K&L Wine Merchants - Staff Favorites

Baron-Fuenté "Quinconce" Brut Champagne (formerly Esprit)

By: Aaron Hughes | Review Date: 7/8/2025 | Send Email

An even blend of 1/3 Chardonnay, 1/3 Meunier, and 1/3 Pinot Noir, this is also aged on the lees for 7 years before bottling. The nose has a nice briochey note to it, along with some really pretty but classic fruit, fresh and baked apples with lemon, a little floral touch of quince in the back. The palate is really crisp and clean, the brioche still light with lemon-doused fruit and a really really pretty finish that lingers for a long moment before a softly saline and mineral finish. Time and time again, the Baron Fuente wines overdeliver while undercharging, but hey, we'll take that recipe any day.

Price: $39.99

Baron-Fuenté "Quinconce" Blanc de Blancs Brut Champagne (formerly Esprit)

By: Aaron Hughes | Review Date: 7/8/2025 | Send Email

All of the Baron Fuente Quinconce wines are aged on the lees for 7 years, this help develop that beautiful toasty briochey note that some people really look for in their Champagne. This is no different, made from 100% Chardonnay, the nose smells like a freshly baked baguette, green apple slices, and lemon zest. The palate is crisp and delicious, with a really nice depth from the time on the lees. The fruit is really dense, almost a little reduced on the palate, giving this is a sense of opulence for me, there's just something so pleasantly unctuous about how the fruit lingers. This would be one of my top choices for passed appetizers after a toast, or by yourself at 8pm while you read a nice book.

Price: $39.99

Baron-Fuenté "Grande Réserve" Brut Champagne

By: Aaron Hughes | Review Date: 7/8/2025 | Send Email

This is super pretty, super classic, with a really lovely fruited nose with red apple, a little bit of lemon zest, the middle of a baguette and just a little bit of chalkiness. The palate is still very red apple, but now completely drenched in lemon juice, really delicious and a crowd-pleasing style of Champagne. It's got a little bit of toast for those who want it, lots of fruit, and a really nice round acid character, not too sharp or biting. This is such a good deal at this price, and really deserves to be entered into your rotation for as long as we have, this bottle like all our other direct-import Champagne moves quickly, so if you like it, case up right away.

Price: $29.99

JS: 90

Gilbert Jacquesson "Cuvée Tradition" Blanc de Noirs Brut Champagne

By: Aaron Hughes | Review Date: 7/8/2025 | Send Email

I've found that Champagnes made with Meunier is so incredibly food friendly, there's a little bit of savoriness in the mid-palate that just makes it match a little bit better than other Champagnes for me. This is no exception. There's a lovely leesy toast on this, kind of like a toasted baguette, accompanying soft floral red notes, like raspberry flowers and strawberry buds, accompanied by a little honeysuckle. The palate is strikingly delicious, crisp green apple doused with lemon and a little bit of chalk, umami notes and then moving into a soft and pretty floral finish, with apple blossoms and orange flowers playing about. This is absolutely fantastic and extremely well priced. This shouldn't last, so make sure to get what you can now.

Price: $29.99

2020 Viña Maquis "Lien" Red Blend Valle de Colchagua

By: Aaron Hughes | Review Date: 7/7/2025 | Send Email

Before I even knew what the blend was, I knew that this was Carménère based. Well, I suspected it and hedged my best on it possibly being Cabernet Sauvignon, so with those two grapes accounting for 90% of the wine I feel fairly validated. What led me to that conclusion? Pyrazines. Those are that green bean, bell pepper, super herbal or even green peppercorn note that you can find in wines and this has it in abundance. For a while it evades a specific kind of reference before finally my nose allows it to go settle in the background so that the very pretty and very ripe black fruit can show on the nose. The palate is very nice and deeply fruited, blackberries and cherries alongside some barrel spice with a long and tasty finish. This is very tasty wine, made in a very structured and still elegant wine, with nice fine tannins and a decent acidity. I could see this aging well for a while, or just pulling this bottle for a steak night when I don't want to spend over $40.

Price: Hidden

2020 Viña Maquis "Lien" Red Blend Valle de Colchagua

By: Simon Li | Review Date: 7/7/2025 | Send Email

2020 Maquis Lien doesn’t just show fruit—it shows form. It opens with dark berries and graphite, but quickly draws you into deeper layers: smoke, grilled herbs, tobacco leaf, even a peppery hint of Tabasco. The texture is rich but focused, with firm tannins and a mineral edge that makes each sip feel sculpted.

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2020 Ducru-Beaucaillou "Croix de Beaucaillou," St-Julien

By: Simon Li | Review Date: 7/7/2025 | Send Email

Beautifully inky in color, it kicks off with rich black plum and blackberry on the nose, overlaid with graphite, crushed stone minerality, violet florals, and a whisper of tobacco leaf. It’s full-bodied with intense fruit concentration, plush mid-palate energy, and fine-grained, ripe tannins that give it a velvety yet powerful grip. On the palate, expect layers of cocoa, roasted almond, and dusty minerality, all held together by a saline, linear backbone. The finish is long and precise, echoing dark fruit, smoke, and a fresh mint-kissed lift. Though approachable now with decanting, its tannic structure suggests it shines better with a few more years in the cellar.

