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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
Wiston Estate Brut West Sussex England
By: Alex Schroeder | Review Date: 11/1/2023 | Send Email
By: Alex Schroeder | Review Date: 11/1/2023 | Send Email
This non-vintage brut is the perfect representation of what English bubbles offer for a relatively great price. It is made of Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay in equal portions and features a symphony of beautiful flavors like lemon and tangerine citrus, fresh gala apples, jasmine, honeysuckle, sourdough toast and pronounced chalky minerality. While satisfying and expressive, it is still crisp and refreshing, really threading the needle of balance.
Wiston Estate Brut Blanc de Blancs West Sussex England
By: Alex Schroeder | Review Date: 11/1/2023 | Send Email
By: Alex Schroeder | Review Date: 11/1/2023 | Send Email
The wines of Wiston are a prime example of how good British bubbles can be. The chalky soils of the south of England are a continuation of the same Kimmeridgian strip that runs underneath Champagne, which, with the warmer weather climate change provides, makes it a prime site for bubbly production. This is a decadent blanc de blancs with bright Meyer lemon citrus, wild honey and sourdough toast, flinty smoke and chalky minerals. It has a rich texture, ample fruit balanced by great acidity and an impressively long finish. Enjoy with crab cakes or a nice shrimp cocktail.
2001 Macallan 21 Year Old "Speymalt" Gordon & MacPhail K&L Exclusive #20600301 Single First Fill Sherry Hogshead Cask Strength Single Malt Scotch Whisky (700ml)
By: David Othenin-Girard | Review Date: 10/27/2023 | Send Email
By: David Othenin-Girard | Review Date: 10/27/2023 | Send Email
The Speymalt program has always been a favorite at K&L, but when they came to us a few years ago with an opportunity to buy single casks we were absolutely floored. The breadth and quality of the Macallan they've got is second only to the distillery itself (although it's hyperbole, they might even own more old Macallan than Macallan itself). This years barrel was an easy choice. This is a perfect age for Macallan in active sherry. It's tamed by decades in the barrel, but not overdone or tannic. The color is an impressive polished mahogany. The nose is pure old oloroso, roasted hazelnuts, clove, sweet plum puree, mocha, aged tobacco, hints of flinty smoke and cacao. On the palate, very rich and weighty, offering tons of sweet toffee, espresso, big baking spices, salted & roasted pecans, slightly industrial, but not smoky. A big rich and inviting sherry that absolutely explodes with a tiny drop of water adding dried stone fruit to the nose, old leather and a zesty freshness that's a bit surprising. This one straddles the line of the old style, which is of course what everyone wants, but is becoming more and more rare and expensive with each passing day. In any regard this is an exceptional malt that will sooth the soul, and while it's not by any means a value bottling, it does represent incredible value in a current atmosphere of endless price increases from the distillery.
Price:
$450.00
Wiston Estate Brut Blanc de Blancs West Sussex England
By: Scott Beckerley | Review Date: 10/20/2023 | Send Email
By: Scott Beckerley | Review Date: 10/20/2023 | Send Email
Like the NV Brut from Wiston, the Blanc de Blanc leans toward a clean style with green and golden apple flavors. It differs in that the B de B's style is a tad softer and creamier. Lemon cream, white peach, ample chalk and a nice bit of minerality followed by a whiff of creme caramel. Lovely.
Wiston Estate Brut West Sussex England
By: Scott Beckerley | Review Date: 10/20/2023 | Send Email
By: Scott Beckerley | Review Date: 10/20/2023 | Send Email
I have put this bottling into a blind sparkling wine tasting and nearly two dozen people claimed this bottling to be Champagne. There is a reason for this. This Wiston Brut is very clean with soft lemon flavors, minerals, sea salt and a touch of Granny Smith apple and key lime. Bracing, without being overly acidic and a real pleasure of a bubbly.
Pierre Gimonnet Cuis 1er Cru Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut Champagne
By: Philip Roufail | Review Date: 10/19/2023 | Send Email
By: Philip Roufail | Review Date: 10/19/2023 | Send Email
Producer's Notes: "This delightful Blanc de Blancs marries excellent depth of character – all the citrus, crisp pear and floral aromas of chardonnay – with charm. Properly dry, but very harmonious, thanks to the excellent balance of citrusy freshness and creaminess. Long, clean finish, accentuated by the lively mousse. A cuvee of 2/3rds 2018 with a third of vintages between 2016 and 2011, disgorged in July, 2021. Drink now."
