Locations
Login
Reviewers
- - Operations Culver City (1)
- Aaron Hughes (10)
- Adam Winkel (96)
- Alex Pross (794)
- Alex Leonardini (54)
- Andrew Nunes (1)
- Cary Herrman (3)
- David Othenin-Girard (338)
- Dejah Overby (147)
- Gary Westby (541)
- Jacques Moreira (703)
- Jason Marwedel (73)
- Joel Nicholas (29)
- John Majeski (296)
- John Downing (80)
- John Flanigan (1)
- Jonathan Parnell (3)
- Kai Pedreno (3)
- Kate Soto (11)
- Keith Mabry (433)
- Kerry Kennell (1)
- Kirk Walker (276)
- Lilia McIntosh (44)
- Matthew Landau Hassan (4)
- Michael Benoit (7)
- Michael Pires (14)
- Michael Hulihan (1)
- Orazio Campoli (5)
- Rachael Ryan (2)
- Ralph Sands (222)
- Ryan Woodhouse (899)
- Ryan Moses (616)
- Sal Rodriguez (32)
- Scott Beckerley (306)
- Scott Turnbull (61)
- Simon Li (3)
- Stephanie Manning (2)
- Tom Martinez (1)
- Will Blakely (27)
K&L Email Alerts
Sign up to receive custom alerts, new arrivals and the latest happenings from K&L Wines
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
2019 Léoville-Barton, St-Julien
By: Ryan Moses | Review Date: 5/30/2023 | Send Email
By: Ryan Moses | Review Date: 5/30/2023 | Send Email
This is a Léoville-Barton that does everything right - it brings forward classic flavors in a modern vintage, speaks beautifully to a sense of place, and over-delivers in the scope of St-Julien and the Left Bank. Beautiful aromas of cassis with a hint of leather and graphite lead to a palate with explosive, deep red fruits, lined with extremely fine powdery tannins that add a dimension of minerality. It is a complex and textured wine that wraps around the palate and doesn't let go. This is an impressive rendition, and one that showed brilliantly alongside two reference-point examples from the estate in recent years—2016 and 2022. It will age beautifully for years, but unlike some other more compact and demanding version of Léoville-Barton, I wouldn't mind drinking it now with a long decant. Fans of the estate, or those looking for a high-upside buy in collectible Bordeaux, should have deep stocks of the 2019 to enjoy over the years and decades to come.
Wild Turkey "Kentucky Spirit" Single Barrel Bourbon Whiskey
By: David Othenin-Girard | Review Date: 5/30/2023 | Send Email
By: David Othenin-Girard | Review Date: 5/30/2023 | Send Email
The Kentucky Spirit hangs back in the shadow of the WT portfolio, eclipsed in prominence by the Russell's single barrel picks. One thing I love about the standard Kentucky Spirits releases is they include a lot more information than a standard bottle of Russell's. While our store picks include rick, warehouse and bottling info, the regular Russell's Single Barrel does not. So while people will go nuts for a single barrel of Russell's, I'm sitting here with a bottle of Kentucky Spirit and no one seems to be the wiser. Bottled at a lovely 101 proof, these single barrels should be on every taters list of must grabs. Here we go!!! A beautiful nose of mature Turkey nose of sweet roasted oak, charred herbs, and honey candies. With time and air this guy starts to get pretty darn complex, bringing in some charred peaches, fresh cinnamon sticks, aged tobacco. On the palate, it really open and surprisingly fresh, softer and way off the big kickin' cinnamon that some WT lovers want. Instead it's really candied and sweet only turning up the heat on the finish after a few sips. Then we're reminded it's Turkey after all. Just really damned good whisky. You can count on that.
Price:
$64.99
Suntory "AO" World Whisky (700ml)
By: Neal Fischer | Review Date: 5/24/2023 | Send Email
By: Neal Fischer | Review Date: 5/24/2023 | Send Email
Suntory Ao kind of comes out of nowhere as a product. There's not a whole lot of whisk(e)y lovers who are screaming for more blends, let alone a blend like this. But sometimes life hands you something you never knew you wanted, so the only thing to do is be pleasantly surprised and appreciate what was poured into your glass. Ao sees the Beam Suntory folks blending malt and grain whiskies from Ireland, Scotland, the US, Canada, and Japan. I'd definitely be curious to see more specs on this and know more about what whiskies are going into it, but all I really need to know is that it all comes together seamlessly. On the nose I get a tickle of gentle sweetness. There's honey toasted cornflakes, caramel apple, fresh pear, creamy vanilla, and red fruit. Scents of new suede come in followed by tropical fruit notes like kiwi and papaya. The palate is incredibly smooth and inviting with a lovely round texture. I get flavors of nougat and a brooding smokiness. It gets a little earthy, and notes of dusty oak come in, then it transitions to orange blossom and more tropical fruit. This whisky is so layered, and it's very impressive the way no component overshadows any other. All the whiskies going into this blend have been expertly weaved together to create something totally delicious.
Price:
Hidden
Charles Baur "Emotion" Cremant d'Alsace Brut
By: Lilia McIntosh | Review Date: 5/24/2023 | Send Email
By: Lilia McIntosh | Review Date: 5/24/2023 | Send Email
Delicious Cremant with serious depth and broad texture. It has touch of brioche and slight toast note with rich citrus and bright mineral strike. I love its freshness and supple finish. Fantastic value!