Price: $57.99

2022 Mastroberardino Lacryma Christi del Vesuvio Rosso

By: Orazio Campoli | Review Date: 7/4/2025 | Send Email

The red wine Lacryma di Christi del Vesuvio Rosso brings the volcanic power of Mount Vesuvius to the glass. Mastroberardino produces this wine as one of Campania's leading wineries while honoring ancient viticulture and myth. According to local legend Christ wept over paradise's destruction so his tears fell on Vesuvius' slopes to bless the land. The wine derives its authentic Neapolitan winemaking essence from Piedirosso and Aglianico grapes which are native to the region. The wine displays deep ruby red color with violet undertones when poured into a glass. The wine presents strong scents of black cherry and dried herbs and crushed volcanic rock alongside subtle wildflower and smoke notes. The wine presents itself as medium-bodied with soft tannins and bright acidity. The wine presents red plum and raspberry flavors alongside earthy spice notes which are balanced by a refreshing mineral core that stems from volcanic soils. The wine finishes with a smooth and slightly savory character.

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2023 Brokenwood Sémillon Hunter Valley New South Wales

By: Aaron Hughes | Review Date: 7/1/2025 | Send Email

There's like soft notes of melon, lemon, a little bit of something tropical, something bright and herbal, and then wet river rocks on the nose. The palate is unctuous, super dense and heavy mouthfeel, often described as "waxy", but whatever you choose to call it, it makes the whole sip feel plush and round in the most perfect of ways. Despite the weight, there's great acidity here, the fruit is lemon-lime with amazing acidity pushing those flavors forward, along with that rocky kind of minerality and a lingering, ethereal finish. This is fantastic and I look forward to pairing this with a number of different things before I decide which I like the best, tastes extremely versatile.

Price: $19.99

DC: 92

WE: 91

JS: 90

2020 Ducru-Beaucaillou "Croix de Beaucaillou," St-Julien

By: Aaron Hughes | Review Date: 7/1/2025 | Send Email

While some wines taste young for their age, this one really turns it around the other way, tasting far older than it is, in a really good way. The nose at first open shines with a little oil cured olive, but after some time to open up there's still that olive, but also a loamy mushroom, and some welcome pyrazines. There's some really soft and ripe red and black fruit, along with just a pleasant little hint of the barn. This just smells like it's going to taste structured, there's an elegance to it that surprised me at first, along with tertiary notes not often found in wine just a few years old. The palate is a little dusty both from the barn and from the tannins. The fruit is brighter than I expected, with a tart cherry, cranberry, violets, and then a lingering earthy finish. This has a lot going for it, and tastes like it has about 5-10 more years of age on it than it does. I would highly recommend this for anyone who thinks I must be goofy and wants to prove me wrong, or anyone who believes me and wants to get a really nice, structured, and tertiary showing Bordeaux for $45.

Price: $57.99

2019 La Rioja Alta "Viña Ardanza" Reserva Rioja

By: Aaron Hughes | Review Date: 7/1/2025 | Send Email

This has such a classic Rioja nose, there's a lot of black cherry and brambley fruits but also a lot of dill, cigar box, and that sweet touch of American oak on the finish. The palate is surprisingly bright, but still solidly medium bodied, with a great line of acidity rushing through the whole palate and helping to balance everything out in the end. Raspberry and pie cherry fruit give way to tannin and then a long and lingering barrel spice and toasty oak finish. This is such a tasty bottle of wine for the price, a really great wine for barbecue if you want something that will really cut through that fat and grease and compliment whatever you choose to have with it. I could also see this with a fatty cut of steak as an alternative if one was so inclined. While this could lay down, it really doesn't need to, it just needs someone to love it and have it with a little food.

Price: $39.99

Port Charlotte (Bruichladdich) 10 Year Old Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky (750ml)

By: Stephanie Manning | Review Date: 6/30/2025 | Send Email

Port Charlotte 10 Year shows off Bruichladdich’s knack for turning raw Islay elements into something striking, yet elegant. It’s a coastal campfire in a glass—smoky, salty, and deeply rooted in Islay’s maritime soul. The barbecue and brine are distinctive, but the smoke frames rather than overwhelms, allowing oak and fruit notes to shine. The ten-year age statement smooths this dram’s wilder edges, giving it a body and balance not always found in heavily peated whiskies. Balance is something at which Bruichladdich excels; their flagship expression, The Classic Laddie, is mellow and unpeated; a stark contrast to their releases of Octomore, the most heavily peated Scotch in the world. They have hypermodern branding, yet the closest thing to a computer found in their distillery is a chalkboard. They do nearly everything as it was done in the late 1800s, while championing sustainability and pure Islay provenance, using Scottish barley, maturing all their whisky on the island, and refusing chill-filtration or caramel coloring. In fact, they are one of only three B-corp certified distilleries in the country. Unlike most of their bottles, Bruichladdich itself is transparent, producing their various expressions grain-to-glass. The Port Charlotte line is an homage to the nearby, long-shuttered Lochindaal distillery, which historically produced heavily peated whiskies. About 75% of the 10-year expression spends its life in American whiskey barrels, while the remainder is matured in French red wine casks. Ultimately, it’s a vibrantly layered, smoky charmer, perfect for both peat-heads and the peat-curious alike.

