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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
Diplomatico Reserva Exclusiva Venezuelan Rum (750ml)
By: David Driscoll | Review Date: 4/19/2015 | Send Email
By: David Driscoll | Review Date: 4/19/2015 | Send Email
A classic darker rum that offers richness and bold vanilla flavor, but without the sweetness and added caramel that many big brands offer. A true insider's rum if there ever was one.
Price:
$39.99
Darroze Les Grand Assemblages "20 Year Old" Bas-Armagnac (750ml)
By: David Driscoll | Review Date: 4/19/2015 | Send Email
By: David Driscoll | Review Date: 4/19/2015 | Send Email
The great Armagnac we carry at the moment. A marriage of 20 year old brandies from various properties, distilled by Marc Darroze, and packaged at one hot price. Bourbon drinkers might want to take note. This smokes Pappy 20 any day of the week.
Drappier "Carte d'Or" Brut Champagne
By: Michael Jordan | Review Date: 4/15/2015 | Send Email
By: Michael Jordan | Review Date: 4/15/2015 | Send Email
A rich, toasty Champagne heavy with stone fruit and lively, tight bubbles. The 80% Pinot Noir shows itself with lively hints of red fruit and spice. Very well balanced with a creamy mid-palate and great length. One heck of a treat for $39.99.
Krug Brut Rosé Champagne
By: Gary Westby | Review Date: 4/14/2015 | Send Email
By: Gary Westby | Review Date: 4/14/2015 | Send Email
This blend of great vintages is perhaps the most consistently great pink wine in the world. Effortless, subtle and elegant, this is not a bottle of wine that is ever flashy or showy. Every time I have had it seems to just vanish without refilling the flutes. The refined strawberry notes and haunting Pinot Noir fruit always seem to take a back seat to the company and the conversation when I have drunk it, but the memory of each experience is as vivid as yesterday. Every lover of the good things in life should try this masterpiece at least once. It is the ultimate rosé!
Westland Flagship American Oak Single Malt American Whiskey (700ml)
By: Ryan Woodhouse | Review Date: 4/6/2015 | Send Email
By: Ryan Woodhouse | Review Date: 4/6/2015 | Send Email
I guess you would call this the "Flagship" of Westland...? Not necessarily because it's the best but because this is a blend of sherry and bourbon casks...it's the complete flavor profile of what they do. This does a seriously good impression of seriously good Scotch...and yet it is distinct also. It seems richer, more intense and "malty" than most Scotch. I love the intensity. It also has good nuance and balance...the wood doesn't dominate the purity and brightness of the spirit. Chewy textured and long on the palate, proof is just right. A must try.
Westland Flagship American Oak Single Malt American Whiskey (700ml)
By: Dulcinea Gonzalez | Review Date: 4/3/2015 | Send Email
By: Dulcinea Gonzalez | Review Date: 4/3/2015 | Send Email
Now here's a truly distinct and cool American whisky hailing from Seattle that will capture the hearts of craft whisky drinkers and beer nerds alike.
Mixing tried and true old style Scottish pot distilling techniques with uniquely Pacific Northwestern malts and Belgian brewers yeast, Westland produces a libation with complex aromas — rich with scents reminiscent of fruit and spices. The body is robust yet smooth and easy-drinking with healthy doses of root beer and cocoa. This is delicious and a must for super, satisfying sipping. American single malt is here folks, take a dram.
Roederer Estate Anderson Valley Brut Sparkling Wine
By: Michael Jordan | Review Date: 4/1/2015 | Send Email
By: Michael Jordan | Review Date: 4/1/2015 | Send Email
One of the finest sparkling wines in the world. Made with great care and precision by winemaker/General Manager Arnaud Weyrich. A leaner style of sparkling wine with a minerality and depth punctuated by a lush mid palate. Approximately 60% Chardonnay, 40% Pinot Noir. Aged a minimum of two years on the yeast.
A tasty sparkling for any occasion.
Alexandre Le Brun "Tradition" Brut Champagne
By: Joe Manekin | Review Date: 4/1/2015 | Send Email
By: Joe Manekin | Review Date: 4/1/2015 | Send Email
A finely balanced Champagne, this is all Challah dough on the nose, which leads to a dry, elegant, tasty palate. We like to joke about the recent trendiness of the Aube, or Cotes des Bar, the warmer, southern zone that is closer to Chablis than to Epernay and the rest of Champagne. That said, wines as good as Le Brun's provide serious competition to the established names up north!
