power, Psi aims to express the region’s soul and reflect Ribera’s diverse heritage with a more elegant, balanced expression. It is fermented in concrete and aged mainly in large wooden casks. In the winery, Sisseck eschews many of the modern techniques and instead focuses on simple, traditional winemaking techniques, such as long, gentle macerations to get the most delicate extraction possible. The result is a somewhat restrained, compact style of Ribero del Duero, very black-fruited with wild blackberry and black currant. Faint earthy undertones are woven through the core of the wine, but the dominant character wine is elegance and power, knitted together in equal parts. The old vines have clearly provided a lot of raw intensity and depth, but the palate feel has finesse, with well-integrated tannins. This is such an exciting project from Sisseck and one that seems to get better every vintage.
2022 Hamilton Russell Chardonnay Hemel-en-Aarde Valley
By: Simon Li | Review Date: 10/26/2025 | Send Email
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.
2021 Montes "Purple Angel" Carménère Valle de Colchagua
By: Matthew Landau Hassan | Review Date: 10/26/2025 | Send Email
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.
2023 Domaine Cécile Chassagne Gigondas
By: Keith Mabry | Review Date: 10/24/2025 | Send Email
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.
2023 Domaine Marc Sorrel "Le Greal" Hermitage Rouge
By: Keith Mabry | Review Date: 10/24/2025 | Send Email
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.
2023 Domaine Marc Sorrel "Le Rocoules" Hermitage Blanc
By: Keith Mabry | Review Date: 10/24/2025 | Send Email
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.
2023 Domaine du Chêne Vert "L'Enracinée" Crozes-Hermitage Rouge
By: Matthew Landau Hassan | Review Date: 10/24/2025 | Send Email
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.
2024 Wrath "EX" Monterey County Sauvignon Blanc
By: Ryan Woodhouse | Review Date: 10/24/2025 | Send Email
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.
Lehmann "Jamesse Prestige" Grand Champagne Mouth-Blown Wine Glass #45
By: Alex Leonardini | Review Date: 10/22/2025 | Send Email
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
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
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
2023 Domaine Courbis "Les Royes" Saint-Joseph
By: Aaron Hughes | Review Date: 10/21/2025 | Send Email
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.
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2023 Domaine Courbis "Les Royes" Saint-Joseph
By: Keith Mabry | Review Date: 10/21/2025 | Send Email
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
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
2016 Haut-Bailly, Pessac-Léognan
By: Scott Beckerley | Review Date: 10/17/2025 | Send Email
By: Scott Beckerley | Review Date: 10/17/2025 | Send Email
This is one of the best vintages for Haut Bailly, in my humble opinion. It carries that classic 2016 vintage structure, tannin and longevity. This one also has an awesome core of deep purple and blue fruits, minerals and earthiness. Don't let the deep plush fruits fool you! This one will still cellar for years to come. It is also pretty and floral with the addition of tart cleanliness and a finish that lingers and lingers. It is big and bright at the same time! This is one not to miss for either current enjoyment or a trip down into the cellar.
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
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:
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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
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:
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Egrot Brut Champagne
By: Scott Beckerley | Review Date: 10/15/2025 | Send Email
By: Scott Beckerley | Review Date: 10/15/2025 | Send Email
I recently had the pleasure to retry this bottling....12 October 2025. As always with Elisabeth's champagnes, this one is another winner with high quality and an extremely affordable price. Medium to full-bodied with black cherry and roasted nut flavors. Elisabeth's bubblies always finish clean, with fresh minerality and this bottling is no exception. The finish is long, clean and mineral-laden. She is quite unique in this, being a Pinot dominant house.
Price:
$37.99
2017 Launois "Helia" Grand Cru Brut Blanc de Blancs Champagne
By: Alex Leonardini | Review Date: 10/15/2025 | Send Email
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
Egrot Brut Champagne
By: Alex Leonardini | Review Date: 10/15/2025 | Send Email
By: Alex Leonardini | Review Date: 10/15/2025 | Send Email
The Egrot Brut Champagne is a wonderfully approachable and delicious wine at a terrific value. The nose opens clean and crisp with subtle hints of brioche and beautifully ripe Golden Delicious Apple and Asian Pear fruits. The palate is equally alluring, with crisp apple, Asian Pear, and ripe yellow peach graciously complimented by warm, freshly baked brioche buns. Less toasty than some of the comparatively priced bottles, and less strikingly mineral than others, the Egrot Brut Champagne finds a cozy niche in the middle ground, making for an extremely approachable and dangerously drinkable bottle of Champagne great for any and all occasions.