Price: $59.99

WA: 91

2022 Font de Courtedune Châteauneuf-du-Pape

By: Lauren Jacobson | Review Date: 6/25/2025 | Send Email

An incredibly pretty Châteauneuf-du-Pape that leaves no doubt as to its place of origin. Elegant and finessed, this wine still presents undeniable structure. When it comes to pairing potential, it offers a versatility almost comparable to northern Italian reds—though with softer tannins. Red fruit and apricot on the nose are joined by notes of garrigue, sage, violet, and a hint of orange peel. I immediately think of lamb meatballs with plenty of herbs, olive tapenade, or even grilled tuna steak over greens.

Price: $39.99

JD: 89 - 92

RP: 90

2022 Font de Courtedune Châteauneuf-du-Pape

By: Keith Mabry | Review Date: 6/25/2025 | Send Email

One of our best recent acquisitions to our Direct Import portfolio continues to blow me away—Caroline Charrière of Font de Courtedune of Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Since taking over from her father (and joined by her brother who tends the vineyards), she’s stayed true to the family’s roots, working with the same old vines and using the traditional tools and methods handed down through generations. Her vineyards are mostly old-vine Grenache, planted on sandy soils (safre), which are cooler than the region’s famous galets (rolled stones). That means fresher wines with finer tannins—especially important as the climate continues to warm. Her main vineyard is even next door to Rayas, and yes, I’ve seen Emmanuel Reynaud working the parcel just down the slope. Caroline’s approach in the cellar is simple: whole cluster fermentation in concrete tanks, no punchdowns, just gentle pumpovers to keep things moving. The result is a wine that’s all about purity, elegance, and place. The 2022 vintage is showing beautifully—strawberry, red plum, garrigue, and a subtle oolong tea note. It’s got ripe, polished tannins and a long, graceful finish. Drink it now with a good decant (perfect with grilled lamb or, like I had it, steak haché), or tuck it away in the cellar for a few years and let it evolve. This is distinctive, character-driven Châteauneuf that really overdelivers!

Price: $39.99

JD: 89 - 92

RP: 90

Gilbert Jacquesson "Cuvée Tradition" Blanc de Noirs Brut Champagne

By: Gary Westby | Review Date: 6/25/2025 | Send Email

This 100% estate grown, 100% Meunier bottling has to be tasted to be believed. No short cuts have been taken- the vines are painstakingly looked after by JB Jacquesson and the wine aged for three years on the lees with 50% reserves from the four previous years. What is the catch? There is none... We buy this direct from JB and then sell it to you. The wine is clean, full of pastry crust aromas and has a long finish that is dry but not austere. Why drink sparkling when you can drink great grower champagne?

Price: $29.99

2020 Léoville-Poyferré, St-Julien

By: Ryan Moses | Review Date: 6/25/2025 | Send Email

While this vintage stylishly celebrates 100 years of the Cuvelier family at the helm, what they’ve accomplished over the past 20 years is a towering achievement in itself. Pick any vintage from that period, and you'll find an overachieving rendition of St-Julien—one that blends quintessential terroir with a consistently delicious and remarkably complex house style. The 2020 highlights the more concentrated structure of the vintage, with deeply pitched fruit, fine and precise tannins, and a density that will undoubtedly unfold beautifully over time. There’s a lot going on here, and while its best years are still ahead, this wine clearly echoes some of their all-time greats—perhaps most notably the 2010. Either way, this stunning and beautifully adorned bottle will be a standout in any collection and marks yet another triumph for Léoville-Poyferré and the Cuvelier family.

Price: $124.99

2019 Léoville-Poyferré, St-Julien

By: Ryan Moses | Review Date: 6/25/2025 | Send Email

This is one of my secret weapons in collectible Bordeaux—a world-class experience at an all-too-reasonable price. I firmly believe it captures the brilliance of Left Bank Cabernet that defines the 2019 vintage, while benefiting from the attractive pricing that makes 2019 one of the best buying opportunities in Bordeaux. Though still primary at this stage, it’s accessible, dynamic, and immediately delicious. Perfectly balanced, with deep cassis, fine minerality, and incredible texture, this is a wine of real substance and depth. From the aromas to the mid-palate to the long finish, it moves seamlessly from one nuance to the next. I can’t wait to see how it ages, but even now, it has so much to offer. I can easily imagine it going toe-to-toe with the estate’s benchmark releases from 2009 and 2010—but for the moment, it remains one of their best-kept secrets. Don’t miss it.

Price: $109.99

2016 La Dame de Montrose, St-Estèphe

By: Ryan Moses | Review Date: 6/25/2025 | Send Email

Between the vintage, the brilliant expression of Montrose character, its current evolution, and our market-leading price, the 2016 Dame de Montrose is easily one of the best buys on our Bordeaux shelf. Often considered one of the region’s all-time great second wines, the 2016 vintage—an outstanding year in which the Grand Vin earned multiple 100-point scores—delivers a next-level experience that many other estates would be proud to call their flagship release. Aromatically, there’s classic cassis and wild black fruit, but the palate leans more toward red fruit, with remarkable purity, great texture, and a long, mineral-tinged finish. Now nearly ten years from the vintage, the tannins are beginning to soften, offering a level of accessibility that makes it especially appealing today. That said, it’s just at the beginning of a long drinking window, and I’d expect another five years before more mature flavors begin to emerge. All in all, this is a compelling, delicious, and dynamic release from Montrose—full of character—and one I can’t recommend highly enough.