Bardstown Bourbon Company 6 Year Old "Origin Series #1" Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
By: David Othenin-Girard | Review Date: 5/20/2023 | Send Email
By: David Othenin-Girard | Review Date: 5/20/2023 | Send Email
Everyone agrees that Bardstown Bourbon Co. is one of the most exciting new producers in Kentucky. They've done a huge amount of work to get to this point and now that there flagship own distilled bourbon is on the market, I think we can start to talk about them in the same breath as the other big boys. IN lots of ways, they've become the most important distiller in this Bardstown area - eclipsing the often forgotten Barton and the ultra rare Willett Family Estate, which only releases tiny amounts of age stated bourbon at very high prices. Bardstown on the other hand is offering 6 year old bourbon at $40 that hits every single note here. Many might look at the mashbill and think, oh it's going to be a big spicy rye bourbon, but Bardstown has managed to achieve extreme balance here, which is exactly why I keep reaching for it. Let's go! An absolutely gorgeous nose of sweet oak, honey, seville zest, yellow fruits - apricot, quince, yellow cherries, subtle fresh herbs (maybe a bit of mint, tarragon and dill), good sprinkle of baking spice. It's all at once super supple, open and quite complex, focused on corny sweetness and zesty citrus. It really balances the freshness with a sense of completeness. It doesn't feel at all young, but lifted and punchy. ON the palate, we've got a great texture at 96 proof with the stone fruit and citrus taking charge. It's by no means rye driven which is interesting, but hints of earthy spice and minty herbal character remind us it's 36% rye. If Bardstown keeps putting stuff out this good at 6 years old for $40, the big guys are going to have rethink all there plans I think. Every bourbon lover should be tasting this new benchmark from the excellent producer in Bardstown.
Price:
$39.99
Charles Baur "Emotion" Cremant d'Alsace Brut
By: Scott Beckerley | Review Date: 5/17/2023 | Send Email
By: Scott Beckerley | Review Date: 5/17/2023 | Send Email
A very nice light and bright nose of fresh pear, nectarine, lemon and lightly toasted bread. Dry on the palate with small (and creamy) bubbles, lemon/lime fruit and vanilla cream. It's even Vegan!
Hakata 12 Year Old Sherry Cask Aged Fukuoka 100% Barley Japanese Whisky (700ml)
By: Will Blakely | Review Date: 5/16/2023 | Send Email
By: Will Blakely | Review Date: 5/16/2023 | Send Email
One of the most exciting and promising Japanese whiskies in years, Hakata should be on everyone's radar going forward. With the insane and continued price increases on age-stated Suntory offerings, it's refreshing to find something that's actually worth the price it commands. Honestly, this is the sort of whisky Yamazaki 12 wishes it could be. Pure barley with full sherry flavor, and at a price that almost feels nostalgic. What's not to love? But this stands on its own merit independent of comparisons to the over-hyped names you're familiar with. What sets it apart is the unique process to break down the barley; rather than a traditional malting process, which can create funky, savory flavors, they use koji (not the berry, but a microorganism commonly used in sake production) to break down the barley more efficiently. An added benefit of this method is how it allows more of the clean, fruity character of the barley to come through, while retaining the mouthwatering umami of the grain. Complimented by rich sherry, it is a true delight to drink. If you like those higher-priced items and lament the bygone days when you could buy them with no hesitation, you owe it to yourself to try this.
Price:
$99.99
Launois "Dorine" Brut Blanc de Blancs Champagne
By: Neal Fischer | Review Date: 5/16/2023 | Send Email
By: Neal Fischer | Review Date: 5/16/2023 | Send Email
For me, the Dorine demonstrates when Launois sets its sights on capturing the richness that Blanc de Blancs can reach while maintaining the wine's focus on fruit. This is at least partially due to the fact that while it comes with the Launois program's minimum 3 years aging on the lees, it also sees a full year of barrel aging. This Champagne meets the nose with a little toastiness and fresh vanilla bean that melts to creaminess. There's a lift with some fresh floral aromatics, then dried orchard fruits take over with peach, yellow apple, and golden cherry. The palate is very apple-oriented for me: there's a swirl of fresh apples, apple cider, and dried apple chips layered together. The bubbles are soft and inviting, and there's a full, round texture that gives the wine a sense of heft without losing the fresher fruity notes.
Price:
$44.99
Wild Turkey "Kentucky Spirit" Single Barrel Bourbon Whiskey
By: Adrian Gomez | Review Date: 5/14/2023 | Send Email
By: Adrian Gomez | Review Date: 5/14/2023 | Send Email
I was excited to get to try this Wild Turkey Kentucky Spirit and it certainly delivered. Layered notes of caramel, vanilla and raisin front and center followed by subtle hints of raspberry, currant and dried apricot mingled together. The flavor bomb continues on the palate with white peach, cinnamon and currant that opens up to orange citrus and light oaky tones to help round out the sweetness. The medium finish brings more orange citrus with a lite bite of black pepper and oak on the back that doesn’t over stay its welcome. This single barrel came to play and is a great addition to the bar top.
Price:
$64.99
Suntory "AO" World Whisky (700ml)
By: Andrew Whiteley | Review Date: 5/13/2023 | Send Email
By: Andrew Whiteley | Review Date: 5/13/2023 | Send Email
A fascinating thing is happening in the whisky realm. Huge multinationals like Beam Suntory have access to epic whiskies from their many holdings around the world and they employ some of the most skilled blenders on the planet. Much like traditional Scotch blenders sourcing grain and malt from all over Scotland to make traditional blended whiskies, in today's landscape, they’re able to scour their worldwide inventories for component whiskies to bring together in a blend that is greater than the sum of its parts. While many purists might balk at the notion of blending across traditional whisky categories, it really is the natural and logical pinnacle of the blenders art to include all the colors of the whisk(e)y rainbow in their palette. Beam owns some of the most important distilleries in Japan, Scotland, America, Canada, and Ireland, and it is with these distillates that they’ve produced Ao, a truly world whiskey. Let’s taste: the color falls somewhere between lemon and copper. The nose is beguiling. While overtly ‘whisky-y’ it is perhaps rightfully difficult to pin down. Sweet fruits, both fresh and dried, lean surprisingly towards the tropical. Candied nuts, savory herbs, corn, malt, rye, barley, barrel spice, vanilla, caramel; all there, but nothing stands out particularly above the rest. The palate is a big surprise - peat seems to jump out of nowhere providing a grounding force to the whisky. Going back to the nose, I’m shocked at how much peat there is on the palate. There is a little easy going smoke here, but really it’s more peat than smoke. That peat and gentle smoke plays beautifully with the distinct spiciness I associate with a rye grains. The texture is smooth and approachable and at 43% ABV it’s not going to do anything for big proof heads, but it’s not soft and slouchy. The finish seems to focus on barrel and baking spice and is a complex picture of the whole whisky. Priced attractively, Ao is an excellent opening salvo in the budding category of world blends, and I can’t wait to see what else Beam does in this space as they surely can muster some of the most compelling raw ingredients for future blends should they choose to do so.