Price:
$54.99
Gosset "Grande Réserve" Brut Champagne
By: Diana Turk | Review Date: 10/16/2023 | Send Email
By: Diana Turk | Review Date: 10/16/2023 | Send Email
$50 for a Grande Marque? Incredible! While I typically choose grower-producer Champagnes (especially since K&L's Direct Import program is so strong), this Gosset Grande Réserve Brut is always welcome, and even feels like a bargain, considering the quality of grapes and the house's history (which dates back to 1584!). A blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir (from Grand Cru village Aÿ), with a touch of Meunier, this nonvintage release includes about 20% reserve wines, solera-style blended, and spends six years on the lees. If you're after a big name that delivers, make sure Gosset is on your list.
2009 Cos d'Estournel, St-Estèphe
By: Clyde Beffa Jr. | Review Date: 10/6/2023 | Send Email
By: Clyde Beffa Jr. | Review Date: 10/6/2023 | Send Email
I have had this wine over the years and lastly in Sept 2023 with seven other top 2009s (including Pichon Lalande, Lynch Bages, Ducru Beaucaillou, Leoville Las Cases, and Pontet Canet) and seven top Bordeaux from 2010 (same wines plus Leoville Poyferre). I must say the Cos d'Estournel was the top wine tasted that night. Perfect wine - maybe even 101 points - with a long way to go, but SO good now. Rich, thick, sweet, perfectly balanced. Better than 99% of the fabulous 2009s, including the first growths.
Fallet-Dart Brut Rosé Champagne
By: Alex Schroeder | Review Date: 9/18/2023 | Send Email
By: Alex Schroeder | Review Date: 9/18/2023 | Send Email
This Marne rosé is the rich delicious result of the maceration method, where the skins of Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier are left in contact with the wine for two days, giving it its rich pink color and round texture. The flavor profile is a great combination of bright red fruit with darker herbal elements, toast and minerals for a very complete and satisfying rosé experience.
Price:
$39.99
Laurent-Perrier "Grand Siècle" Iteration #26 Brut Champagne
By: Alex Schroeder | Review Date: 9/18/2023 | Send Email
By: Alex Schroeder | Review Date: 9/18/2023 | Send Email
Being made from some of the best vintages of this millenium (2012, 2008 and 2007), this iteration of Grand Siecle was always destined for greatness. But tasting it, just wow! It has so much depth and complexity, richness and freshness. It is loaded with subtle flavors of stone fruits and citrus, toasty lees, candied ginger and nuts with a hint of matchstick smoke. The longer it's open the more flavors explode out of the glass. On the palate, the richness is buoyed by precision, fine bead from resting on the lees for such a long time, and a nearly eternal finish.
Gosset "Grande Réserve" Brut Champagne
By: Alex Schroeder | Review Date: 9/18/2023 | Send Email
By: Alex Schroeder | Review Date: 9/18/2023 | Send Email
This is a Grand Marque that you can count on every time for meticulous quality that has remained steadfast through the years (centuries, actually). It has an expressively rich profile of pear, lychee, golden apple and Meyer lemon with toast from an impressive five years on the lees, yet it remains so bright and easy with silky bead and great minerals and a crisp, acid-driven-yet-balanced finish
Egrot Brut Champagne
By: Alex Schroeder | Review Date: 9/18/2023 | Send Email
By: Alex Schroeder | Review Date: 9/18/2023 | Send Email
Champagne Egrot (prounounced Eh-grow) falls in the same company as Bonville and Launois in terms of value for money. 80% Grand Cru Pinot Noir from Ay, 20% Premier Cru Chardonnay from the Premier Cru of Louvois, aged on the lees well over half a decade. For under $35. Proprietors Elisabeth (Henri Goutorbe’s granddaughter) and Jean-Marie Egrot have a long history in Champagne, and the pedigree shows in the bottle. Precision, richness, freshness, depth, and length are all on full display. A subtle toast quality perfectly underlines rich pear, Bing cherry and apple notes, with vibrant minerals and crisp acidity. Champagne enthusiasts rejoice!