Price: $59.99

2016 Les Pagodes de Cos, St-Estèphe

By: Ryan Moses | Review Date: 6/25/2025 | Send Email

In 2016, nearly every wine in Bordeaux performed at a very high level, but a few standout examples rose above the rest—and Cos d'Estournel was clearly one of the champions of the vintage. Their second wine, Pagodes de Cos, has long been a top-tier value, but it takes things to another level in a year like 2016, when the Grand Vin earned multiple 100-point scores. Elements of that flagship wine are present in Pagodes: great St-Estèphe structure, deep red fruits, superb texture, impressive concentration, and a mineral-lined, long finish. It’s now beginning to enter what I expect will be a broad drinking window. With 50% Cabernet in the blend, that varietal’s character shines through on the finish, while the Merlot brings brightness and accessibility. This is a stunner for Pagodes—and one of the best they’ve produced. We also happen to be offering it right now at market-best pricing.

Price: $64.99

2023 Domaine de Gaubourg "Rosa" Val de Loire Rouge

By: Aaron Hughes | Review Date: 6/24/2025 | Send Email

Really pretty floral notes on the opening along with a lot of the crunchier red fruits, cranberry, chokecherry, bright raspberry, along with a slightly creamy note, and a lot of spices. The palate is super refreshing, especially with a slight chill on it, with a reasonable amount of tannins but nothing crazy. This isn't rose, this is just a very light and chillable red. The fruit is cranberry, pie cherry, and under ripe raspberries along with a slight touch of a fresh tarry leather, bringing in a lot of savory notes. This is really great and I could see myself having this with duck, chicken, or just a chunk of cheese and some charcuterie, either way it's going to be a delicious evening. This wine deserves to be on everyone's summer to-do list.

Price: $24.99

2019 Roederer "L'Ermitage" Anderson Valley Brut Sparkling Wine

By: Ryan Woodhouse | Review Date: 6/23/2025 | Send Email

40 years after first planting vineyards in Northern California's Anderson Valley, famed Champagne house Louis Roederer has just achieved a remarkable feat, being awarded the first 100-point score for a US sparkling wine from Wine Enthusiast! Roederer Estate's prestigious "L'Ermitage" bottling is the tête de cuvée from their US estate. The equivalent bottling on the French, Louis Roederer side of the business, is Cristal. Winemaker Arnaud Weyrich has been working with Roederer since 1993. He has held several roles with the company both in Champagne and here in Anderson Valley. After a stint at Champagne Louis Roederer in Reims, as the Chief Technical Officer, Arnaud took an opportunity in 2002 to move with his family to run operations in California and has been doing so ever since. When selecting fruit for L'Ermitage, Arnaud chooses only his favorite parcels from dozens of blocks, across seven different vineyards throughout the Anderson Valley. Only the very best wines are selected. 5% of the base wine is barrel fermented, then the wine ages for over 5 years on the lees before being disgorged. The 2019 is a suave and sophisticated wine with stunning purity of fruit, crystalline elegance, a fine, silky bead on the palate with so much freshness and vibrancy. A blend of 52% Chardonnay and 48% Pinot Noir, with 5% reserve wine added to the assemblage. The dosage is just 6g/L, the lowest ever for L'Ermitage because the wine has all the texture and depth it needs without a heavy dosage. It's a stunning wine that will continue to grow and shine for 5-10 years at least.

Price: $79.95

WE: 100

VN: 96

JD: 95

2015 Billecart-Salmon Rosé Champagne

By: Mandana Tourani | Review Date: 6/22/2025 | Send Email

The 2015 Billecart-Salmon Brut Rosé is a vintage Champagne that combines elegance, structure, and aging potential. Made from 52% Chardonnay and 48% Pinot Noir, it's been aged for 98 months on the lees and finished with a low dosage. Expect vibrant notes of wild strawberry, blood orange, baking spice, and crushed chalk. This is a beautifully crafted rosé that shows the depth and precision Billecart-Salmon is known for. Just Stunning!

Price: $119.99

Arran 10 Year Old (New Label) Island Single Malt Scotch Whisky (700ml)

By: Stephanie Manning | Review Date: 6/21/2025 | Send Email

Arran 10 Year Old is an inviting, graceful expression of unpeated malt from the Isle of Arran’s first legal distillery in over 150 years, Lochranza. It drinks light and clean, with notes of soft, creamy vanilla and honey, followed by loads of bright citrus, baked pear, and mildly nutty pastry. One gets a slight note of warm coconut in the finish. An extremely balanced whisky characterized by the fruit-forwardness Lochranza is known for. The distillery utilizes water from Loch na Davie that’s naturally low in minerality, which is then filtered through six waterfalls before being used directly for production. This one is gentle enough for a daily dram, with a quiet complexity that lingers. Those new to single malts take note: none of Arran’s releases add coloring or chill filtration, and all are perpetually drinkable. Their transparency and simplicity only adds to their charm; much like the island itself.

Price: $59.99

Arran 10 Year Old (New Label) Island Single Malt Scotch Whisky (700ml)

By: Josh Gelfand | Review Date: 6/19/2025 | Send Email

A true classic island malt, the Arran distillery demonstrates what a great unpeated maritime whisky can be. This is their flagship expression, and it’s supremely approachable—equally suited to the seasoned Scotch connoisseur and the newly malt-curious drinker. The nose is warm and honeyed, with notes of baked apple, toasted coconut, malt, graham crackers, and a hint of sea salt. The first sip builds on the aromas, introducing touches of nuttiness, lemongrass, and dried stone fruits. The finish is clean and rounded, settling into a gentle harmony of honeyed malt and toasted pastries. It’s a perfect everyday dram.