Price:
$37.99
K&L's "Faultline" 100 Proof Straight Bourbon Whiskey (750ml)
By: Dave Genevro | Review Date: 3/31/2015 | Send Email
By: Dave Genevro | Review Date: 3/31/2015 | Send Email
This bourbon has it all...It has the aromas, the richness, length and the spice. This well rounded bourbon is the third round of this amazing joint project we have going on with Smooth Ambler, and it looks like the quality is only getting better. At 50% ABV, what's not to love?! Mix it in cocktails, drink it straight, you can prepare this gem in whichever fashion suits you. Bourbon lovers- a must try for sure!
Price:
$39.99
Rare Wine Company "Historic Series - New York" Malmsey Madeira
By: Dulcinea Gonzalez | Review Date: 3/23/2015 | Send Email
By: Dulcinea Gonzalez | Review Date: 3/23/2015 | Send Email
Here's an absolutely delicious treat and a lovely example of a classic sweet Madeira made from the Malvasia grape. Rich in color and luscious in body with notes of toasted hazelnuts, toffee and dates. This would make an excellent pairing with any nutty dessert.
Alexandre Le Brun "Tradition" Brut Champagne
By: Christie Brunick | Review Date: 3/20/2015 | Send Email
By: Christie Brunick | Review Date: 3/20/2015 | Send Email
A new Direct Import for us and I'm in love! This is the perfect Champagne to start out the night with! Although dry, it has a ripeness to the fruit that makes it a great aperitif or sipping Champagne on its own. This will be great for anyone that wants to dive right into our grower Champagne program and see what it has to offer! Great Champagnes for less than you'll find anywhere!
Price:
$37.99
Laurent-Perrier "Cuvée Rosé" Brut Rosé Champagne
By: Kyle Kurani | Review Date: 3/18/2015 | Send Email
By: Kyle Kurani | Review Date: 3/18/2015 | Send Email
Intriguing rose that begins in an understated elegant way, and builds towards a fuller finish showing off its’ Grand Cru providence. The nose is hauntingly seductive, crushed red fruit, a mineral vein, and the faintest scent of rose petal all intermingled in harmony. The palate is defined by a textural grip that adds weight and importance, but the lifted flavors of wild strawberry and cream, with hits of cherry tart keep the wine extremely elegant and pretty. The finish picks up speed with reinforced dark cherry and minerality that wraps the wine up beautifully.
Boulard-Bauquaire "Trepail" Brut Blanc de Blancs Champagne Vieilles Vignes
By: Kyle Kurani | Review Date: 3/11/2015 | Send Email
By: Kyle Kurani | Review Date: 3/11/2015 | Send Email
What a charming bottle of bubbles. One of our newest additions to the line up, this a wonderfully enjoyable, open knit and effortless. The nose is cream and zest, maybe a touch of fresh lemon scone. The palate is soft and supple, perky notes of yellow peach and Meyer lemon, clean and pretty. The old vine material comes through on the finish, pure and lengthy. Just a joy to drink.
Price:
$44.99
Ariston Aspasie "Cépages d'Antan" Brut Champagne
By: Kyle Kurani | Review Date: 3/10/2015 | Send Email
By: Kyle Kurani | Review Date: 3/10/2015 | Send Email
History in a bottle. I have never had a Champagne made with these grapes, it is truly a walk back in time, and a delicious one at that. I try to find every occasion possible to open this bottle.
When the cork is popped this bottle of bubbles is tightly wound, full of chalk and notes of stone and orchard fruit. As is warms up and breaths, the Pinot Blanc starts to shine through, ripe orchard fruits lend weight and depth. A beautiful, almost waxy mouth feel, is balance by an almost saline line of pure minerality running from start to finish. Completely unique, and absolutely stunning.
Price:
$119.99
Drappier Brut Rosé Champagne
By: Gary Westby | Review Date: 3/6/2015 | Send Email
By: Gary Westby | Review Date: 3/6/2015 | Send Email
This all Pinot Noir Champagne is made with a three day long maceration, rather than more common method of adding red wine for color and flavor. It is vinified in only stainless steel vats and moved by gravity to avoid oxygen and preserve freshness, and dosed at a fairly low 7g/l. This Champagne has a wild nose with plenty of black cherry Pinot authority and savor. In the mouth it is spicy, extroverted and fresh.