Price:
$37.99
Egrot Brut Champagne
By: Chelsea Herholdt | Review Date: 10/15/2025 | Send Email
By: Chelsea Herholdt | Review Date: 10/15/2025 | Send Email
This gorgeous bottle shares land with some top-notch Pinot Noir-based Champagne producers, and it shows. Strawberry preserves on the nose, with a more structured, powerful, and mineral-driven palate all coming together in a wonderfully classic-feeling Champagne. The choice by Elizabeth Goutorbe to use all stainless steel gives a beautiful peek into the Aÿ terroir. This is a must-have wine in my opinion and would be fun to put side by side with a leaner style of Blanc de Blancs.
Price:
$37.99
2022 Hamilton Russell Chardonnay Hemel-en-Aarde Valley
By: Aaron Hughes | Review Date: 10/14/2025 | Send Email
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.
2024 Aniello Blanco de Pinot Noir Rio Negro Patagonia
By: Aaron Hughes | Review Date: 10/14/2025 | Send Email
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.
2024 Bodega Chacra "Barda" Pinot Noir Rio Negro Patagonia
By: Aaron Hughes | Review Date: 10/14/2025 | Send Email
By: Aaron Hughes | Review Date: 10/14/2025 | Send Email
The fruit is creamy on the nose, and typically with Pinot Noir that introduces an amount of barrel into the equation, but I might be getting ahead of myself. Lots of pretty cherry, a little bit of ripe strawberry, and then some dried herbs on the finish along with touches of toast. The palate is really light and pretty, before the tannins come in and give it a firm little grip, nothing you cannot mitigate with a little food or a little bit of aging. The fruited core is really lovely, very red with these little hints at black fruit around the very edges, definitely some oak but nothing that overwhelms the wine. All in all this is really well made and delicious, something I would absolutely visit again. Definitely recommend a bit of air, it was much better in the evening than when we first popped the bottle.
2019 K&L Discovery Series Italy, Brunello di Montalcino
By: Simon Li | Review Date: 10/13/2025 | Send Email
By: Simon Li | Review Date: 10/13/2025 | Send Email
This 2019 Brunello di Montalcino from discovery series is a serious wine! It opens with a complex and alluring nose of sour cherry, new leather, and a hint of dried herbs. The first sip reveals a powerful core of red plum and black cherry fruit, framed by assertive, fine-grained tannins and vibrant acidity. Possessing significant aging potential, this wine is built for the cellar and will reward patience as it evolves over the next 15 to 20 years but surprisingly shows good even you have it now. Its immense structure is beautifully balanced, keeping the concentrated power in check. The finish is exceptionally long and persistent, echoing notes of dried earth and sweet tobacco.
2022 Clos la-Gaffelière, St-Émilion
By: Simon Li | Review Date: 10/13/2025 | Send Email
By: Simon Li | Review Date: 10/13/2025 | Send Email
The 2022 Clos la Gaffelière bursts from the glass with an intense, youthful bouquet of blackberry liqueur, crushed violets, and sweet spice. Its palate is remarkably concentrated and plush, delivering waves of opulent black plum and cassis fruit with a modern, polished feel. A surprising line of freshness cuts through the richness, suggesting a balanced evolution and significant aging potential. The finish is long and dominated by dark fruit, leaving a lasting impression of a powerful yet impeccably crafted wine that will need time to fully unwind.
2005 Verdignan, Haut-Médoc
By: Simon Li | Review Date: 10/13/2025 | Send Email
By: Simon Li | Review Date: 10/13/2025 | Send Email
At twenty years of age, the 2005 Verdignan reveals a beautifully mature bouquet of old leather, cedar, and dried blackcurrant. The palate is wonderfully resolved and elegant, with silky tannins that carry complex flavors of cigar box and forest floor. A core of stewed plum provides a touch of remaining fruit, which is perfectly integrated with savory notes of dried herbs and graphite. All the components are in perfect harmony, showcasing the grace and poise that can only come from extended cellaring.
2016 K&L Discovery Series Italy, Barolo (Vintage Release)
By: Simon Li | Review Date: 10/13/2025 | Send Email
By: Simon Li | Review Date: 10/13/2025 | Send Email
This 2016 Barolo from discovery is aromatically stunning red that offering classic notes of dried flowers, red cherry, and a touch of tar. The palate is intense and powerful, showcasing pure red fruit flavors layered with hints of savory spice and earth. Its structure is the main feature, with firm, gripping tannins and vibrant acidity that promise a long life ahead. The finish is exceptionally long and structured, indicating it will evolve beautifully for many years to come.
Price:
$34.99
2016 Haut-Bailly, Pessac-Léognan
By: Ryan Moses | Review Date: 10/13/2025 | Send Email
By: Ryan Moses | Review Date: 10/13/2025 | Send Email
A double 100-pointer—from two of the region’s most celebrated critics, no less—shouldn’t be available at this kind of price. It also happens to be Left Bank Bordeaux from one of the greatest vintages on record, now approaching its second decade. And the producer? A long-time K&L favorite with a proven track record and one of the wine world’s great success stories. The 2016 Haut-Bailly is pure Bordeaux brilliance—the complete package in every respect—and I cannot recommend it highly enough.