Price:
Hidden
Wild Turkey "Kentucky Spirit" Single Barrel Bourbon Whiskey
By: Neal Fischer | Review Date: 5/13/2023 | Send Email
By: Neal Fischer | Review Date: 5/13/2023 | Send Email
Wild Turkey has long been a favorite of mine, and I mean that for their whole lineup from the regular ole 101 to their more premium expressions. In my opinion, the Kentucky Spirit single barrel selections hit such a sweetspot of affordability and complexity. In our world-gone-mad where Bourbon prices regularly climb above $100 regardless of quality, Kentucky Spirit is there to remind us all that you can get something great at an approachable price point. The barrel I'm currently enjoying (#2386) has a nose packed with polished oak, medium caramel, and vanilla Italian soda. The spice gravitates toward level-handed cinnamon candies then shifts in a much more herbal direction, plus some very nice dark fruit notes like plum and blackberry. The palate is loaded with sweet corn, dark drizzly caramel, slight menthol, and much more pronounced fruit. The texture is a standout feature - as soon as it passes the lips you can tell how round and full this Bourbon is, and the longer that you hold it on the tongue the more viscous it gets. Towards the end, there's more sweet corn notes, chewy vanilla nougat, and candied almonds.
Price:
$64.99
Wild Turkey "Kentucky Spirit" Single Barrel Bourbon Whiskey
By: Andrew Whiteley | Review Date: 5/13/2023 | Send Email
By: Andrew Whiteley | Review Date: 5/13/2023 | Send Email
A fresh shipment of Kentucky Spirit just arrived after a long absence from our shelves. It's amazing to compare the quality of this old stalwart to most of the NDP whiskies being released for two or three times the price. There simply isn't a fair comparison - this blows them out of the water on every level. Tasted from barrel #2386 - bottled on 3-1-23, rested 30 minutes in glass: A powerful aroma lifts straight out of the glass - honey, toasted nuts, butterscotch, vanilla, cinnamon, Werther's Original hard candies, roasted corn, and cracked black pepper. On the palate it's surprisingly sweet yet never cloying. The respectable 101 proof gives it enough heat to stand up to all of that sweetness. It is both mouth coating and mouth watering at the same time. A little more maple than honey on the palate compared to the nose, great cut, marzipan, sweet style corn bread, green apple skins, and Dr. Pepper. The finish is perfectly balanced with just the right amount of burn to remind you you're drinkin the Kickin' Chicken, but better.
Price:
$64.99
2022 Langoa-Barton, St-Julien
By: Ryan Moses | Review Date: 5/11/2023 | Send Email
By: Ryan Moses | Review Date: 5/11/2023 | Send Email
The red fruit and delicately spicy aromatics are enough to get lost in, which is impressive for a wine at this stage in the game. With a core of sweet cherry, a backbone of acidity, and impressive persistence, Langoa's 2022 is already approachable. There's a great sense of elegance and freshness here, light on its feet but not lacking structure. This is the first vintage at the new winemaking facility, and it is already paying dividends. Well done.
Nolet's "Silver" Dry Netherlands Gin (750ml)
By: Scott Beckerley | Review Date: 5/10/2023 | Send Email
By: Scott Beckerley | Review Date: 5/10/2023 | Send Email
This very floral scented gin is astoundingly drinkable straight or on the rocks. It has a smooth viscosity, with stone fruits and bright red berry flavors. A light-handed dose of citrus and cracked pepper hit the upper palate and make for a long and bright finish. The fruit-forward aspect of this gin makes it the perfect choice for savoring on its own or for use in gin-based cocktails that stray away from over-the-top juniper flavors. The price for this quality of gin is a darn good one, too.
Launois "Veuve Clemence" Brut Blanc de Blancs Champagne
By: Neal Fischer | Review Date: 5/10/2023 | Send Email
By: Neal Fischer | Review Date: 5/10/2023 | Send Email
The Clemence from Launois is 100% Grand Cru grown Chardonnay aged for four years on the lees (compared to the Brut Reserve). It's a particularly nimble member of the Launois lineup with a lot of crispness and bright characteristics. The nose is focused with aromatic light florality and a glowing citrus medley along with a touch of melon. On the palate, that extra year of aging on the lees shows in a peaches & cream flavor. The beautiful citrus acidity shines throughout with hints of clementine and tangerine on top of a chalky minerality.
