Staff Favorites

VN: 90

Mas Codina Brut Reserva Cava Penedès

By: Morgan Laurie | Review Date: 1/29/2018 | Send Email

This truly is one of the best values in sparkling wine we have. It's fresh, crisp and drinks well above it's price. Dry with small bubbles and an elegant mouth feel, it goes down (almost) too easily. Notes of green apple, stone fruits and a slight nutty richness make this an easy choice for any occasion!

Price: $13.99

Daniel Bouju Tres Vieux "Brut de Fut" K&L Exclusive Premier Cru de Cognac Grand Champagne Cognac

By: Andrew Stevens | Review Date: 1/18/2018 | Send Email

This is no light, easy, fruity cognac that I had come to associate with Bouju, this is dark, rich and intense. The nose immediately shows the long slow aging of this spirit, with dried fruit, baked cinnamon, cardamom, and old leather. The power and concentration here are unforgettable, flavors of old oak and concentrated fruit that linger long on the tongue.

Price: $199.99

Luxardo Maraschino Cherries (400g)

By: Adam Winkel | Review Date: 1/17/2018 | Send Email

These are totally worth it and this little jar goes a long way. My favorite use is the Three Dots and a Dash tiki drink, but the applications here are far-reaching. Be "nose to tail" and spoon the extra syrup on some ice cream or something. It's amazing. Just *DON'T PUT THE OPEN JAR IN THE FRIDGE*. It will crystalize and get ruined. This stuff is so sweet like molasses it's completely preserved at room temperature, and the label will tell you so as well.

Price: $19.99

Baron-Fuenté "7" Brut Champagne

By: Greg St. Clair | Review Date: 1/16/2018 | Send Email

I must admit that these bubbles puzzled me at first, it was obviously Champagne, I read the label, it came in a Champagne bottle but there was something different. It took me about 10 minutes to figure it out, this wine just has a more vinous complexity to it, and the 7 years on the lees really changed the dynamic of the wine. Yes there were bubbles and it seemed like a regular Champagne on your tongue but the flavors were not so simple. I really liked this wine the more I tried it, the super dryness almost flinty on your palate then slowly the layers of brioche, spice and mineral emerge. The more I tasted it the more it seemed like Chablis with bubbles, so strident, focused and lemony tartness with bits of baking spice complexity, all it needed was the right dish to pair with it. Oysters immediately came to mind but I’m thinking lobster and butter is what this bubbly needs, the richness of the lobster and the vibrant focus of the Baron Fuente 7, wow, a perfect match.

Price: $59.99

Daniel Bouju Tres Vieux "Brut de Fut" K&L Exclusive Premier Cru de Cognac Grand Champagne Cognac

By: Jeffrey Jones | Review Date: 1/15/2018 | Send Email

This Cognac has a deep dark color that reflects the extended aging. Delicate aromas lead to a Cognac that is complex and full bodied with concentrated dried fruit flavors that are not sweet but lively and tasty. There is a lot going on here. This is one to sit down with, sip and think about.

Price: $199.99

Daniel Bouju "Royal" Brut De Fut Grand Champagne Cognac

By: Jeffrey Jones | Review Date: 1/15/2018 | Send Email

I tasted this Cognac once straight out of the bottle and once with a splash of water. I enjoyed it most with a little water. There are soft and delicate aromas with a hint of sweetness. In the mouth it is round and rich but not heavy, with hints of dried fruit flavors that are delicious, on the dry side and inviting. This is for those looking for a classic Cognac but one without out too much sweetness.

Price: $99.99

Baron-Fuenté "7" Brut Champagne

By: Alex Schroeder | Review Date: 1/12/2018 | Send Email

How exciting! A new release from the baron of great values in Champagne, Baron Fuente! Correction, a new OLD release from Baron Fuente. The 7 began a journey that would eventually lead to our shelves (and hopefully your champagne glass) almost eight years ago, and the story it tells fun, intriguing and ultimately one I plan to revisit many times. The barrel aging of 20% of the Chardonnay gives the blend a beautiful creamy, viscous texture to go along with aromas of dried fruits, pear, honeysuckle and almond, all finished by great acidity. This is definitely a wine that makes keeping your guests' flutes full a real challenge.