Price: $59.99

2015 Suduiraut, Sauternes (375ml)

By: Aaron Hughes | Review Date: 6/18/2025 | Send Email

Super pretty nose filled with honey, white peach, candied orange peel, white flowers, and a little bit of beeswax. The palate has a really delicious and amazing texture, there's dense honeyed apricots, orange zest, marzipan, and more white flowers with a little bit of white tea on the finish. It maintains a really nice level of sweetness, landing in a lovely spot that is sweet enough for dessert but with enough acidity to stop it from being cloying or just too darn much. This is a very serious yummy lil Sauternes that will inevitably age very well over the next 50+ years if you let it, but is absolutely delicious right now or tonight after dinner. One of my favorite things to do with Sauternes is just have a little bit every night over a week or two and taste how the bottle opens up and develops. It's also a great excuse to always have a bottle of Sauternes open in the fridge for when you feel like you deserve a little treat.

Price: $44.99

JD: 99

RP: 98

TWI: 98

2016 La Dame de Montrose, St-Estèphe

By: Scott Beckerley | Review Date: 6/18/2025 | Send Email

Another one of these fantastic re-releases of second labels for very little $. A complex nose of dark red fruits, light anise, and clean wood scents. In the mouth, lively tannins, with deep red and black fruits. Generous black licorice flavors on the lingering finish. This wine is inviting and supple and balanced. It is also elegant and extremely drinkable.

Price: $59.99

Woodford Reserve Distiller's Select "The Louisville Barrels'' K&L Exclusive Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey (1L)

By: Josh Gelfand | Review Date: 6/18/2025 | Send Email

This is close to what you know of Woodford Reserve, but with a brightness that is quite welcoming due to it being all column distilled. The nose opens with sweet cherries, milk chocolate covered caramel and dried apricots, with a lovely touch of spiced apples. First sip confirms everything that the nose offered, with the approachable depth Woodford is so well known for: sweet, spicy, rich, and inviting. Oaky caramel and berries remain on the finish, but the sweetness subsides and allows the dry spice of the rye to reveal itself allowing this to land in a way that demands another sip.

Price: $47.99

2009 Langoa-Barton, St-Julien

By: Scott Beckerley | Review Date: 6/18/2025 | Send Email

I have always admired Langoa-Barton for many reasons. First and foremost are the quality and flavors of the wines, of course, but also for the pretty tremendous value that they represent. This 2009 has a massive nose! All dark ripe red fruit scents with a little bit of herb and cedar. On the palate, a beautiful spiciness followed by a blast of rich red fruits and fine acidity. Baking spices and savory herbs round out the lingering finish. This and the 2016 Rauzan-Segla are two of the best Bordeaux that I have had this year.

Price: $99.99

2009 Langoa-Barton, St-Julien

By: Ryan Moses | Review Date: 6/18/2025 | Send Email

This genuine and delicious red is a reminder never to underestimate the Langoa side of Barton. Drinking beautifully now, it’s on the early side of maturity and serves as a textbook example of St-Julien—for those who adore the region or want to see how its classics are evolving. Aromatically, it’s stunning, with ripe red fruits, licorice, and truffle. On the palate, the core of ripe red fruit carries through a long, elegant, and flavorful finish. I truly admire how it captures the richness of the 2009 vintage while maintaining a classic claret profile. A real gem from both producer and region, we’re also thrilled to offer it with perfect provenance at a terrific price. Aged Langoa-Barton is a wine too often overlooked, but every time we taste it with the team, it’s one of the clear favorites. It was again today—a tribute to Anthony Barton and the undeniable wines made at this address.

Price: $99.99

Woodford Reserve Distiller's Select "The Louisville Barrels'' K&L Exclusive Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey (1L)

By: David Othenin-Girard | Review Date: 6/17/2025 | Send Email

We've avoided the Woodford barrel program for many years because it wasn't a true single barrel program. Like almost all Woodford on the market, it's a blend of Brown-Forman's two Kentucky plants—the Louisville distillery (Brown-Forman Louisville / Early Times / Old Forester) and the Versailles plant (Woodford Reserve / Old Oscar Pepper / Labrot & Graham). But we sat down in the spring of 2024 to examine an opportunity to do things a bit differently—instead of blending two barrels from across the two distilleries, we asked to blend two barrels from each distillery to give a totally unique perspective on how the two distillates combine to create the famous Woodford Reserve brand. Neither of the two offerings will taste anything quite like the Woodford you know and love, but side by side they're two of the most interesting whiskies to taste in the store, and you can have a crack at blending your own at home with a bottle of each—I believe the classic recipe calls for one part Versailles for every five parts Louisville barrels. I'll leave a comparative review of each barrel here with the intention to encourage you to buy one of each, try them together, and see how fun it is to blend them at home to create something greater than the sum of its parts. The Louisville barrel is very close to something you might expect to have from the Old Forester Black Label—the nose is sweet and full of rich caramel with a pointed note of banana and sweet toasted vanilla. On the palate, rich and sweet without a bitter edge anywhere on it. The Versailles barrels have a much more intensely herbal nose with points of licorice, malt, plenty of vanilla, and almost none of the hallmark Old Fo' banana note. The freshness is surprising, as is the grainy quality, but it never feels youthful or overtly cereal-like as so many mediocre pot still bourbons do. The palate is slightly drier, with sugar candies on the palate that give you a very classical old-school bourbon, reminding me almost of some dusty bottles I've had. This was such a fun project and a beautiful window into the often ignored complexity of this perennial brand. Mix them up, drink them alone, make your own Woodford in your own home!