Price:
$44.99
Launois "Quartz" Brut Blanc de Blancs Champagne
By: Neal Fischer | Review Date: 5/9/2023 | Send Email
By: Neal Fischer | Review Date: 5/9/2023 | Send Email
I'm a huge fan of everything that Launois releases, but of all their bottlings I'd probably have to say the Quartz is my favorite. (Okay, if we're counting the Special Clubs then I might have to change my tune.) Two details that set the Quartz apart come down to location and carbonation. All the fruit for this bottling is Grand Cru, coming from a single parcel in Les Mesnil sur Oger. The Quartz has lighter pressure due to being bottled at four atmospheres of pressure instead of six. The wine has a light bead and delicacy that I find very sumptuous. The nose has inviting aromatics of soft yellow apple, Bartlett pear, and a little bread. The mouthfeel is soft and round. Quartz has flavors of fresh cream and honey that never become decadent because of a nice line of lime acidity and a fresh orchard fruit medley that builds in the finish.
Price:
$49.99
2022 Léoville-Barton, St-Julien
By: Ryan Moses | Review Date: 5/9/2023 | Send Email
By: Ryan Moses | Review Date: 5/9/2023 | Send Email
Deeply colored, Léoville-Barton is very compact and structured on the lead in. The palate is lined with black fruits, but leads to a pop of bright red fruit on the finish, as some of the tension releases with time in the glass. Fruit coated tanins show great balance, while the palate is textured and impressive. There's a ton of depth that leads you to imagine how it will unwind down the road. I can't wait to see where it leads. Certainly a touch on the riper side for Léoville-Barton, but still hits all the classic notes with ease.
San Venanzio Fortunato Brut Prosecco di Valdobbiadene Superiore
By: Scott Beckerley | Review Date: 5/5/2023 | Send Email
By: Scott Beckerley | Review Date: 5/5/2023 | Send Email
This very pretty, rich and creamy Prosecco has been a favorite here for a while now. It has a mouthwatering nose of peaches and nectarines with just a hint of Key lime. The palate follows the same pattern. UPDATE: Wow! It has been 8 years since I have re-tasted this lovely Prosecco. This is a Brut style, so it IS dry. It has a light, bright nose with tropical fruit (pineapple), stone fruits and minerals. On the palate, it is, at once, rich and clean with nice minerality and a citrus finish. If sweeter Prosecco's aren't your thing, this Prosecco will be. (5 may, 2023)
Price:
$15.99
Nordés Atlantic Galician Gin (700ml)
By: David Othenin-Girard | Review Date: 5/2/2023 | Send Email
By: David Othenin-Girard | Review Date: 5/2/2023 | Send Email
The era of SALTY gin is upon us and I'm so grateful. It started with kelp and now sea beans. I'm in love with sea beans as an ingredient and I love their crunch salty character, but when I found out these crazy Spaniards were dumping them into the gin I was giddy. But this stuff isn't some weird esoteric thing that only the most adventurous will appreciate. This is literally Spain's number one super premium gin. Now if you don't know yet, Spain has absolutely lost its collective mind for gin. They make us look way behind the curve on the gin thing. Gin Tonics, vermouth, Tapas, Salt, Oil - it's all part of the ethos and this guy fits right in. Let's taste! The nose is pungent and floral with deep spice elements. I think maybe the grape spirit base is heightening the floral and fruity aromas and that balances the herbal character nicely (lots of tea character as well). It's got lots of sweetness on the nose and definitely a pungent perfume-y character, but doesn't get to bogged down in the florals thanks to the sweet fruit and subtle herbal notes -sage, eucalyptus, lemon verbena. Behind that twinges maritime character -seaside grasses and ocean spray. On the palate it's well balanced with the strong floral character giving way to more of the spice and hints of salty and pine. It's got a great mouth feel thanks to the base of Albarino eau-de-vie. This is by no means a traditional dry gin, but also doesn't stray too far off. I think it would suite well a Hendrick's drinker as well as a Monkey 47 lover, although it's not the one to reach for when you want a linear juniper driven London Dry. It does do absolute wonders with Tonic and can be really appealing to play with in classic cocktails when you want to mix things up a bit. I'm not at all surprised that the Spanish love this gin so much. I'm right there with them.
Reissdorf Kölsch, Germany (500ml)
By: Michael Pires | Review Date: 4/23/2023 | Send Email
By: Michael Pires | Review Date: 4/23/2023 | Send Email
The go-to example of world-class Kolsch. Reissdorf's Kolsch is clean, crisp, and refreshing with wonderful notes of brioche, orchard fruit, and yellow flowers. There are many American breweries producing good-quality Kolsch today, but I argue almost none of them are as elegant or high in quality as the Kolsch of Cologne.
Price:
$4.99
Nordés Atlantic Galician Gin (700ml)
By: Andrew Whiteley | Review Date: 4/21/2023 | Send Email
By: Andrew Whiteley | Review Date: 4/21/2023 | Send Email
I longed for this gin to be available in the United States for years after I first tasted it in Spain in 2017. It has finally arrived, albeit in relatively small quantities. Spain excels at elevating the humble G&T to magical heights. It is worth ordering one everywhere you go. It's no wonder they also make incredible gin. Nordes is very much a gin of place - the local grapes are used to make the base spirit, and a hearty array of local botanicals firmly places the flavor profile in Galicia. The nose is super bright and lifted - citrus-forward yet balanced by complex herbal notes from bay leaf and black tea. The whole thing is set off by just a touch of sea salt coming from beach-grown sea beans. While the flavors are all in a perfectly arranged bouquet, it is the supple texture from the grape spirit that really makes this gem shine. It's versatile for cocktailing and tastes phenomenal poured straight into a glass out of the freezer - a rare treat with just the right gin on a hot day.
Hakushu 12 Year Old Peated Japanese Single Malt Whisky
By: Michael Pires | Review Date: 4/21/2023 | Send Email
By: Michael Pires | Review Date: 4/21/2023 | Send Email
The Suntory Hakushu 12 generously shares sweet notes of grain with hints of peat, white flowers, and a soothing minty coolness in the finish. This is well made, quality whisky that is smooth and very enjoyable. A must try for any fan of Suntory!