Price: $59.99

Baron-Fuenté "7" Brut Champagne

By: Andrew Whiteley | Review Date: 1/11/2018 | Send Email

Finally! I've been hearing about this project from Gary for some time now and it's finally arrived and is in my glass. 7 years on the lees and a little portion of barrel fermented Chardonnay imparts a spectacular brioche character to this wine and great richness. The 7 grams/liter dosage is the perfect balance for the focused acidity. The all estate fruit is full of apples, pears, and bits of dark cherry shine through from the Pinot. All this at the amazing prices we expect from Baron Fuente and our direct import relationship. There is no better wine on the shelf for 50 bucks.

Price: $59.99

Baron-Fuenté "7" Brut Champagne

By: David Driscoll | Review Date: 1/11/2018 | Send Email

This is beautiful, majestic, and transformative Champagne, the kind that combines all of the regions most characteristic elements into one perfect package. You get the freshness of that laser-like acidity, mineral, oyster shell notes from the chalky Champagne soils, a leesy brioche creaminess from the seven years of lees aging. Champagne is both famous and expensive because only wine from Champagne can taste this way. Anyone can make sparkling wine, but nowhere else do you get such a combination of these distinct elements: they are what make a great Champagne stand out from the pack. In this Baron Fuente "7" edition, you get everything I describe in clear, delineated flavor profiles, easy to pick out, yet seamless in their integration.

Price: $59.99

2009 Coufran, Haut-Médoc

By: Heather Vander Wall | Review Date: 1/5/2018 | Send Email

This is an excellent Bordeaux from one of the top recent vintages, but coming from an under-the-radar winery in the Haut-Medoc. Chateau Coufran tends to use more Merlot in their blend, lending the wine some silky, black-fruited elegance which nicely counters the firmer structure and earthiness of the Cabernet from this region. Truly one of our best bargains for stellar 2009 vintage!

Price: $24.99

Fallet-Dart "Grande Sélection" Brut Champagne

By: Blake Conklin | Review Date: 1/4/2018 | Send Email

As far as our portfolio of direct imports go, I'm personally a huge fan of everything Fallet Dart has released, and the Grande Selection is definitely one of my all time favorites. If you need a good house champagne, look no further. Grande Selection delivers on so many levels. It's well balanced, the acidity is damn near perfect, and it has a nice toastiness to it like no other. Try it with pizza. Trust me.

Price: $39.99

Wine Club

$34.99

2014 Poujeaux, Moulis

By: Gary Westby | Review Date: 1/4/2018 | Send Email

This is one of the very best values in cellar worthy wine in the entire store. We tasted this along side the 1998 vintage, which has aged effortlessly, and it rammed home the point of just how wonderfully Chateau Poujeaux does with time. This has the perfect combination of cassis fruit and classy Bordeaux earth that excites me. It is a firm, serious wine with plenty of structure for the long haul. If you have children born in or an anniversary in 2014, I would say that this is a must buy. Wine of this sort of class and length are almost never sold at such a reasonable price!

Price: $34.99

VN: 90

Ariston Aspasie Blanc de Blancs Brut Champagne (375ml)

By: Diana Turk | Review Date: 1/2/2018 | Send Email

I can't believe this is under $20! Delicious and elegant, this paper-wrapped Champagne is a departure from the searing acid of Blanc de blancs and instead shows golden apple fruit up front, followed by toastiness and a luxurious mouthfeel. Though there is a crisp backbone of minerality from the fossil-rich soil, this is a slightly unusual offering in that it’s 100% Chardonnay, but with a creamier spin. Paul-Vincent Ariston is committed to making exceptional value Champagne, and there’s no doubt he’s accomplished that here. Aspasie Blanc de blancs is textured and age worthy, but in a smaller, more portable size.

Price: $24.99

Ariston Aspasie Blanc de Blancs Brut Champagne

By: Diana Turk | Review Date: 1/2/2018 | Send Email

Delicious and elegant, this paper-wrapped Champagne is a departure from the searing acid of Blanc de blancs and instead shows golden apple fruit up front, followed by toastiness and a luxurious mouthfeel. Though there is a crisp backbone of minerality from the fossil-rich soil, this is a slightly unusual offering in that it’s 100% Chardonnay with a creamier spin. The current release is from a single vineyard and spends over five years on the lees. Paul-Vincent Ariston is committed to making exceptional value Champagne, and there’s no doubt he’s accomplished that here. Aspasie Blanc de blancs is textured and age worthy, and I love turning savvy drinkers on to this family-owned favorite.