Price:
$37.99
2015 A.D. Coutelas Brut Champagne
By: Alex Schroeder | Review Date: 9/18/2023 | Send Email
By: Alex Schroeder | Review Date: 9/18/2023 | Send Email
This is a vintage champagne from one of our portfolio's best producers (which you know if you've had the "Cuvee Louis Victor") and from a critically lauded vintage. It is half Chardonnay, half Pinot Noir, entirely from estate owned premier cru vineyards. It has a rich profile of citrus, melon, golden apple, honey and almond, lifted by great minerality and an impressively long, acid-driven finish.
Price:
$54.99
A.D. Coutelas "Cuvée Eloge" Blanc de Blancs Brut Champagne
By: Alex Schroeder | Review Date: 9/18/2023 | Send Email
By: Alex Schroeder | Review Date: 9/18/2023 | Send Email
When I tried this the other night, my company and I were genuinely stunned by how good it was. This Premier Cru blanc de blanc pours a deep golden color, has rich fruit with honey, acacia blossom, lemon meringue, and a beautiful leesy toastiness. The texture is velvety and creamy, with fine bubbles and a nearly eternal finish.
Price:
$39.99
Damien Hugot Rosé Extra Brut Champagne
By: Alex Schroeder | Review Date: 9/18/2023 | Send Email
By: Alex Schroeder | Review Date: 9/18/2023 | Send Email
This is an extraordinary rose made of primarily (95%) Grand Cru chardonnay that costs under $40! It is has a relatively low dosage of 6g/L and is exceptionally pretty, delicate and balanced with a nice blend of citrus and strawberry fruits with nice toast from four years on the lees. No joke, this holds up with Big House rosés that cost twice as much.
Price:
$44.99
Damien Hugot Grand Cru Brut Blanc de Blancs Champagne
By: Alex Schroeder | Review Date: 9/18/2023 | Send Email
By: Alex Schroeder | Review Date: 9/18/2023 | Send Email
This is a rather extraordinary grower-producer blanc de blancs that expertly straddles the line between creamy opulence and razor-sharp focus. It has rich citrus, white peach, and Granny Smith apple fruit, creamy brioche notes, and vibrant minerals. In short, this is what you would pay the big bucks for, but thanks to the direct import pricing, you don't need to. If you could use another great grower Champagne to add to your lineup (and we all could), don't miss this.
Price:
$42.99
Damien Hugot Extra Brut Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru
By: Alex Schroeder | Review Date: 9/18/2023 | Send Email
By: Alex Schroeder | Review Date: 9/18/2023 | Send Email
This champagne is in sparse company in terms of value. Made from the Grand Cru chardonnay of Chouilly and Cramant on the Cotes de Blancs, it has quite powerful and concentrated citrus and stone fruit flavors that intermingle with floral elements, chalky minerality and toasted sourdough. Despite the power, it remains bright, crisp and refreshing on the palate with creamy mousse and a beautifully precise and long finish. It is quite an impressive balancing act.
Price:
$49.99
Damien Hugot Grand Cru Brut Blanc de Blancs Champagne
By: Diana Turk | Review Date: 9/15/2023 | Send Email
By: Diana Turk | Review Date: 9/15/2023 | Send Email
By bringing this grower-producer into the fold of our Direct Import Champagnes, buyer Gary has completed a vision of K&L carrying Chardonnay from every Grand Cru village in the Côte des Blancs—an incredible feat! Damien Hugot grows this prized varietal on 50-year-old vines from just eight hectares in the northern villages of Chouilly and Cramant, with vineyards that include the renowned Mont-Aigu. This racy blanc de blancs will age beautifully and reward patience. Drinking now, there is the expected chalky minerality but also a richness through the palate that belies its 7g/L dosage, with brioche notes and a hint of nuttiness. Impressive.
Price:
$42.99
Damien Hugot Grand Cru Brut Blanc de Blancs Champagne
By: Scott Beckerley | Review Date: 9/15/2023 | Send Email
By: Scott Beckerley | Review Date: 9/15/2023 | Send Email
Damien Hugot continues to stun us with his latest releases. This one has a pretty nose of light minerals, lemon cream and pear tart. On the palate, it is quite a bit richer, with some mineral "tang" on the finish. There are creamy flavors of lemon curd, (light) nuttiness, and a little chalk. Rich but not overly so! The deep-rooted vines in his vineyards help to bring up the acidity from the soil, resulting in a lingering (and balanced) minerality on the long finish. I've been buying magnums of it.