Price:
$159.99
Hakushu 12 Year Old Peated Japanese Single Malt Whisky
By: Jeffrey Jones | Review Date: 4/21/2023 | Send Email
By: Jeffrey Jones | Review Date: 4/21/2023 | Send Email
This single malt is delicate, clean and very pretty. Exactly what one would expect from a quality Japanese single malt. It is very drinkable and should please many people. There is a long mouth coating finish.
Price:
$159.99
Shiokawa "Cowboy Yamahai" Junmai Ginjo Genshu Sake (720ml)
By: Hope Cooc | Review Date: 4/21/2023 | Send Email
By: Hope Cooc | Review Date: 4/21/2023 | Send Email
Cowboy Junmai Ginjo sake is bold and big for a sake. At 19% abv you definitely feel the intensity. You get umami, big lush fruits, and cooked rice on the palette, all the while being hit in the face with the alcohol, but ending in a smooth finish. It is great for serious sake lovers that want a bolder tasting sake and can be served room temperature or slightly chilled at 40 degrees centigrade or 104 degrees Fahrenheit. It pairs best with richer dishes as well!
Price:
$34.99
Kawatsuru "Olive" Junmai Ginjo Sake (720ml)
By: Hope Cooc | Review Date: 4/21/2023 | Send Email
By: Hope Cooc | Review Date: 4/21/2023 | Send Email
Longtime brewery worker, Miki Fujioka, recently got promoted to being the head toji for Kawatsuru brewery. She is making waves with this olive sake! The sake itself uses Sanuki olive yeast that is native to the area. The olive yeast does not give out a briny flavour to the sake. Instead the sake is lighter and more delicate overall. You get sweet, lush green apples, and floral notes on the nose. The palette consists of minerals, cotton candy, and ripe stone fruit. Because this sake is delicate, I suggest it is best served well chilled and by itself or with dishes that are lighter like a salad or sashimi.
Price:
$39.99
Tedorigawa "Silver Mountain" Yamahai Junmai Sake 720ml
By: Hope Cooc | Review Date: 4/21/2023 | Send Email
By: Hope Cooc | Review Date: 4/21/2023 | Send Email
Tedorigawa brewery is featured in the documentary film, "Birth of Sake." The brewery is located in Ishikawa prefecture and has been around for over 114 years. The Silver Mountain Yamahai Junmai is a rich complex sake with high acidity. You get honey, maple, and I want to say yogurt on the palette. It is delightful to drink at room or even chilled!
Price:
$29.99
Nikka "Miyagikyo" Japanese Single Malt Whisky (750ml)
By: Hope Cooc | Review Date: 4/21/2023 | Send Email
By: Hope Cooc | Review Date: 4/21/2023 | Send Email
Miyagikyo is an incredible NAS (non aging statement) whisky that is reasonably priced. It is the youngest of the Miyagikyo whisky lines, but it is still well balanced in flavours. You get a smoky finish with hints of tobacco lingering on your palette. Like any Japanese whisky's, you get robust floral and smoky notes from the start that mellow out on the finish. This delicate whisky is best enjoyed neat or on the rocks.
Price:
$69.99
Heiwa Shuzou "Tsuru-Ume" Suppai Plum Wakayama Sake (720ml)
By: Hope Cooc | Review Date: 4/21/2023 | Send Email
By: Hope Cooc | Review Date: 4/21/2023 | Send Email
Lush aromas of ume fill the glass almost immediately. The texture of the sake has some viscosity and weight to it. Ume, citrus, and dark cherry notes are what I get on the palette. This sake is best served well chilled, or even on the rocks as an after dinner aperitif.
Price:
$36.99
2008 Krug Brut Champagne
By: Gary Westby | Review Date: 4/21/2023 | Send Email
By: Gary Westby | Review Date: 4/21/2023 | Send Email
My expectations were very high for this bottle, given that it was the most anticipated release in my 22 years of doing the Champagne buying at K&L. Those expectations were exceeded. It is a darn shame that so little of this great wine is available… Sadly, I do not know when we may get more. The 2008 vintage’s quality and ripe-yet-fresh style will be familiar to most reading these pages. It was a year that mirrored 1996 very closely, with a very sunny autumn cooled by unusual east winds. This led to very high levels of sugar in the grapes, yet preserved unusually high levels of acidity. Many producers have told me that they were not ready for such packed ingredients as they’d had in 1996, but after seeing them once, were prepared in 2008. One can hardly go wrong with Champagne from this vintage, but this Krug goes much further than other producers. This wine will be a legend like 1945 Mouton, 1978 Hermitage La Chapelle, or 1921 Salon. They nailed it.
Shiokawa "Cowboy Yamahai" Junmai Ginjo Genshu Sake (720ml)
By: Neal Fischer | Review Date: 4/12/2023 | Send Email
By: Neal Fischer | Review Date: 4/12/2023 | Send Email
The cowboy is gentle yet savory. There's a hint of tropical fruit and melon, then white flowers and creamy vanilla, but what hits home are the notes of slight saline, meatiness, and wafting smoke. It's more savory on the palate with more smoke as well, vanilla, salt, white pepper, then back to gentle smoke in the finish. The texture is big and round, so that along with the flavors, this sake can stand up to some heftier food pairings.