Price: $47.99

2016 La Dame de Montrose, St-Estèphe

By: Aaron Hughes | Review Date: 6/17/2025 | Send Email

There's something really intoxicating about the opening aromas of this wine, once it's had just a little bit of air. Dense and tarry black with touches of green peppercorn at its core, the nose goes straight to the very center and then unfurls outwards, red and softer more ripe black fruits tumbling out but keep a more savory note the whole way through. The tannins are incredibly well integrated and really fine, the fruit on the palate is ripe and plump, cherries, blackberries, and cassis all playing around just a little bit and intermingling with a little bit of an oil cured olive component. This is a lot of wine for the price, and while it might not be your Tuesday night bottle, this is absolutely a solid option for Friday night or when you have some friends over and you want to open something a little bit nicer, but nothing that you're going to regret tomorrow. Absolutely delightful.

Price: $59.99

2020 Beau-Séjour Bécot, St-Emilion

By: Aaron Hughes | Review Date: 6/17/2025 | Send Email

Very pretty and elegant nose with a really nice and dense layer of black and red fruit, with just a little touch of green peppercorn in the very back accompanied by a little bit of leather and tar. The palate is rich and deep, with a good amount of oak spice and influence, the fruit is ripe and rich with blackberry and blackberry at the forefront. The lingering finish has a good level of earth and also more of that toasty barrel spice, something that will calm down a little bit with some age, but doesn't impact the end user experience right now at all. The tannin is really elegant and refined already, and while I might consider laying this down for another 5-10 years, with the right food this would absolutely work tonight assuming I could give the wine a heavy decant.

Price: $79.99

2009 Langoa-Barton, St-Julien

By: Aaron Hughes | Review Date: 6/17/2025 | Send Email

While everyone who is Bordeaux savvy knows that 2009 is an exceptional vintage, sometimes we forget just how wonderful they can be. This has aged so beautifully, it almost breaks my heart to drink it. Almost. The nose is just a study in refined elegance, there's a touch of olives and leather showing a bit of the age, but under that is really lush and ripe juicy blackberries and black currants. The palate is a study in contrasts, while the fruit is a fairly fresh there are a lot of tertiaries starting to poke out, and it's all the guys you love the most. There's definitely a deep bit of savory umami, more of that black olive, a lot of dense and lightly tarry earth, and then the fruit comes around making the whole thing completely, dusty black and red cherries serving as a great platform for the tertiary flavors to develop. This is an outstanding wine from an outstanding vintage and something you absolutely should not miss if you love a well aged and well developed Bordeaux.

Price: $99.99

2021 Leeuwin "Art Series" Cabernet Sauvignon Margaret River Western Australia

By: Rachael Ryan | Review Date: 6/12/2025 | Send Email

The Leeuwin Estate Art Series Cabernet Sauvignon is a benchmark expression of the variety in Margaret River, a region that has solidified its reputation in recent years as one of the most exciting places in Australia for Cabernet Sauvignon. The 2021 vintage is pure elegance, with seamless integration of vibrant red fruit – red currant, plum, wild blackberry – and supple, polished tannins. Fresh oregano and thyme notes linger in the background, supported by subtle oak notes of nutmeg and vanilla. Medium-bodied on the palate, this wine offers a high level of concentration and fruit purity with an almost weightless feel on the palate. Very fresh and vibrant!

Price: $49.95

2019 San Polino Brunello di Montalcino

By: Orazio Campoli | Review Date: 6/11/2025 | Send Email

San Polino is my favorite Direct Import Brunello producer. And 2019 was one of the most exceptional vintages ever produced. Certified organic and biodynamic, San Polino is one of the pioneers of sustainable viticulture in Montalcino, farming their high-altitude vineyards just outside the medieval town with meticulous care. The 2019 vintage brings a lifted aromatic profile: vivid cherry, rose petal, and dried orange peel float above undertones of cedar, leather, and crushed stone. On the palate, it’s silky and focused, balancing fine tannins with a crystalline core of red fruit and spice. The finish is long, mineral-driven, and quietly powerful—showcasing the freshness and classicism of the vintage. So awesome. Since this is a direct import for us, we offer this wine at a amazing price, 20-30$ off from his true value. A hidden gem in the K&L portfolio.

Price: $54.99

Kokoro Tahona Pressed Blanco Tequila (750ml)

By: Aaron Hughes | Review Date: 6/10/2025 | Send Email

Really pretty and clean agave-forward nose, with lime, grilled pineapple, and just a little touch of pear in the very background. This smells lovely and like I'm really going to enjoy it. The palate is incredibly smooth and silky, with absolutely no burn for me at all. This is lush and fairly savory on the palate, lots of dried herbs, with lime zest and just a little bit of pepper on the finish, this goes down a little bit too smoothly. Definitely not for shooters, this is a sipping Blanco or something for you to make a very simple margarita of agave, lime and tequila. While you could use this in something else, you really want to let this one shine through. There's such a pretty and long finish that it would be a shame to mask it with a sweet orange liqueur, but gosh I mean, it would make a heck of a Cadilliac Margarita too. Choose your own adventure.