Price:
$42.99
Damien Hugot Grand Cru Brut Blanc de Blancs Champagne
By: Lilia McIntosh | Review Date: 9/15/2023 | Send Email
By: Lilia McIntosh | Review Date: 9/15/2023 | Send Email
One of my favorite blanc de blancs in the store! Elegant and creamy with gentle acidity, it has great depth and a long finish, with just a touch of brioche and lots of white flower aromas and orchard fruit flavors. A pure joy to drink on its own, it's so balanced and well put together. Absolutely love it!
Price:
$42.99
Damien Hugot Grand Cru Brut Blanc de Blancs Champagne
By: Neal Fischer | Review Date: 9/15/2023 | Send Email
By: Neal Fischer | Review Date: 9/15/2023 | Send Email
This blanc de blancs opens with a nose of cream and toasted brioche before flowing elegantly into stewed pear with a touch of citrus pith and a nice, chalky edge. On the palate, I get a wonderful grapefruit dominance up front and salted citrus rinds that then burst into flavors of fresh apricot, and finally finishing with pear skins and gentle acid.
Price:
$42.99
Fallet-Dart Brut Rosé Champagne
By: Chelsea Herholdt | Review Date: 9/14/2023 | Send Email
By: Chelsea Herholdt | Review Date: 9/14/2023 | Send Email
Playful, elegant, cheery, and timeless. This rosé is a summer day bottled up and ready for you to enjoy year-round. With the predominantly Meunier (60%) spending 4 years on the lees, any harshness has softened just the right amount, while the remaining Pinot Noir and skin contact style holds everything firmly in place. This makes you want to do a little dance of celebration just for opening it!
Price:
$39.99
Gosset "Grande Réserve" Brut Champagne
By: Chelsea Herholdt | Review Date: 9/14/2023 | Send Email
By: Chelsea Herholdt | Review Date: 9/14/2023 | Send Email
It doesn't get much more classically Champagne that Gosset. From the blend of mostly Chardonnay and Pinot Noir with 10% Meunier, the 6 years on the lees, all the way to the use of both stainless steel and oak, you get a bright, textured, and somehow strikingly unique wine. The nose reminds me of fresh cut summer melons, while the palate is regal and long. One of the best QPR values in our stores.
2015 A.D. Coutelas Brut Champagne
By: Chelsea Herholdt | Review Date: 9/14/2023 | Send Email
By: Chelsea Herholdt | Review Date: 9/14/2023 | Send Email
2015 was a warm vintage in Champagne, and some harnessed it well, while others struggled with shut down vines. A.D. Coutelas did an excellent job of harnessing the warmth and producing a welcoming vintage wine that is far from a shame to have open now. Candied citrus meets a classic palate with balanced freshness. If you ever wonder what to pair with curries or other spice driven foods, this is your answer.
Price:
$54.99
A.D. Coutelas "Cuvée Louis Victor" Brut Champagne
By: Chelsea Herholdt | Review Date: 9/14/2023 | Send Email
By: Chelsea Herholdt | Review Date: 9/14/2023 | Send Email
I had to look twice at this price. The base blend crosses over a decade of vintages, and it spends 4 years on the lees, gaining both depth and classic brioche character. While the nose is still showing lively character such as finger lime, beautiful secondary character is also beginning to show. The primary citrus has begun to evolve on the palate, making this an incredibly approachable and universally friendly wine. For those that are used to paying high dollar for older vintage Champagnes, this is an excellent wine to have around, as some of that hard to come by nutty silkiness is already showing here. Stunning value.
Price:
$39.99
A.D. Coutelas "Cuvée Eloge" Blanc de Blancs Brut Champagne
By: Chelsea Herholdt | Review Date: 9/14/2023 | Send Email
By: Chelsea Herholdt | Review Date: 9/14/2023 | Send Email
This beautiful wine, in the best way, does not require food accompaniment or much thought at all, just a day that ends in 'Y'. It is a balanced and lively Champagne, perfect for Chablis lovers, or any and all sparkling wine folks. It will stand up to food if needed, but is enjoyable solo as well. Somehow, classic and modern all at once. I see no reason or time that would not be appropriate to open this gorgeous wine!