Price:
$34.99
Knob Creek 12 Year Old Small Batch 100 Proof Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
By: Andrew Whiteley | Review Date: 4/8/2023 | Send Email
By: Andrew Whiteley | Review Date: 4/8/2023 | Send Email
Impossible to keep in stock since it's release and subsequent #2 Whiskey Of The Year from Whiskey Advocate in 2020, we finally have some Knob Creek to sell! It is absolutely deserving of the major accolades and has kept up batch after batch in the intervening years with the high quality of its first release. It's a big, bold, spicy, and sweet Bourbon. It carries a sweet ripe red cherry note from nose on through to finish that is bright and lovely. The nose is redolent with cinnamon, nutmeg, and coconut. It shows a touch of developed varnish and sawdust for a savory balance. The palate is peppered butterscotch and caramel covered apples with a healthy bite from the 100 proof - not overwhelming, but enough to know this bottle means business. The finish is long and complete hitting every flavor facet again as it rides off into the sunset. It's a super easy to drink, easy on the budget, and it's finally available in a decent quantity making it easy to buy! It's wonderful to see the big boys in KY releasing age statements that don't always come with a crazy price tag. This feels like what Bourbon used to be.
Hakushu 12 Year Old Peated Japanese Single Malt Whisky
By: Neal Fischer | Review Date: 4/5/2023 | Send Email
By: Neal Fischer | Review Date: 4/5/2023 | Send Email
The nose begins grassy and floral. Light smoke emerges and builds, though it never overshoots past the malt's elegance. Over time, notes emerge of honey, nuttiness, toasted marshmallow, and grilled cedar planks. The peat is more prominent on the palate, yet it remains restrained: still-smoldering embers, burnt rocks, and firepit ash. Yellow orchard fruits appear with a bigger floral component along with a mixture of vanilla tones. It all keeps coming back to those low, slow, smoky notes though - it's never aggressive, but it never lets go either. A beautiful slow-burner single malt.
Price:
$159.99
2015 Bodegas Casa Juan "Señor de Lesmos" Reserva Rioja
By: Lilia McIntosh | Review Date: 4/5/2023 | Send Email
By: Lilia McIntosh | Review Date: 4/5/2023 | Send Email
The best Rioja in the store for this price! No doubt. Dry, balanced, traditional style of Rioja, it's full of earthy notes and bright red fruit, medium light tannins, beautiful spicy nuances linger on the finish for a very long time. I love everything about this wine: its elegance, subtle dried herbs, wild berry profile and bright finish. Don't skip this one! It's one of the best examples of classic Rioja.
Price:
$19.99
Hakushu 12 Year Old Peated Japanese Single Malt Whisky
By: David Othenin-Girard | Review Date: 4/5/2023 | Send Email
By: David Othenin-Girard | Review Date: 4/5/2023 | Send Email
Everybody is all over Yamazaki, but Hakushu is for me the real gem in the Suntory portfolio. While Yama takes all the glory, Hakushu quietly produces some of Japan's most delicious whisky. Some people look at our description and are worried that the "peat" will be too much. This is in fact a lightly peated product distilled on Hakushu's narrow necked stills. The resulting spirit is full of vibrant complexity and the peated is so perfectly integrate, few would pick it out as the main attraction. Instead expect a gorgeous nose of wet forest floor, candied stone fruit, citrus oils, clove oil, fresh herbs, jasmine flower, green tea, sweet malt and tobacco leaf. On the palate, the freshness and vibrancy is paramount offering sweet almost candied malty character tempered with a zesty citrus note and an oily texture. The peat pops up on the finish in a lovely balancing way. This is for me the better of the two Suntory flagship single malts and certainly the one I'd hand first to any expert or regular drinker of scotch who might be Suntory curious.
Price:
$159.99
Hakushu 12 Year Old Peated Japanese Single Malt Whisky
By: Andrew Whiteley | Review Date: 4/5/2023 | Send Email
By: Andrew Whiteley | Review Date: 4/5/2023 | Send Email
Hakushu has always been my favorite of the Suntory malts. The sweet and elegant malt profile is rounded out beautifully by the gentle peat smoke giving the whisky more body and texture than its brothers. The "forest distillery" also produces a verdant whisky - it feels green and fresh, cool and earthy. Moist peat and cool mint gently hold up the bouquet of flowers and cereal notes. The palate is extremely balanced with pepper and cinnamon playing off of the sweeter grain notes. The smoke is more rich body than intense fire. A long and earthy finish is sweetened by a maple syrup and caramel note that leaves a very pleasant aftertaste. With Japanese whisky being so hard to get these days and the price ever increasing, you have to get while the gettin' is good.
Price:
$159.99
Blanton's Red "Takara" Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon (750ml) (Japanese Import)
By: Andrew Whiteley | Review Date: 3/29/2023 | Send Email
By: Andrew Whiteley | Review Date: 3/29/2023 | Send Email
The Red box, cream colored label of Takara is bottled at the familiar 93 proof of the regular USA release of Blanton's. The big difference here is in the reported age of the barrels - purportedly 2 years older than the standard US bottling. This review is of barrel no. 46, dumped on 4/11/22. A spicer nose than the Takara Black, there is much more cinnamon, allspice, and black pepper here. Cola and vanilla mingle with sweet oak and cherry pie. The palate is a round and supple texture loaded with creamy vanilla, brioche, and candied corn. It's a beautiful whiskey that will remind you what all the hype is about.