Ariston Aspasie Brut Rosé Champagne
By: Kyle Kurani | Review Date: 3/5/2015 | Send Email
By: Kyle Kurani | Review Date: 3/5/2015 | Send Email
There is not another bottle of pink Champagne that offers this value in the store, end of story. This perfectly crafted bottle of bubbles is sensational wine, and at a price that I can afford to drink more than just on special occasions. A pretty coral pink greets you in the glass, alongside a nose of vibrant cherry, sweetened dried cranberry, and anise spice. Elegant red fruits burst on the scene out of the glass, kissing your palate with lifted notes of rose petal and wild cherry. So good!
Price:
$42.99
Ariston Aspasie Blanc de Blancs Brut Champagne
By: Kyle Kurani | Review Date: 3/4/2015 | Send Email
By: Kyle Kurani | Review Date: 3/4/2015 | Send Email
The Aspasie Blanc de Blancs is a bottle I reach for time and time again. Perfect for almost any occasion that I can think of, from parties to picnics there is something here for everyone. From the immediate aesthetics of the clear glass holding in the beautiful straw gold elixir, to the beautiful breadth and depth that comes from single vineyard Chardonnay. Sun ripe stone fruits greet you, followed by lemon curd and a hit of toasty baguette. The textures is opulent, a kiss of minerality, and a long beautiful finish.
Price:
$44.99
Alexandre Le Brun "Tradition" Brut Champagne
By: Kyle Kurani | Review Date: 3/4/2015 | Send Email
By: Kyle Kurani | Review Date: 3/4/2015 | Send Email
Alex Le Brun is one of our newest and most exciting producers we are lucky enough to import here at K&L. Getting to know the style of a new producer means some painstaking, grueling work, having to taste Champagne is pretty tough after all. It was a joy to discover his wines, made in a style that is serious, but not fussy, and absolutely delicious. The Tradition is a joy, toasty on the nose, baked core fruit, with intriguing spice. Bubbly and fresh on the palate with a pleasantly round mouth feel and texture, ending up lengthy and clean.
Price:
$37.99
St. George All Purpose Vodka (750ml)
By: David Driscoll | Review Date: 3/3/2015 | Send Email
By: David Driscoll | Review Date: 3/3/2015 | Send Email
Again, don't let the vodka moniker fool you: this isn't some BS, grain neutral throwaway. This is an art that Lance and Dave have perfected over at St. George. The all-purpose is actually made from a large proportion of pear distillate to give it a creamy and soft texture. They're not just trying to make a flavorless spirit. They're trying for ethereal beauty. And they've done it. The great vodka from the U.S. is now here.
St. George California Citrus Vodka (750ml)
By: David Driscoll | Review Date: 3/3/2015 | Send Email
By: David Driscoll | Review Date: 3/3/2015 | Send Email
While you may think of this as flavored vodka, this is really just orange gin. At least, as far as the process is concerned. Lance and Dave made this incredibly beautiful spirit through multiple macerations of separate varietals of orange, along with individual distillations. The amount of skill and blending is paramount to the finest of ginmakers. It's just that they didn't use juniper. Don't let the vodka moniker make you think this isn't something great. It is.
Price:
$26.99
Mas Codina Brut Reserva Cava Penedès
By: Mahon McGrath | Review Date: 3/2/2015 | Send Email
By: Mahon McGrath | Review Date: 3/2/2015 | Send Email
The Mas Codina cleaves more to the doughy-yeasty side of things, but has a light, delicate fruit character, in a citrus, tart apple vein. This definitely comes across on the dry side, and finishes clean, with a suggestion of green apple. Absolutely affordable, and well balanced, this is a great pick when you need good, inexpensive fizz!
Price:
$13.99
Veuve Clicquot Brut Champagne
By: Gary Westby | Review Date: 2/24/2015 | Send Email
By: Gary Westby | Review Date: 2/24/2015 | Send Email
This is the best selling Champagne in the USA.
Franck Bonville Grand Cru Brut Blanc de Blancs Champagne
By: Kyle Kurani | Review Date: 2/19/2015 | Send Email
By: Kyle Kurani | Review Date: 2/19/2015 | Send Email
Update 2014: The 2011 Vintage in Champagne was pretty terrible, turns out to be a blessing in disguise for one of my favorite bottles of Champagne in the store. Wanting to make sure he kept the quality up, Olivier Bonville declassified all of his high end and old vine vineyards into this little gem. The depth of fruit and minerality is what catches me off guard when I drink this wine, light and elegant, the chalk in the soils sing through the nose and offer a back bone that frames the entire wine. White flowers, golden apple, and a hint of spice cake. Vintage Champagne in disguise.
2011: The picture of elegance and class. Such pure and clean lines, a touch of citrus, a hit of minerality all delivered effortlessly on a find bead and sensuous mouth feel. One of my annual holliday favorites and sure to please any Champagne snob that might haunt your gatherings.