Price: $44.99

Ariston Aspasie Blanc de Blancs Brut Champagne (1.5L)

By: Diana Turk | Review Date: 1/2/2018 | Send Email

Party perfect! Just when I thought I couldn’t love Aspasie more, they charm us at the annual Champagne Tent Event AND make improvements to their production facilities that send their wines over the top in elegance and quality. An unusual offering for the Aristons in that this is 100% Chardonnay, but with a creamier spin. The current release is from a single vineyard and spends over five years on the lees. Paul-Vincent Ariston is committed to making exceptional value Champagne, and there’s no doubt he’s accomplished that here, especially given the celebration-ready magnum format. Aspasie Blanc de blancs is luxurious and age worthy, and I love turning savvy drinkers on to this family-owned favorite.

Price: $99.99

Ariston Aspasie "Réserve" Brut Champagne (375ml)

By: Diana Turk | Review Date: 12/26/2017 | Send Email

Half-bottles are not always the most economical option for Champagne, but Aspasie's 375 mls prove to be an incredible exception. Holiday-ready, the current release of Carte Blanche still spends five years on the lees, and has the biscuity notes to prove it, but shows even crisper acidity. Paul-Vincent Ariston is committed to making high quality entry level wine, and there’s no doubt he’s accomplished that here. A traditional cépage of 40% Chardonnay and 30% each of Pinot Noir and Meunier, the Carte Blanche shows apple and crunchy pear fruit, tempered by underlying chalky notes, mousse texture, and a toasty finish. This is a bright spot in our DI Champagne line up – both figuratively and stylistically – and I'm happy to turn savvy drinkers on to this value.

Price: $19.99

Ariston Aspasie "Réserve" Brut Champagne

By: Diana Turk | Review Date: 12/26/2017 | Send Email

Just when I thought I couldn’t love Aspasie more, they charm us at the annual Champagne Tent Event AND make improvements to their production facilities that send Carte Blanche over the top in elegance and quality. The current release of Carte Blanche still spends five years on the lees, and has the biscuity notes to prove it, but shows even crisper acidity. Paul-Vincent Ariston is committed to making exceptional entry level wine, and there’s no doubt he’s accomplished that here. A traditional cépage of 40% Chardonnay and 30% each of Pinot Noir and Meunier, the Carte Blanche shows apple and crunchy pear fruit, tempered by underlying chalky notes, mousse texture, and a toasty finish. This is a bright spot in our DI Champagne line up – both figuratively and stylistically – and I love turning savvy drinkers on to this value-driven, family-owned favorite.

Price: $37.99

Ariston Aspasie "Réserve" Brut Champagne

By: Ralph Sands | Review Date: 12/23/2017 | Send Email

This is absolutely incredible Champagne for the money! Deeply flavored, intense and powerful it is in the style of Bollinger and Krug at nowhere near the price and I love that!

Price: $37.99

Ariston Aspasie "Réserve" Brut Champagne

By: Doug Burress | Review Date: 12/22/2017 | Send Email

Caroline and Paul-Vincent Ariston rank up there with some of the best people I know in the world. Their Champagnes rank up there as one of my favorite wines at K & L. In my house we have to have a case on hand of the Carte Blanche at all times. The Ariston’s facility is ultra-modern, employing a super efficient diagonal press & temperature controlled stainless steel tanks. On my trip to Champagne this was by far my favorite place to visit, and I made friends for life. The current release of the Carte Blanche is fresh and youthful. It provides fresh baked apples and a toasty quality that I attribute to the terroir of the Ariston’s surrounding land and air. One sip and I am reminded of this wonderful place and that great Champagne does not have to cost a fortune.