Price: $69.99

Sông Cái Viet Nam Dry Gin (700ml)

By: Mariah Mier | Review Date: 6/10/2025 | Send Email

It's always a pleasure to try the ever-growing variety of spirits offered from around the world here at K&L. I was impressed by the delicate lovely aromatics and incredibly smooth finish. This is a more subtle gin so it wouldn't be my go-to for dirty martinis, but it has a wonderful profile for drinking neat!

Price: $34.99

Old Soul 7 Year Old "Tintype #1" 3rd Release Cask Strength Small Batch Straight Bourbon Whiskey (750ml)

By: Mariah Mier | Review Date: 6/10/2025 | Send Email

It's not often that you can find a way to have your cake and eat it too, but this bourbon does not compromise on silky smooth molasses character while supporting a great cause. Be a patron of the arts in style by putting on some blues and sipping on some Old Soul—a pairing fit for a connoisseur.

Price: Hidden

Leopold Bros. X Matthiasson Sweet Wermut (Vermouth) (700ml)

By: Mariah Mier | Review Date: 6/10/2025 | Send Email

What an incredible value! It's rare to find an American red vermouth that so perfectly encapsulates the distinctive terroir of Napa cabernet sauvignon. The infusion blend is an excellent and well-integrated complement to the strong grape foundation, with the wormwood and ginger as standouts.

Price: $42.99

2023 Peay West Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir

By: Simon Li | Review Date: 6/9/2025 | Send Email

The 2023 Peay Vineyards Estate Pinot Noir captures the elegance of Burgundy while embracing the purity and energy of the West Sonoma Coast. Aromatically, it opens with a lifted mix of forest floor, lavender, and mint, followed by raspberry, and red plum. There’s a gentle but confident use of oak, adding spice and texture without overwhelming the fruit. The palate is precise and vibrant, with a long, graceful finish driven by fresh acidity and well-integrated tannins. Much of this character is shaped by winemaker Vanessa Wong, a Chinese American vintner whose résumé includes Château Lafite-Rothschild, Domaine Jean Gros in Burgundy, and Peter Michael Winery. Since joining Peay in 2001, she has quietly built a reputation for wines of restraint and site expression—always letting the vineyard speak louder than the winemaking.

Price: $49.95

DC: 94

JS: 94

VN: 92

2022 Chateau Montelena Napa Valley Chardonnay

By: Simon Li | Review Date: 6/9/2025 | Send Email

Produced by one of the Napa Valley's most iconic and historically significant wineries, this Chardonnay reflects the exceptional quality of the 2022vintage-an outstanding year for white wines in the region. The wine's purity, depth, and finesse make it a benchmark expression of Napa Valley Chardonnay. This wine opens with an expressive and elegant nose, showcasing floral aromas intertwined with notes of apricot and white peach. On the palate, it delivers vibrant layers of ripe citrus and crips green apple, balanced by subtle nuances of warm baking spice, toasted oak, and a hint of nuttiness.

Price: $69.95

2015 Billecart-Salmon Rosé Champagne

By: Philip Roufail | Review Date: 6/4/2025 | Send Email

Billecart-Salmon is back with a vintage dated Rose champagne, this time 2015! In keeping with their tradition of releasing their prestige cuvees later than anyone else, this 2015 is hitting the shelves long after most 2015s have come and gone. Everybody knows Billecart's "Le Rose" ($84.99 - new name to reflect changing dosage levels) and their prestige rose "Cuvee Elisabeth-Salmon" ($219.99), but this is only the second time they've released a rose in-between, the 2015 Billecart-Salmon Extra Brur Rose Champagne ($119.99). More complex than the flagship rose but without the extra long aging potential of the Elisabeth-Salmon, the 2015 offers an amazing layered champagne that is a cut above most sparkling roses at $100 off the normal "prestige price." On the nose, white flowers, orange peel, ripe cherry, marzipan, honey, strawberries, and blood orange. On the palate, elegant, creamy and tropical, full-bodied with notes of black cherry, watermelon, toast, red berries, with zippy acidity. Grab some of this special release while it lasts!

Price: $119.99

2022 Malartic-Lagravière, Pessac-Léognan 6-Pack in OWC

By: Ryan Moses | Review Date: 6/2/2025 | Send Email

This is one of the most exciting buys of the 2022 Bordeaux campaign. Malartic-Lagravière has long been a favorite of ours, but a recent 99-point score now places it alongside Bordeaux royalty in 2022. At our current retail pricing, it’s one of the most accomplished Cabernet-based wines you’ll find of this caliber from anywhere. And with only 8,000 cases produced—a fraction of some of its Bordeaux peers—it’s one you’ll want to grab early. Points aside, it's worth noting what we've always known: when Malartic-Lagravière is great, it can be transcendent—offering a level of expression well above its modest price point. It’s also a wine that wine lovers love to love: a genuine reflection of place, expressed with clarity and grace. The 2022 vintage borrows the generosity of the year, yet still achieves a precision and elegance that exude class. A mix of pure black fruits, subtle but persistent minerality, wonderful texture, and a long finish—this wine shows both polish and typicité. This is one to load up on now, and like many 2022s, it will be a pleasure to enjoy anytime over the next 20+ years. It’s nothing new to see a great wine from this estate, but congratulations to the Bonnie family on a new reference-point vintage for Malartic-Lagravière.