Ariston Aspasie "Réserve" Brut Champagne
By: Kyle Kurani | Review Date: 2/19/2015 | Send Email
By: Kyle Kurani | Review Date: 2/19/2015 | Send Email
Update: This wine continues to amaze me year after year. Each time I open a bottle I marvel at the quality of the wine for the price tag. Re-reading my review from 2011, I have tasted hundreds of different bottles of Champagne, and this bottle of wine still makes me incredibly happy. With 6 years on the lees, the integration is wonderful, soft mouth feel, ripe orchard fruit, toasty at the back. Still good after all these years.
Wonderfully balanced bubbles for a wonderfully balanced price tag. The Carte Blanche is my most often used excuse to open bubbles just for the sake of having a glass of Champagne, there are always a couple of bottles stashed away around my house. Powerfully elegant, with toasted nutty notes and a length on the finish that reasserts why I love this wine.
Price:
$37.99
The Botanist Islay Dry Gin (750ml)
By: David Driscoll | Review Date: 2/19/2015 | Send Email
By: David Driscoll | Review Date: 2/19/2015 | Send Email
Fantastic gin from Bruichladdich distillery on the famous island of Islay. Potent and punchy flavor with an elegant mouthfeel. You can't go wrong.
Price:
$34.99
Eagle Rare 10 Year Old Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey (750ml)
By: David Driscoll | Review Date: 2/19/2015 | Send Email
By: David Driscoll | Review Date: 2/19/2015 | Send Email
10 year old Bourbon for a hot price. Buffalo Trace's classic whiskey is still a steal of a deal.
Price:
$54.99
| Limit of 1 per customer |
Blanton's "The Original" Single Barrel Bourbon Whiskey (1 bottle limit) (750ml)
By: David Driscoll | Review Date: 2/19/2015 | Send Email
By: David Driscoll | Review Date: 2/19/2015 | Send Email
Blanton's is always my first choice when someone asks me for a "nice" bottle of Bourbon. It's about as "nice" as Bourbon gets. Extra richness, a smooth and silky finish, and an elegant bottle. It's still the one great value in today's high-end Bourbon market.
Sazerac Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey (750ml)
By: David Driscoll | Review Date: 2/19/2015 | Send Email
By: David Driscoll | Review Date: 2/19/2015 | Send Email
The ultimate rye whiskey for the money. It doesn't get better.
Buffalo Trace Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey (750ml)
By: David Driscoll | Review Date: 2/19/2015 | Send Email
By: David Driscoll | Review Date: 2/19/2015 | Send Email
Still one of the best bang for your buck spirits of any kind on the market. Serious Bourbon that gets overlooked in the face of Pappy, even though this is the distillery's flagship product. There's a reason the distillery is called Buffalo Trace. This is the workhorse.
Piper-Heidsieck Brut Champagne
By: Gary Westby | Review Date: 2/18/2015 | Send Email
By: Gary Westby | Review Date: 2/18/2015 | Send Email
If I were to pick one Grand Marque Champagne house as most improved over the last 10 years, it would certainly be Piper Heidsieck. This clean, refreshing Champagne is sourced from 100 different villages in Champagne and aged for two years on the lees.
Ariston Aspasie Blanc de Blancs Brut Champagne
By: Sarah Covey | Review Date: 2/15/2015 | Send Email
By: Sarah Covey | Review Date: 2/15/2015 | Send Email
I just threw our family's first baby shower for my brother and sister-in-law, and this was the Champagne of choice to celebrate the new little life on the way! I love this Champagne for its easy and yet elegant personality. Apple, cream, citrus, and mineral with the stunning golden wine visible through the clear glass. It looks gorgeous on ice at a party, and its accesibility make it a total win for Champagne neophytes and connoiseurs alike!
Price:
$44.99
Jefferson's "Ocean Voyage" Aged at Sea Very Small Batch Bourbon (750ml)
By: David Othenin-Girard | Review Date: 2/13/2015 | Send Email
By: David Othenin-Girard | Review Date: 2/13/2015 | Send Email
This is by far the best Ocean release I've yet tasted. I'm not sure if it's the additional time at sea or simply they're getting better at blending this unusual product once it returns to port. The rarity of the release is not the only reason to grab a bottle, it really does benefit from the abnormal aging technique. It's not particularly more or less saline than the others, but the depth is on the next level here. Powerful dense woodsy flavors meld perfectly with the subtle salty taffy sweetness. Candied orange peel and baking spice continue as it opens in the glass. The aromatic complexity is mimicked on the palate where the sweet oak and salt soften the powerful spice. Looks like Jefferson has found something special with this ocean line. What we got is all we'll get.