When Haut-Bailly is this good, it’s the combination of finesse and depth of flavor that truly makes it shine. Yes, it’s structured, but it’s also engaging on every level—stunning aromatics that capture the deep fruit and minerality of Pessac, along with a bright, focused, and impeccably textured palate that carries itself with graceful power. The long finish reveals fine tannins and a subtle savory note that begs for another sip. There’s already so much going on here, yet there’s no doubt another ten years will bring even more magic. Either way, this is a textbook example of an elite Bordeaux producer operating at the highest level—all at a price that’s as rewarding as it gets for wine of this caliber.
2020 K&L Discovery Series Italy, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano
By: Carlo Delgado | Review Date: 10/10/2025 | Send Email
By: Carlo Delgado | Review Date: 10/10/2025 | Send Email
Sangiovese is one of my favorite varietals. A truly unique grape most often recognized in the famous wines of Brunello di Montalcino and Chianti. Yet 'Vino Nobile' di Montepulciano, once among Italy’s most prestigious wine regions, is often overlooked. Today, it’s a hidden gem for Sangiovese lovers, offering remarkable quality at an exceptional value. On the nose, pretty aromas of red apple skin, savory dried herbs, fresh laurel, old leather, and an array of red berries. On the palate, lively, lifted, with a long, refreshing finish. A versatile wine that can pair with a variety of dishes. Perfect for a dinner party.
2021 K&L Discovery Series Italy, Barolo
By: Cary Herrman | Review Date: 10/9/2025 | Send Email
By: Cary Herrman | Review Date: 10/9/2025 | Send Email
It's all about the texture here for me - that firm, almost towel-like grip that dries your palate just enough to make the fruit pop. Then, in comes this wave of soft, red fruit that feels both lush and refined. It's classic Barolo structure with a modern wink - serious bones, but it knows how to have a little fun. Give it a swirl and a minute to stretch, and it turns downright charming.
Price:
$27.99
2019 K&L Discovery Series Italy, Brunello di Montalcino
By: Cary Herrman | Review Date: 10/9/2025 | Send Email
By: Cary Herrman | Review Date: 10/9/2025 | Send Email
That burnished, almost orange hue instantly catches the eye in glass - a sign that this Brunello has a rebellious side. On the palate it's elegant and finely tuned, with bright acidity giving lift to it's delicate frame. What it lacks in weight it makes up for in precision and poise, showing a graceful side of Montalcino that's often overlooked. A quietly confident Brunello that proves power isn't everything.
Ariston Aspasie "Brut de Fût" Champagne
By: Kerry Kennell | Review Date: 10/8/2025 | Send Email
By: Kerry Kennell | Review Date: 10/8/2025 | Send Email
This is not a flashy Champagne dandy—more one to sip and contemplate. Firmly planting your feet where the wine was made, it tastes like an old Champagne cellar, but an exceedingly good way. This wine shows rather than tells—apple tarte tatin, lemon verbena, and a faint hit of smoke with a flinty minerality and a racy acidity that cuts a marvelous swath of masculine class and finesse. There’s a difficult to describe sense of the dark shadows in a cold, dusty cellar. These wistful qualities can never be produced on a large commercial scale — one for true lovers of the complex side of micro-lot grower Champagne.
Price:
$69.99
Bollinger "PN TX20" Brut Champagne
By: Aaron Hughes | Review Date: 10/8/2025 | Send Email
By: Aaron Hughes | Review Date: 10/8/2025 | Send Email
It's always such a treat when Gary opens these up, he's such a great guy he makes a video hyping the product and then leaves the rest for the staff to enjoy. It is very appreciated and very Gary Westby of him. The nose on this is super pretty, there's just a little subtle waft of red fruit and then it immediately transitions into blood orange with a little bit of creamy lemon behind it along with a touch of salinity, all ensconced by a really light sourdough crumb. The palate is crisp, great acidity on the edges and a really pretty lemon flower and super crisp green apple on the palate, followed by some delicious chalky salinity that lingers on the palate between sips. Just marvelous, a fantastic bottle with grace and elegance and a really pretty smile, this is definitely a top pick
2023 Domaine du Chêne Vert "L'Enracinée" Crozes-Hermitage Rouge
By: Keith Mabry | Review Date: 10/8/2025 | Send Email
By: Keith Mabry | Review Date: 10/8/2025 | Send Email
L’Enracinée—meaning “deeply rooted”—comes from 60-year-old vines of massal selection planted over pebbles and clay-loam soils. The wine is 50% whole-cluster fermented and aged in barrels, with the best lots selected for this cuvée.