Price: $37.99

Ariston Aspasie "Réserve" Brut Champagne

By: Ryan Woodhouse | Review Date: 12/22/2017 | Send Email

***Update: One of the best Champagnes in the store just got even better! Many years ago the Ariston family made significant investments in their family winery including a new press and temp controlled fermentation tanks. As with many things in life good things take time and so finally after 5 years resting on the lees, the latest batch of Aspasie Carte Blanche contains base wines crafted after the winery made these improvements. All this means a wine that was always one of the best QPRs in the store is now even more pure and polished than ever.***

Price: $37.99

Ariston Aspasie Blanc de Blancs Brut Champagne

By: Ryan Woodhouse | Review Date: 12/22/2017 | Send Email

Lovely wine. Bright, fresh, excellent combination of chalky, zestiness and nutty, toasty lees quality. The texture is fine and really drawn out on the palate. I am a fan of Aspasie's "entry level" Carte Blanche...but this is a cut above and worth the small increase in outlay.

Price: $44.99

Ariston Aspasie "Réserve" Brut Champagne

By: David Driscoll | Review Date: 12/22/2017 | Send Email

I know what you might be thinking: "I've had the Ariston Aspasie Carte Blanche dozens of times at this point." I've consumed at least 100 bottles of this in my 10 years at K&L, but unless you've bought a bottle post-November 2017 then you haven't had the new and improved Carte Blanche. You can look at my colleague Gary Westby's review for the technical details, but the short version is that the technological advancements put into place six years ago at Aspasie are just now showing up in the bottle, after five years of lees aging. If you thought you were getting a bargain for a sub-$30 Champagne before, you're getting a better version today. The control that the Aspasies have over the fermentation and pressing now results in a much fresher wine. More dynamic on the palate, cleaner on the finish, and livelier in every way, my most recent experience with the Carte Blanche was like drinking it again for the first time. If it's been a while since your last bottle of Aspasie Carte Blanche, you may want to consider revisiting this soon.

Price: $37.99

Launois "Veuve Clemence" Brut Blanc de Blancs Champagne

By: Brian Fogarty | Review Date: 12/12/2017 | Send Email

Champagne is always a welcome choice and not just for special occasions, but when you open a bottle of single village Grand Cru Champagne that is an occasion all unto itself. Mesnil sur Oger is a quant hamlet in southern half of the Cote du Blanc with many famous parcels, and the Launois family captures that specific essence perfectly. The toasty, brioche nose opens up quickly to reveal yellow fig, Golden Delicious apple, fields of jasmine, a walnut nuttiness and then you find the hints of chalk you were looking for. On the palate the apple gets firmer and a little more Granny Smith, pear and white pepper can be found, and the chalk is easily detected. The wine has firm acidity but leaves plenty of room to experience the softer elements.

Price: $44.99

Gilbert Jacquesson "Cuvée Tradition" Blanc de Noirs Brut Champagne

By: Rachel Alcarraz | Review Date: 12/5/2017 | Send Email

One of my favorite things about Meunier dominant Champanges is the depth, fullness and polish it adds to a wine. This brut from a new, all estate grown producer is 100% Meunier and brings that alluring full body character to the glass while inviting us into a complex, expansive and elegant experience with lots of fruit, spice and a touch of fresh earth. Another great Champagne to add to your collection!

Price: $29.99

Pol Roger "Réserve" Brut Champagne

By: Diana Turk | Review Date: 11/29/2017 | Send Email

An exceptional, value-priced offering from a house with clout, “White Foil” is subtly smoky and weightlessly creamy, with rich apple fruit balanced by enough acid to maintain focus through to the snappy but long finish. Pol Roger is the Champagne of royalty, and the care that goes into this cuvée is apparent. Aged 48 months on the lees and based on key spectacular vintages, this shows hints of toastiness, despite seeing no oak, and – like all Pol Roger releases – is still hand-riddled. This is one of our most requested Champagnes in Hollywood, and for good reason.

Price: $64.99

Pol Roger "Réserve" Brut Champagne

By: Alex Schroeder | Review Date: 11/29/2017 | Send Email

Pol Roger, long the favorite Champagne House of the Royal Family of Great Britain, takes special steps towards exceptional quality in their Brut Reserve. The nonvintage cuvée is an equal blend of the three allowed varieties, which are double cold-settled and slow fermented in the particularly cold cellar (9°C) entirely in stainless steel. The result is incredibly pure fruit flavors of lemon citrus, apples and stone fruit with a generous, creamy texture from the 9g/L dosage and extended lees aging, during which each bottle is hand-riddled. Considering the process, this is and always has been a great value in bubbles.