Price:
$39.99
Damien Hugot Extra Brut Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru
By: Chelsea Herholdt | Review Date: 9/14/2023 | Send Email
By: Chelsea Herholdt | Review Date: 9/14/2023 | Send Email
The difference between this and the Brut version is purely dosage technically speaking, but you'd think they were completely different cuvées altogether. Fresh white peaches, bright meyer lemon, and citrus rind jump out of the glass. The palate is structured and fresh, again a complete departure from the Brut version from Damien Hugot. I'd recommend grabbing the two of them to put side by side for an adventure into the discussion of Champagne dosage.
Price:
$49.99
Damien Hugot Grand Cru Brut Blanc de Blancs Champagne
By: Chelsea Herholdt | Review Date: 9/14/2023 | Send Email
By: Chelsea Herholdt | Review Date: 9/14/2023 | Send Email
The concentration here from this wonderful bottle is owed partially to vineyards planted back to the 60s. On the nose, candied citrus, baking spices, & honey cake. The chalky northernly site comes out on the palate in a firm minerality backbone and citrus vein continued from the nose. The foudre/solera usage here makes for a wine that has a ton of complexity and coveted Champagne nutty character.
Price:
$42.99
Fallet-Dart "Clos du Mont" Brut Champagne (2006)
By: Alex Schroeder | Review Date: 8/24/2023 | Send Email
By: Alex Schroeder | Review Date: 8/24/2023 | Send Email
The first whiff of this elicited a veritable collective "Wow!" from the staff. The nose is incredibly bright and full of profuse lemon meringue, stone fruits, chalky minerals, toasty lees, honeysuckle and almonds. It's rich and sumptuous on the palate, with a razor sharp acid line and super fine bead from the extended aging time. This is up there with the great luxury prestige cuvees in terms of quality but not in terms of price. Get yours while it lasts.
Price:
$79.99
Alexandre Le Brun "Tradition" Brut Champagne
By: Miles Philippe | Review Date: 8/22/2023 | Send Email
By: Miles Philippe | Review Date: 8/22/2023 | Send Email
The quality that this entry level champagne exhibits is stunning! The golden fruit notes are laced with a wonderful saline quality, and the minerality is accompanied by a savory-ness that adds a rich layer of complexity. The finish is long, and the lusciousness of the whole thing lingers with you.
Price:
$37.99
Jean-Louis Denois "Tradition" Extra Brut Crémant de Limoux
By: Philip Roufail | Review Date: 8/16/2023 | Send Email
By: Philip Roufail | Review Date: 8/16/2023 | Send Email
We can't keep this sparkler in stock for a simple reason - it's outstanding! This is not champagne. I repeat, this is not champagne, but when we poured it at a recent blind tasting 100% of the participants guessed it was from Champagne - until they saw the sub-$20 price tag! From the Languedoc, the blend is equal parts Chardonnay and Pinot Noir with 10% Chenin Blanc added to give it a hint of richness mid-palate. Aged on the lees for as long as a vintage champagne (3 years), it has a toasty autolytic character to go along with the sumptuous green apple, citrus, red berries, and hazelnuts. To balance out the acidity with the ripe fruit, which basks in the hot Mediterranean sun, the Tradition has a low dosage that technically makes it a bone dry Extra Brut. On the palate, however, it tastes like a Brut. This is easily one of the best sparkling deals in the store and maybe my favorite Cremant!
Gosset "Grande Réserve" Brut Champagne
By: Scott Beckerley | Review Date: 8/16/2023 | Send Email
By: Scott Beckerley | Review Date: 8/16/2023 | Send Email
After tasting the full line of Gosset champagnes in early August, I was able to re-discover just how nice they are. The Grande Reserve Brut has a lightly toasty nose and straddles the line between a toasty and a clean style. It leans a bit more toward a cleaner style with bright yellow fruits, almond, fine saline and light spice. Consistently fine bead and lingering finish!