A more mouthfilling expression, it opens with blackberry and blackcurrant fruit layered with notes of lavender and wild thyme. Hints of smoked meat and spice add a classic Syrah character. The palate shows depth and lift, unfolding gracefully with air. Restrained yet expressive, it’s an elegant wine with a touch of swagger—like a bespoke suit accented by a perfectly chosen pocket square.
2016 K&L Discovery Series Italy, Barolo (Vintage Release)
By: Scott Beckerley | Review Date: 10/8/2025 | Send Email
By: Scott Beckerley | Review Date: 10/8/2025 | Send Email
Stupid, stupid, stupid! Both myself and this wine. I finally managed to taste it today; 8 October, and we are out of stock! More coming, luckily! The wine itself is also stupid. An amazingly stupid value! I'm still in shock over the price. Brilliant. So alive with leather, tobacco leaf, cranberry, orange peel, dark cherries. Classic. Elegant. Structured, Cellarable. Orazio has done such a excellent job with this series and this one just knocks it out of the ballpark. I really, really need to grab a few bottles once they arrive before all of our customers do. Which you will. You know you will. You have good taste.
Price:
$34.99
2022 K&L Discovery Series Italy, Super Tuscan
By: Scott Beckerley | Review Date: 10/8/2025 | Send Email
By: Scott Beckerley | Review Date: 10/8/2025 | Send Email
This full and lush Super Tuscan is stiff competition for the best Cabernet Sauvignon blends that California has to offer. It is quite dark in colour and fragrant with rich red/black fruits. Blackberry, boysenberry, a nice bit of red cassis. There is a counterbalance of dusty tannin, rosemary and cedar. The finish is very dry (and bright!), and it lingers for quite a while. Though immediately enjoyable, it will be interesting to see where it goes in the future. It is so darn good now, that keeping it in the cellar for a bit will probably prove difficult!
2019 K&L Discovery Series Italy, Brunello di Montalcino
By: Scott Beckerley | Review Date: 10/8/2025 | Send Email
By: Scott Beckerley | Review Date: 10/8/2025 | Send Email
This is the second wine that I tasted from our Discovery Series Italian selections. Like the first one, the Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, it combines excellent quality with a very affordable price. The nice thing about this particular release is that it quite supple and drinkable so early on. Dark and ripe cherry fruit dominate throughout, with very clean oak, dried orange peel and warm savory herbs. There is a very nice clean and brightish finish with a lightly salted tanginess. Mellow enough to drink now but, it should also age very well for years to come. This is a bottling that should appeal to many different kinds of Brunello enthusiasts.
2020 K&L Discovery Series Italy, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano
By: Scott Beckerley | Review Date: 10/8/2025 | Send Email
By: Scott Beckerley | Review Date: 10/8/2025 | Send Email
This gem was quite the singular surprise! A thoroughly pleasant treat that has both brightness and depth. Red fruits dominate both the nose and the palate with some very nice barrel spice and an upper palate hint of minerals. The mid-palate tannins are soft, and this is where darker red fruits (cherry) come forth. The finish is on the cleaner side with the barest hint of minerals. It is also a crazy good value. It tastes far more expensive than it is. A real delightful bottling!
2022 K&L Discovery Series Italy, Super Tuscan
By: Kerry Kennell | Review Date: 10/8/2025 | Send Email
By: Kerry Kennell | Review Date: 10/8/2025 | Send Email
This is a sumptuous mouthful of wine for the price. Our 2022 Discovery Series Italy Super Tuscan is tall, dark, and handsome—black currant, blackberries, black plum—a real Casanova. A lush, plush mouthfeel brings notions of dried herbs and graphite. This is a wine to build a dinner around—steak, roasted pork, or venison would be natural pairings. For those who don't cook—break out the sharp cheddar, aged dry cheese, prosciutto, Marcona almonds, and even dark chocolate for a pleasurable evening of indulgence.
2022 Giovinco Etna Rosso
By: Aaron Hughes | Review Date: 10/7/2025 | Send Email
By: Aaron Hughes | Review Date: 10/7/2025 | Send Email
This is just so good, so friendly, and at such a great price I couldn't help but pick it as one of the wines I reviewed today. We tasted a line from this producer that were all exceptional, but you gotta pick your favorite and this was a favorite of the whole tasting. The nose is bright, high toned red fruit and just really pure all the way through, a cacophony of red swirling up at you and then becoming this single harmonious and beautiful thing, it's like raspberries, red cherries, rose petal, a little touch of hibiscus, and bright fresh alpine strawberries all just working together and sing out so prettily. The palate is bright and clean with a lingering sort of toastiness from some kind of oak, but nothing that ends up being disharmonious or out of whack, just a nice toasty finish at the end. It's just this really beautiful package and it makes complete sense with every sip. Just great.
Price:
$26.99