Price: $64.99

La Petite Marquise Crémant de Loire Brut

By: Joe Bruno | Review Date: 11/28/2017 | Send Email

Delicious and reasoned priced French sparkling that won’t break the bank. Aromas of white lilies, apples, and stone fruit. I was struck by the size of the bubbles in this Crémant; they are much finer and smaller than expected, lending themselves to contribute to the lovely mouthful. Flavors of white nectarine, bosc pear, and golden delicious apple give way to a honey note on the finish. Lively and fresh, stock up on this for your next party or get-together

Price: $14.99

Pol Roger "Réserve" Brut Champagne

By: Gary Westby | Review Date: 11/28/2017 | Send Email

A classic for a reason. The cellars of Pol Roger are the deepest and coldest in Epernay, reaching over 110 feet into the chalk, and here every bottle is still hand riddled. This toasty, well balanced grand marque is composed of about 1/3 each Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Meunier. It is treated to four years of ageing on the lees and has 25% reserve wines in the blend. It makes a lovely aperitif, and is supremely well balanced. If you haven't had this lately, it is a must try!

Price: $64.99

La Petite Marquise Crémant de Loire Brut Rosé

By: Morgan Laurie | Review Date: 11/27/2017 | Send Email

This old favorite is back again just in time for the holidays! Perfect as an aperitif, a bottle to toast with or something to open for friends and family who drop by, this little bottle of bubbles is sure to please everyone! Fresh, zippy, lively and full of finesse, this is an inexpensive gem to pick up a few bottles of so you'll always be prepared.

Price: $14.99

Mas Codina Brut Reserva Cava Penedès

By: Elsa Baez | Review Date: 11/25/2017 | Send Email

By far the best Cava I have ever tasted! Mineral and green apple notes with a crisp and dry finish. A perfect bubbly option for any occasion, especially for upcoming holiday gatherings.So much greatness at a fantastic price. Stock up for the holidays!

Price: $13.99

Jean-Louis Denois "Tradition" Extra Brut Crémant de Limoux

By: Christina Stanley | Review Date: 11/20/2017 | Send Email

If you are looking for a fun, bone dry and organically farmed French sparkling wine, this is your chance to experience it all. Crafted from Champagne varietals, but grown near the Pyrenees in the South of France, this sparkling comes from base wines that spend some time in oak barrels, which adds a pleasing richness to the palate.

Price: $24.99

Wine Club

$19.99

Billecart-Salmon "Sous Bois" Brut Champagne

By: Joe Manekin | Review Date: 10/23/2017 | Send Email

Containing base wine that is barrel fermented, and then given a generously long ageing on its lees, this cuvée is rich, elegant and expensive tasting. That said, given the quality of the base wine and the blocking of malolactic, there is a fine line of acidity marking this rich barrel aged Champagne, as well as a soft bead as well. A great Champagne for a meal, though for my taste I would be just as happy sipping on this and simple hors d'oeuvres as I would be enjoying it with a sumptuous meal.

Price: $99.99

Gilbert Jacquesson "Cuvée Tradition" Blanc de Noirs Brut Champagne

By: Alex Schroeder | Review Date: 10/21/2017 | Send Email

Made from only Pinot Meunier, this Blanc de Noirs carries aromas of Bing cherries, red apple and Asian pears, with a hint of lees on the back end to create the cherry pie experience with just a hint of spicy herbs. It’s very dry with incredible acidity.

Price: $29.99

Ardbeg "An Oa" Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky

By: David Driscoll | Review Date: 9/30/2017 | Send Email

The An Oa is the best new Ardbeg I’ve tasted in more than five years and it’s the roundest and easiest to drink of the regularly available editions. While it doesn’t pack the power that both the Uigeadail and Corryvreckan offer with their bold proofs, it makes up for it with richness and a rounded sweetness on the finish. You get all the peat, brine, smoke, and salt that you could ever want, but with more texture and perhaps finesse—not something we normally associate with the beastly Islay profile. In any case, this is the first bottle of Ardbeg in some time that I’ve been adamant about buying for my own personal daily enjoyment, not just my collection.