Alexandre Le Brun "Tradition" Brut Champagne
By: Alex Schroeder | Review Date: 8/15/2023 | Send Email
By: Alex Schroeder | Review Date: 8/15/2023 | Send Email
This is one of the smallest-production Champagnes in our portfolio. Made from 1/3 each of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier, it offers a delicacy and precision you usually pay much more for. The fruit profile is complex with apricots, lemons, mandarins and starfruit with toasty lees and delicate spice from the extended barrel aging. A gem of a value like this can only be found via the K&L Direct Import program.
Price:
$37.99
Jean Vesselle Oeil de Perdrix Brut Blanc de Noirs Champagne
By: Scott Beckerley | Review Date: 8/12/2023 | Send Email
By: Scott Beckerley | Review Date: 8/12/2023 | Send Email
I pretty much always have a bottle of this available at home. It's always been good and it will always be good! Round and unusual with a nicely tangy finish. Rich and focused with red apple, cherries, saline and roasted almond. Very versatile and just plain delicious. That perfect champagne for both wine geeks, traditionalists and those looking for something very special.
Michel Turgy "Reserve Selection" Brut Blanc de Blancs Champagne
By: Scott Beckerley | Review Date: 8/12/2023 | Send Email
By: Scott Beckerley | Review Date: 8/12/2023 | Send Email
There's a definite reason why this champagne sells so quickly. It's excellent and affordable. An intriguing character that is both bright but, very nutty. Almonds and hazelnuts with clean lemon and citrus. There is even a really cool mineral spice on the lingering finish. Yuuuuum!
Price:
$54.99
Ruinart "2nd Skin" Blanc de Blancs Brut Champagne (750ml ships as 1.5L due to bottle size/shape)
By: Scott Beckerley | Review Date: 8/12/2023 | Send Email
By: Scott Beckerley | Review Date: 8/12/2023 | Send Email
One of my favorite Blanc de Blancs, of all time. A toasted almond nose with light smoke and lemon cream. On the palate, very solid, with richness of lemon cream pie, granny smith apple and light peach pit. Very nice graceful acidity and a lingering finish. Always the hallmark wine from Ruinart!
Drappier Blanc de Noirs Brut Nature Champagne
By: Scott Beckerley | Review Date: 8/12/2023 | Send Email
By: Scott Beckerley | Review Date: 8/12/2023 | Send Email
Looking for a Brut Nature that won't break the bank or take the enamel off of your teeth? Well, here it is! A cool nose of rose petals, Bing cherries and juicy peach. In the mouth, dark raspberry and cherry fruit with rose hips and strawberry cream. Generous and rich! Very low in sulfites, too,
Price:
$54.99
Laurent-Perrier Ultra Brut Champagne
By: Scott Beckerley | Review Date: 8/12/2023 | Send Email
By: Scott Beckerley | Review Date: 8/12/2023 | Send Email
If you think that Ultra Brut is always bracing and overly acidic, you haven't had the LP. With a white flower dominated nose (lilies, elderflower) to lemon mousse scents, it is fragrant and accessible. On the palate, there is lemon/key lime, green apple and sea salt. So perfect with sashimi!
Pierre Sparr Brut Rosé Crémant d'Alsace
By: Scott Beckerley | Review Date: 8/9/2023 | Send Email
By: Scott Beckerley | Review Date: 8/9/2023 | Send Email
Although I do specialize in Champagne, sometimes I do need to buy a bubbly in quantity that won't break the bank. This little Alsatian gem has a red fruited nose with dominant cherry fruit, followed by strawberry and minerals. A wonderful creaminess and heady mousse make it a pleasure to drink. It has a nice finish of minerals and cream. Don't report me to the Comte Champagne!