Price: $330.00

2022 Malartic-Lagravière, Pessac-Léognan

By: Ryan Moses | Review Date: 6/2/2025 | Send Email

This is one of the most exciting buys of the 2022 Bordeaux campaign. Malartic-Lagravière has long been a favorite of ours, but a recent 99-point score now places it alongside Bordeaux royalty in 2022. At our current retail pricing, it’s one of the most accomplished Cabernet-based wines you’ll find of this caliber from anywhere. And with only 8,000 cases produced—a fraction of some of its Bordeaux peers—it’s one you’ll want to grab early. Points aside, it's worth noting what we've always known: when Malartic-Lagravière is great, it can be transcendent—offering a level of expression well above its modest price point. It’s also a wine that wine lovers love to love: a genuine reflection of place, expressed with clarity and grace. The 2022 vintage borrows the generosity of the year, yet still achieves a precision and elegance that exude class. A mix of pure black fruits, subtle but persistent minerality, wonderful texture, and a long finish—this wine shows both polish and typicité. This is one to load up on now, and like many 2022s, it will be a pleasure to enjoy anytime over the next 20+ years. It’s nothing new to see a great wine from this estate, but congratulations to the Bonnie family on a new reference-point vintage for Malartic-Lagravière.

Price: $59.99

2016 Domaine de Chevalier Rouge, Pessac-Léognan

By: Ryan Moses | Review Date: 5/29/2025 | Send Email

It’s always a joy to taste Domaine de Chevalier these days, and the highly acclaimed 2016 is certainly no exception. The nose is distinctive and engaging, with notes of gravel, dark plum, and tobacco. On the palate, the wine’s texture is impressive—seamless, yet carrying remarkable density and depth. Waves of deep red and black fruit emerge with time, leading to a long, tannin-coated finish lifted by a kick of acidity and a healthy dose of minerality. This will be a brilliant wine at maturity, but its pedigree and complexity already make it an incredibly delicious offering that will win over many fans at this stage. Considering we’re nearly a decade past the vintage, that DDC is one of the region’s top producers, and 2016 is one of Bordeaux’s great growing seasons, the upside here is undeniable.

Price: $99.99

2022 de Pez, St-Estèphe

By: Ryan Moses | Review Date: 5/29/2025 | Send Email

De Pez is a bit under the radar in the world of Left Bank Bordeaux, but it’s one to start taking seriously. Run by Nicolas Glumineau and the team at Pichon-Lalande, you couldn’t ask for better stewards of a Bordeaux property. Their steadfast efforts are paying off, and the 2022 is certainly something special. Cedar and a mélange of black and red fruits lead the aromatics, followed by a red-fruit–driven palate with hints of leather and spice, fine tannins, and a long, rich finish. A balanced yet generous wine, I can’t wait to see how it ages—though I expect many corks will be pulled in its early days (and I wouldn’t object!). The 2022 is full of character, impossible to resist, and delivers an experience well above its modest price. Anyone looking for surefire Left Bank buys should have De Pez on their shortlist.

Price: $44.99

2022 La Dame de Montrose, St-Estèphe

By: Ryan Moses | Review Date: 5/29/2025 | Send Email

Dame de Montrose might very well be my favorite "second" wine in Bordeaux. The pedigree of the Grand Vin is clearly present in the Dame, and the price is remarkably reasonable for what it delivers. Considering the 2022 Montrose is a multiple 100-pointer and a potential all-timer, it’s no surprise that the Dame de Montrose is exceptional as well. What’s truly striking here is the balance—somehow managing to be both elegant and composed while also generous. The texture is stunning, framed by deep red fruits, a hint of spice peeking through, and a long, flavorful finish. I can’t help but wonder if there are many Grand Vins from other vintages that reach these heights. Perhaps that’s just the magic of Montrose on full display.

Price: $49.99

2023 Agnes Gleizes Chablis Vieilles Vignes

By: Scott Beckerley | Review Date: 5/28/2025 | Send Email

There's a nice bit of saline in this super affordable and tasty Chablis. Present are poached pear, lush lemon and apple peel flavors. It is medium-bodied with some plush fruits and a nice clean finish.

Price: $24.99

JM: 89 - 92

2023 Hundred Suns "Old Eight Cut" Willamette Valley Pinot Noir

By: Scott Beckerley | Review Date: 5/27/2025 | Send Email

This has been one of my favorite Pinot Noir's from the Willamette for so many years that I've lost count. The 2023 release is not an exception for my continued admiration. This release is a rather fuller style with red and black cherry fruit, a dash of white pepper, light herbs and even lighter tobacco flavors. Super solid and an extraordinary value!

Price: $34.95

DC: 95

VN: 91

2023 Pichler-Krutzler Dürnsteiner Grüner Veltliner Wachau

By: Aaron Hughes | Review Date: 5/27/2025 | Send Email

This wine has a soft little nose with orchard fruit, citrus, little bit of dried herbs, and a rocky sort of minerality on the very tail end. The palate is absolutely delicious, with soft notes of peach, green apple, lemon pith, and sweet orange peel. There's this amazing line of racy ripping acidity that rushes through the whole thing. This is incredibly fun and delicious, and there's almost a touch of spritz the acid pops enough on the palate. When it's hot and I'm in the sun, this is exactly the type of wine I want to have in the ice bucket next to me.

Price: $29.99

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