Price:
$210.00
Blanton's Black "Takara" Kentucky Straight Bourbon (750ml)(Japanese Import)
By: Andrew Whiteley | Review Date: 3/29/2023 | Send Email
By: Andrew Whiteley | Review Date: 3/29/2023 | Send Email
The corporate ownership structure of the Blanton's label has led to chronic supply issues in the United States and a vast array of bottles available basically everywhere except the USA. Given that the marque is owned by a Japanese corporation, it is unsurprising that some of the most interesting bottlings are Japanese exclusives. Thankfully in today's global economy (and with the skyhigh demand for Blanton's in the USA) it makes sense to get these bottle back to the states and on retail shelves. There are two Takara bottlings, both reportedly 2 years older than the standard US bottling. Takara Black is bottled at 40% ABV. The following review is from single barrel #16 dumped on 3/1/22. Color: liquid amber. Nose: caramels, candy corn, vanilla, oak tea, cocoa nibs, candied cherries, cinnamon bark, and fresh cream. Palate: Sweet and mellow - the 40% ABV is so delightfully easy this just rolls around your taste buds but doesn't lack for intensity of flavor. Having lived in a world of high octane Bourbon barrels for so long, this is a refreshing and wonderful reminder that 80 proof can still taste so incredibly good when the raw materials are unparalleled in quality. While the unique export from the US/import to Japan/export from Japan/import back to the US situation of these bottles does add some significant markup over their original Japanese MSRP, we are proud to sell these whiskies of outstanding quality at reasonable markups compared to the rest of the market.
Price:
$180.00
Tequila Tapatio Blanco (750ml)
By: Michael Pires | Review Date: 3/22/2023 | Send Email
By: Michael Pires | Review Date: 3/22/2023 | Send Email
Tapatio Blanco is a 80 proof traditional blanco Tequila (made from 100% Blue Agave) that is rested for two months in stainless steel tanks. This tequila has notes of lime, bell pepper, Jalapeno, yellow flowers, wet stone, and white pepper. Smooth and delicious with floral and citrus notes up front that shift into spice and vegetal notes. The body has a creaminess and minerality to it. A delicious blanco tequila that works great on its own or will shine in any tequila-based cocktail you throw at it.
Price:
$39.99
Fallet-Dart "Grande Sélection" Brut Champagne
By: Kerry Kennell | Review Date: 3/22/2023 | Send Email
By: Kerry Kennell | Review Date: 3/22/2023 | Send Email
This delightful grower Champagne from Charly-sur-Marne rested on its lees for six years, slowly developing richness and complexity. What’s amazing is it’s priced well under $40. It almost seems too good to be true. If you’re a bubble fanatic, this should be pinging your radar right about now. Thanks to our extremely knowledgeable and well-connected Champagne buyer Gary Westby, we can all enjoy amazing deals like this NV Fallet-Dart Grande Sélection Brut.
Maison Fallet-Dart, founded in 1610, remains family-run to this day. All their releases represent fantastic QPRs that can go toe-to-toe with Grandes Marques costing twice as much. This release in particular earned a gold medal in 2022 from the notoriously rigorous International Wine Challenge.
The Grand Sélection is elegantly composed of estate-grown fruit—70% Pinot Noir, 15% Chardonnay, 15% Meunier. In the glass it displays a fine and steady bead. The nose is alluringly leesy, a signature of long sur-lie aging. Then come aromas of toasted almond, caramel, flaky pastry, and lemon curd—a dreamy pâtisserie shop in a glass.
The palate is dry yet generous—tarte tatin immediately comes to mind with apple, buttery pastry, and caramel, followed by refreshing highlights of Eureka lemon and an elegant chalky finish that stimulates the tip of the tongue — a welcomed sensation that beckons another sip.
This is the perfect choice for an aperitif wine to kick your night off. I shared it with my best friend on a cold, late winter evening, paired with a freshly baked pain au levain, Cougar Gold white cheddar, classical music, and lively conversation punctuated by several belly laughs. Highly recommended.
Price:
$37.99
Gilbert Jacquesson "Cuvée Prestige" Brut Champagne
By: Jeffrey Jones | Review Date: 3/21/2023 | Send Email
By: Jeffrey Jones | Review Date: 3/21/2023 | Send Email
The Cuvee Prestige is full bodied and complex. There is a depth of flavor and wonderful balance. I thought that I was tasting a Champagne that was much more expensive than this is.
Price:
$39.99
Lehmann "Jamesse Prestige" Grand Champagne Mouth-Blown Wine Glass #45
By: Alex Schroeder | Review Date: 3/8/2023 | Send Email
By: Alex Schroeder | Review Date: 3/8/2023 | Send Email
If you ever enjoy prestige champagne at home, you should showcase it in worthy glassware, and you would be hard pressed to find a glass more worthy than this mouth-blown, Champagne Sommelier-designed, light-as-a-feather glass imported directly from Reims. The price is nearly as stunning as the glass itself -- just look at the mouth blown glassware prices from other brands out there. Add that it has been meticulously designed to optimally deliver the taste and aromas to you, and there really is no reason not to have this in your glass collection.
Price:
$44.99
Lehmann "Jamesse Reference" Grand Champagne Glass #40 (we can only ship in 6-packs)
By: Alex Schroeder | Review Date: 3/8/2023 | Send Email
By: Alex Schroeder | Review Date: 3/8/2023 | Send Email
I love pulling these out for company when the champagne is popped. Their shape is unique and beautiful, and designed by Champagne Sommelier Philippe Jamesse to optimally deliver the aromas of the painstakingly crafted wine to your olfactory system. Champagne producers can spend up to a decade producing a bottle of champagne, why coop up all those beautiful aromas in a tiny flute that doesn't even reach your nose? The glass is still narrow enough to showcase the fine bubbles, and the price is one of the best you'll find thanks to K&L directly importing them from France. Grab a pack of these before you pour your next bottle of champagne, you'll see just how much it enhances the experience.
Price:
$12.99
2019 Tour St-Christophe, St-Émilion
By: Ryan Moses | Review Date: 3/6/2023 | Send Email
By: Ryan Moses | Review Date: 3/6/2023 | Send Email
Tour St-Christophe has quickly become one of our favorite properties in Bordeaux over the past decade. Coming from vines opposite of Barde-Haut, around the corner from Troplong Mondot, this is terroir that has crafted some of the best value in the entire region in recent years. For me, the 2019 is remarkable for it's precision, bold fruit with a weightless texture, and overall refinement. Deep red to black fruits build around the palate with well-integrated tannins, leading to a long finish tinged with a touch of salinity. For the Bordeaux crowd, it certainly speaks to a sense of place and has the hallmarks for a graceful and compelling evolution. For those who want to experience top-flight Bordeaux for a song at this stage in the game, it also checks that box as well.