Casco Viejo Blanco Tequila (1L)
By: Will Blakely | Review Date: 7/28/2023 | Send Email
By: Will Blakely | Review Date: 7/28/2023 | Send Email
To make a long story short, not only is this is the best blanco tequila under $30, but it also outperforms most brands at twice the price or more. The long version involves going back to the beginning of tequila as a regional style of spirit. Jose Cuervo was the first major tequila producer in the middle of the 18th century, and at the time, most of the agave was coming from the lower lying regions now known as El Valle. One hundred years later, the valley was saturated with agave fields owned by large companies, so producers trying to enter the market were increasingly looking to plant agave in the previously undeveloped mountain areas. The Camarena family began doing so in the 1880's, ultimately leading to building their distilleries and the brands we see today. El Tesoro de Don Felipe and G4 are headed by two Camarena brothers who struck out to build their own tequila brands, while the main family estate makes Casco Viejo, and they do it in the most traditional style you'll find at an everyday price point. Roasted in brick ovens rather than high-pressure steam vats, fermented over the course of days and weeks rather than hours, and bottled without the use of chemical additives, this is pure and authentic tequila. As we typically get from the highland style, the flavor cooked agave comes accented with lifted citrus and subtle floral tones. A hint of pepper and dried mountain herbs brings some savory influence, and the finish is clean and refreshing. It hits all the right notes. Not just margarita fodder, it's unbelievably enjoyable to sip neat, even more-so to serve as ranch water. When the cost of everything coming from Jalisco is only increasing, treat yourself to something that turns back time, delivering historic quality at a long-forgotten price point.
Price:
$21.99
Glen Grant 18 Year Old Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky (750ml)
By: Scott Beckerley | Review Date: 7/27/2023 | Send Email
By: Scott Beckerley | Review Date: 7/27/2023 | Send Email
This superb 18 year old release is as smooth as silk! Remarkably smooth, with golden apple fruit, a hint of caramel, baking spices and a little bit of apricot pit. Even at 10 a.m., my palate was enjoying this immensely. My preference is to have it neat and not to adulterate it with an ice cube or water. No reason to miss out on any of its wonderful flavors!
2021 Flores "Selection" Picpoul de Pinet
By: Alexandre Tweedie | Review Date: 7/24/2023 | Send Email
By: Alexandre Tweedie | Review Date: 7/24/2023 | Send Email
Looking for an easy summer wine that has just a little bit... more? Cave De Florensac has the answer for you, and it's a lovely little bottle of Picpoul. With ten months of Lee aging, "Selection" enhances and deepens the normally "simplistic" citrus tones of Picpoul - a gentle roundness from the Lees softens the normally bright lightning acidity, likening its richer tone to a Meyer lemon yogurt, or fresh lime crema. Still sunny and bright ,just as picpoul should be, just not quite *staring* into the sun like others can feel like. For a little dose of complexity while still being absolutely easy, Florensac has summer wine covered.
Appleton Estate 21 Year Old Jamaican Rum (750ml)
By: Andrew Whiteley | Review Date: 7/19/2023 | Send Email
By: Andrew Whiteley | Review Date: 7/19/2023 | Send Email
Rum is the wild west of the spirits world. It can be so many things from essentially cane based vodka to insanely weird and wild pot still hogo funk to grassy vegetal Agricole to doctored food lab concoctions and everything in between. While I find most of these styles can have their purpose and place, I'd say the question I get asked the most in the rum world is for a good "sipping rum." In this context, I find Appleton, particularly the 21, to be simply perfect. It offers a proper age statement with all the complexity that affords to aged spirits. It has a blend of column distilled spirit and super funky Jamaican pot distillate. It is expertly blended by one of the world's greatest palate, Joy Spence, to give a balanced and nuanced drinking experience and it's not pumped full of sugar and flavoring agents. In short, it brings all the best elements of rum together in a single bottle and delivers amazing value and pleasure. Let's taste: The color is stunning. Rich aged mahogany in the glass, it has immediate visual appeal. The nose is powerful. The aromas jump out of the glass in a bouquet of vanilla, butterscotch, baking spices, orange peel, candied pecans, toffee, dark cocoa, and just a hint of tobacco leaf. On the palate it is rich and sweet without ever stepping into cloying. The 43% ABV is perfect for neat sipping - robust enough for the hardcore and supple enough for the uninitiated. The finish is long, surprisingly dry, and supremely enjoyable.
Bell's Brewery "Two Hearted" India Pale Ale, Michigan (12oz can)
By: Estefani Seefoo | Review Date: 7/18/2023 | Send Email
By: Estefani Seefoo | Review Date: 7/18/2023 | Send Email
Hop Culture by Bell's Brewery: "There’s a river in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula that winds and wends its way along the coast of Lake Superior. Iconic for its incredible beauty, clear water, and several species of trout, the Two Hearted River is just one of Michigan’s magnificent natural landmarks. So it’s fitting that a beer of the same name has become one of the most beautiful and revered beers in the country. Recognized as the best beer in America for four years running by Zymurgy Magazine, Bell’s Two Hearted Ale has made more than just a splash in craft beer culture."