Price: $64.99

WA: 93

Charles Heidsieck "Brut Réserve" Champagne

By: Alex Schroeder | Review Date: 9/27/2017 | Send Email

In a lineup with 12 other Grand Marques, Champagne Charlie was at the top of my list of favorites. The Brut Reserve uses up to 20-year-old reserve wines for 40% of its blend and combines the flavors of fresh stone fruit and pears with quince and dried apricots for a rich, but ultimately refreshing and vibrant profile.

Price: $54.99

Taittinger "La Française" Brut Champagne

By: Alex Schroeder | Review Date: 9/27/2017 | Send Email

This is one nonvintage brut from a Grand Marque that is well worth the money. The blend is 40% Chard, 35% Pinot, 25% Meunier and spends nearly 4 years on the lees in stainless steel. The result is vibrant, pure flavors of apples and pears with an underlying toastiness that accents the fruit.

Price: $54.99

JG: 91

RP: 90

Ardbeg "An Oa" Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky

By: Andrew Whiteley | Review Date: 9/20/2017 | Send Email

I'm so thrilled this has arrived! I was fortunate enough to taste a sample 3 weeks ago and I've been hounding David about the release date ever since! Better yet, this isn't a flash in the pan. This is part of the new core lineup at Ardbeg and boy does it live up to my high expectations for Ardbeg flagship products. Beautifully married, this blend sings with sea salt brine, extinguished bonfire, malty goodness, and toasted brush. It's even better on the palate. The sweetness of the PX casks really livens up the mix. Cocoa notes and a bourbon spice profile play beautifully with a candied granola that is blanketed in the smooth smoky profile of Ardbeg you already love. Did I mention this is here to stay? I only have to buy one today, because after I finish it I can buy another next week. And the week after. Glorious.

Price: $64.99

WA: 93

Ardbeg "An Oa" Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky

By: Gary Westby | Review Date: 9/19/2017 | Send Email

This incredibly elegant and sophisticated Ardbeg retains the peaty personality of the distillery while showcasing a suaver side of Islay. I enjoyed my little taste of this immensly, and I can't wait to take it home and drink it my favorite way- after dinner. Any fan of Islay malts should have a bottle of this generous, textural Ardbeg!

Price: $64.99

WA: 93

A. Smith Bowman Distillery "Bowman Bros" Small Batch Virginia Straight Bourbon Whiskey (750ml)

By: David Othenin-Girard | Review Date: 9/6/2017 | Send Email

The wonderful Bowman Bros Bourbons are an odd thing. This is one of the only triple distilled bourbons out there and it starts with distillate from Buffalo Trace (mashbill #1 & #2) being trucked out to the Bowman facility in Virginia. It's distilled a third time (the continuous still and again on the doubler at BT should count as two) on the Bowman's pot still, which looks as though it might be a component on a space rocket built in the 1800s. The resulting distillate is rich and supple, unique, but familiar. The small batch is a great balance between the sweet Bowman's style and some nice rye spice. An easy going whiskey at a great price that hints at the potential of some of Bowman's higher-end offerings.

Price: Hidden

WE: 90

Four Pillars "Bloody Shiraz" Gin (750ml)

By: Jeffrey Jones | Review Date: 8/31/2017 | Send Email

This Gin has beautiful dark red color which will add a pleasant visual dimension to a gin and tonic. In the nose there is an interaction of sweet fruit and juniper aromas. In the mouth it is rich and round with the sweetness of the shiraz interacting with subtle botanical and citrus notes. The Four Pillars Bloody Shiraz is a new flavor direction in the gin section providing more depth and choice.

Price: $29.99

Four Pillars "Bloody Shiraz" Gin (750ml)

By: Andrew Stevens | Review Date: 8/30/2017 | Send Email

I was willing to buy this bottle based on the aromatics alone, well that and the fact that Four Pillars seems incapable of making a bad gin. Watching this come in and getting to finally taste it makes me do a happy dance. The aroma juniper, sweet orange, bitter herb, red berry are all present here and hint at the tastiness hiding within this bottle. The flavor here is reminiscent of a SloGin but brighter and drier than most I have tasted. The beauty of the Four Pillars botanicals are still here just surrounded and submerged in sweet red fruit, more spice and a perfect amount of sweetness. I can't wait to try it in a Negroni and I feel I won't even need the sweet vermouth.