Gilbert Jacquesson "Cuvée Prestige" Brut Champagne
By: John Christensen | Review Date: 2/28/2023 | Send Email
By: John Christensen | Review Date: 2/28/2023 | Send Email
This flagship bottling from Gilbert Jacquesson is comprised of 40% Pinot Meunier, 30% Pinot Noir & 30% Chardonnay, and delivers so much bang for the buck. With fresh citrus, ripe cherry, crisp granny smith apple, whiffs of savory herbs and just the right amount of toasty lees from the extensive, near decade-long aging. An absolute stunner for under $40!
Price:
$39.99
Damien Hugot "Hommage 1921" Extra Brut Champagne
By: John Christensen | Review Date: 2/28/2023 | Send Email
By: John Christensen | Review Date: 2/28/2023 | Send Email
A perfect utility champagne for pairing with food or as an aperitif, this swiss army knife cuvée hits all the right notes. Impressively balanced for an Extra Brut, which often can be aggressively acid-driven, the Hommage 1921 delivers a bounty of fresh citrus fruits, roasted hazelnuts, fresh baked brioche and a kiss of vanilla bean. A masterclass in blending and an absolute bargain given the quality in the bottle.
Price:
$49.99
Gilbert Jacquesson "Cuvée Prestige" Brut Champagne
By: Philip Roufail | Review Date: 2/19/2023 | Send Email
By: Philip Roufail | Review Date: 2/19/2023 | Send Email
The Master of Meunier strikes again with his "Cuvee Prestige" Champagne, a NV sparkler with loads of barrel fermented old vine Meunier blended with young bright and fresh Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Aged on the lees for eight years, this bubbly's rich, soft, and plushy fruit forward style is balanced by it's autolytic character. On the nose and in the mouth, olive tapenade, lemon-lime, tangerine, and cherry. At our most recent in-store Champagne tasting, the Cuvee Prestige was the lineup's sleeper hit! Another great direct import and an unbelievable price!
Price:
$39.99
Heiwa Shuzou "Tsuru-Ume" Suppai Plum Wakayama Sake (720ml)
By: Brooke Farnden | Review Date: 2/19/2023 | Send Email
By: Brooke Farnden | Review Date: 2/19/2023 | Send Email
This plum sake is great! Nice and sweet for a dessert style wine balanced by an incredible acidity. I go to sushi restaurants where plum wine is an option, and I've always been so curious to try it. I'm so happy I did! You definitely get a lot of plum character from this of course, but there are other factors such as a fine minerality and honeydew sweetness. I'd be curious to try this as a sweetener in a cocktail.
Price:
$36.99
Fallet-Dart "Éocène" Extra Brut Champagne
By: Philip Roufail | Review Date: 2/18/2023 | Send Email
By: Philip Roufail | Review Date: 2/18/2023 | Send Email
Part of Fallet-Dart's 18 hectares of vineyards around Charly-sur-Marne is a special property in Drachy called Clos du Mont that "produces delicious and powerful wines." "Clos" in this context means a walled vineyard, which are mostly attributed to the abbeys of Catholic monks who once owned the land and originally planted the vines. Champagne's most famous example is Dom Perignon, the Benedictine monk credited with turning Champagne from a red wine region to the center of the sparkling wine world. Back to Clos du Mont. This premium grape growing vineyard is the source of Fallet-Dart's top wine, the 2004 vintage Clos du Mont Brut Champagne. However, Fallet-Dart produces two additional wines sourced from the Clos du Mont vineyard and the "Eocene" is one of them. The primary difference between the Clos du Mont and the Eocene is how long it's aged sur lie. Though not labeled as a vintage champagne, the Eocene is all from 2009, so aged for five years less than the Clos du Mont but that time on the lees produces an autolytic character of finesse and elegance. On the nose and palate, brioche, tart green apple, citrus, saline, pineapple and other tropical notes. I'm going to wrap up this review with a major wine geek fact: "Eocene" is the second epoch (55.8 million to 33.9 million years ago) of the Tertiary period (66 million years to 2.6 million years ago) and alludes to the system of rocks that were deposited during that time. Enjoy!
Price:
$69.99
Fallet-Dart "Cuvée de Réserve" Brut Champagne
By: Philip Roufail | Review Date: 2/15/2023 | Send Email
By: Philip Roufail | Review Date: 2/15/2023 | Send Email
Fallet-Dart Cuvée de Réserve, a Blanc de Noir produced exclusively from estate fruit, has a round fruity style compliments of the Pinot Meunier, but maintains a bright, crisp, backbone of acidity. The lengthy sur-lie aging gives it fine bubbles and an elegant toasty autolytic character. On the nose, citrus, red berries, and brioche. On the palate, cherry, strawberry, pear, and apple with a long tingling finish. An easy drinking every day champagne. That's right. I said it. EVERY day!
Price:
$34.99
Fallet-Dart "Éocène" Extra Brut Champagne
By: John Christensen | Review Date: 2/13/2023 | Send Email
By: John Christensen | Review Date: 2/13/2023 | Send Email
Based on 80% Chardonnay, the Eocene, coming from Clos du Mont, is a real showstopper. Filled with a bevy of citrus, white florals and hints of stone fruit, leading into a consistent and long mineral-tinged finish. This is an absolute bargain that hugely overdelivers with exceptional complexity for the money.
Price:
$69.99