Price:
$2.24
Daimyo-No Shinobu Blended Japanese Whisky (700ml)
By: Andrew Whiteley | Review Date: 7/18/2023 | Send Email
By: Andrew Whiteley | Review Date: 7/18/2023 | Send Email
Expertly crafted and underpriced are not two things that go together often, but when we see it, we like to go big. This is a screaming deal, especially when stacked against the two major players in the blended Japanese category - Nikka Days and Suntory Toki. This has all of their softness, lush fruit, sweet caramels, and just a little bit more weight and texture - presumably from a decent malt content. Gentle sweet spice and just the right amount of oak balances the orchard fruits and nuttiness in what feels like a very classic Japanese whisky. Use this in highball with a lemon twist for a refreshing summer sipper or simply enjoy neat or on the rocks for something you can quaff late into the evening.
Price:
$24.99
A.D. Coutelas "Cuvée Louis Victor" Brut Champagne
By: Diana Turk | Review Date: 7/14/2023 | Send Email
By: Diana Turk | Review Date: 7/14/2023 | Send Email
Bright green apple fruit shines on the nose, followed by a richer nuttiness on the palate. There is a subtle sherry quality to this complex Champagne. Despite that lush feel, the finish is snappy and dry, with pleasing chalkiness. Coutelas’ delicious "Cuvée Louis Victor" always sells out quickly, and given the price for such a well-made offering, I can see why.
Price:
$39.99
A.D. Coutelas "Cuvée Louis Victor" Brut Champagne
By: Alex Schroeder | Review Date: 7/13/2023 | Send Email
By: Alex Schroeder | Review Date: 7/13/2023 | Send Email
This champagne, made using a sort of solera-style fractional blending, deserves a good amount of contemplation. It is incredibly precise and delicate with light citrus, apple, exotic fruits, and a hint of herbs with chalky minerality. But its method of production adds notes that are new to me in the realm of Champagne. It has almost a fine indigenous-yeast sherry note to it that I love! I now understand why this Champagne sells out so quickly every time we get it in stock.
Price:
$39.99
Boulard-Bauquaire "Trepail" Brut Blanc de Blancs Champagne Vieilles Vignes
By: Alex Schroeder | Review Date: 7/13/2023 | Send Email
By: Alex Schroeder | Review Date: 7/13/2023 | Send Email
The Chardonnay used in this Blanc de Blancs comes from premier cru vineyards on the Montagne de Reims, and the quality of the fruit is evident. Lovely aromas of roasted almonds, butterscotch and fresh lemon meringue lift from the glass; on the palate a soft chalky minerality rides alongside nicely balanced acidity. Another home run from our DI Champagne program.
Price:
$44.99
A.D. Coutelas "Cuvée Louis Victor" Brut Champagne
By: Scott Beckerley | Review Date: 7/13/2023 | Send Email
By: Scott Beckerley | Review Date: 7/13/2023 | Send Email
This FANTASTIC release of the Cuvee Louis Victor from Damien and Angelique Coutelas is back in stock! A rare Solera-style blend with a fine, lightly savory nose followed by wonderful butterscotch scents. It is rich, but, not sweet on the palate. There is a creamy texture with brioche and golden apples notes. Simply delicious! It has a lingering and chalky finish. Superb!
Price:
$39.99
A.D. Coutelas "Cuvée Louis Victor" Brut Champagne
By: Ryan Woodhouse | Review Date: 7/13/2023 | Send Email
By: Ryan Woodhouse | Review Date: 7/13/2023 | Send Email
A very interesting concept in Champagne and one that delivers quality and flavor-wise beyond the unique approach. This wine is basically a single vessel "solera" where each year 100 cases worth of wine are removed from the large oak barrel and then an equal amount of vin clair is added back. The wine has tons of pure, juicy fruit, lovely floral high notes and great richness and toasty depth on the palate. The finish is defined by taught acidity and good chalky structure. A wine with real presence and persistence on the palate.
Price:
$39.99