Price: $29.99

Jean-Louis Denois "Tradition" Extra Brut Crémant de Limoux

By: Morgan Laurie | Review Date: 8/29/2017 | Send Email

Looking for Champagne taste on a beer budget? This is the solution! With a creamy mouth feel, delicate bubbles, and a slightly toasty, yeasty goodness you'd think you were drinking Champagne if I poured you a glass and never let you see the bottle. Great for parties, weddings, or really anytime you want to have a glass of bubbles, this $15 sparkler knocks it out of the park!

Price: $24.99

Wine Club

$19.99

Professor Fritz Briem "1809" Berliner Weisse, Germany (500ml.)

By: Gary Westby | Review Date: 8/29/2017 | Send Email

Drinking the 1809 Berliner Weisse from Professor Fritz Briem brings takes me back to my first visit to Berilin, just before the wall came down. This refreshing, light, delicately fruity and subtly sour beer made me think of loud, smoky clubs in Kreuzberg. I might have to spin some Einstürzende Neubauten this weekend and drink a couple of these delicious brews!

Price: $6.99

Amara Sicilian Amaro d'Arancia Rossa (750ml)

By: Greg St. Clair | Review Date: 8/27/2017 | Send Email

A confession, I love Amaro, there’s a huge trend toward Amaro, vermouth and bitters but this one is really unique. The Sicilian orange peel just dominates not only in the aromatics but it is the signature flavor throughout. I frequently find Southern Italian Amaro too sweet for my taste this one is impeccably balanced. I love it over ice with a sprig of rosemary, sometime I add a splash of soda.

Price: $49.99

2009 Coufran, Haut-Médoc

By: Jeff Garneau | Review Date: 8/18/2017 | Send Email

Chateau Coufran lies just north of St-Estèphe in the village of Saint-Seurin-de-Cadourne. There are 76 hectares of vineyards planted entirely on gravel soils close beside the Gironde River. Atypically for a Left Bank property, the grape varieties planted are almost entirely Merlot (85%), earning Coufran the nickname “the Pomerol of the Médoc”. I had the good fortune to taste a barrel sample of the 2009 Coufran at the chateau in 2010. The owner, Eric Miailhe, confided at that time that he considered it the finest wine he had ever made. Now, five years after bottling, the wine truly shows the strength of the outstanding ’09 vintage – very fresh with lively acidity and very fine, but still firm tannins. There is plenty of sweet fruit here with notes of fresh picked blackberry and damson plum. A terrific value from one of the great vintages of the decade.

Price: $24.99

2009 Coufran, Haut-Médoc

By: David Driscoll | Review Date: 8/18/2017 | Send Email

It's great to see how this wine has come around over the years. We've been getting shipments of the 2009 Coufran since the vintage was released in 2012 and I've been slowly tasting bottles throughout the years, watching what was once a merlot-driven and supple wine from a ripe vintage mature into a savory, complex, and serious bottle of mature Bordeaux. Tasting it today, it's at its most profound position yet. The wine is much leaner than it was a few years back and has shed some of that baby fat, now resembling something with age from St. Emilion or Pomerol. For the price its tough to beat, especially when stacked up against some of the other $20 bargains we have in the store. Few, however, show as much evolution as the Coufran. This is a Wednesday night steak frites wine at its finest.

Price: $24.99

2009 Coufran, Haut-Médoc

By: Gary Westby | Review Date: 8/18/2017 | Send Email

We have a few house favorites when it comes to Bordeaux here at K&L, and the 2009 Coufran, Haut-Médoc confirms why we love this property. For the Haut-Medoc, this wine has a huge proportion of Merlot at 85% and just a touch of Cabernet Sauvignon at 15%. In its youth, the wine had a big, ripe, plumy nose, but was still very elegant in the mouth. It reminded me very much of old fashioned Pomerol; medium bodied, pure, racy Merlot without the extraneous sugar and oak. At the price, too much of this wine was probably consumed too young, but the patient will now be rewarded with a great experience at a very small price.

Price: $24.99