Price:
$79.99
Alexandre Le Brun "Passion" Brut Champagne
By: David Othenin-Girard | Review Date: 2/11/2015 | Send Email
By: David Othenin-Girard | Review Date: 2/11/2015 | Send Email
Le Brun is like one of these culty type producers. He's one of these guys that treats his vines like his children. Probably reads them a story each night before bed and it shows. His entry-level wines are good, but once you cross the threshold into his upper level, it's a whole different story. Elegance like a Hepburn, depth like Death Valley, everything on this wine is firing on all cylinders. What a fabulous expression and proof positive that Le Brun is one of Champagne's most exciting producers.
Price:
$49.99
Ariston Aspasie Brut Rosé Champagne
By: Heather Vander Wall | Review Date: 2/4/2015 | Send Email
By: Heather Vander Wall | Review Date: 2/4/2015 | Send Email
Lovely rose champagne from one of our favorite producers! With a pale coral color, this is a light bodied rose with hints of wild strawberry, vanilla, clove, and a gorgeous, creamy texture. Certainly one of my top rose champagne picks!
Price:
$42.99
Ariston Aspasie Blanc de Blancs Brut Champagne
By: Heather Vander Wall | Review Date: 2/2/2015 | Send Email
By: Heather Vander Wall | Review Date: 2/2/2015 | Send Email
Elegance and complexity combine to make this an incredibly intriguing champagne. Delicate white flower and toasted almond/hazelnut on the nose give way to soft pear and a hint of vanilla on the palate. Gorgeous now, but I'm excited to see how this wine develops in the next few years!
Price:
$44.99
Ariston Aspasie Blanc de Blancs Brut Champagne
By: Scott Beckerley | Review Date: 1/26/2015 | Send Email
By: Scott Beckerley | Review Date: 1/26/2015 | Send Email
The Ariston family are some of my favorite winemakers who produce some of the best small-estate champagnes that we carry. This blanc de blanc is no exception. It carries their reputation for excellent quality at an affordable price. This is a creamy, rich style of blanc de blanc with a rich mousse and lemon meringue flavors. Fleshy, without being heavy, it has a long, subtle finish of apple and pear fruit. A great way to start a party or meal!
Price:
$44.99
Colonel E.H. Taylor Jr. Bottled in Bond Small Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
By: Sarah Covey | Review Date: 1/8/2015 | Send Email
By: Sarah Covey | Review Date: 1/8/2015 | Send Email
Fans of soft, supple, easy-sipping bourbon should snap this puppy up immediately. Sweet corn, vanilla, spice and light caramel with a long, lingering finish. You will absolutely want to have this on your bar for sipping on the rocks, or as a killer component in any bourbon cocktail. It's awesome!
Colonel E.H. Taylor Jr. Bottled in Bond Small Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
By: David Driscoll | Review Date: 1/3/2015 | Send Email
By: David Driscoll | Review Date: 1/3/2015 | Send Email
The E.H. Taylor series is an interesting side project from the Buffalo Trace distillery portfolio (Eagle Rare, Weller, Elmer T Lee, Pappy, etc) offering a drier, less sweet profile than what many of us expect from Bourbon. For me, the Taylor Small Batch 100 proof is the most intriguing of the series; truly a grainy and evocative Bourbon that goes from oak, to oil, to sweet corn, and then back to a dry grainy finish. For me personally, the whiskey is great on the rocks, but really shines in a Manhattan or Old Fashioned. The 50% helps bump up the flavor, allowing it to hold its own with the added sweetness, and the drier profile doesn't add too much extra sugar. The oak and corn flavors are really well balanced as well, creating a back and forth of sweet vanilla and baking spices that goes on forever even after you drink it down. It's a fun change of pace from the standard Bourbon fare and a chance to really delve deep into the complexity that Bourbon can offer. There's a lot going on in this whiskey; perhaps more than you're really looking for. Each time I taste it I find something I didn't taste the previous time. It's almost like the Boigneires Armagnac equivalent; that's a brandy that cuts out all the sweetness and gets right down to the core flavor. It's the Bourbon version of that.
Ariston Aspasie Blanc de Blancs Brut Champagne
By: Jeff Garneau | Review Date: 12/31/2014 | Send Email
By: Jeff Garneau | Review Date: 12/31/2014 | Send Email
The current disgorgement of the Ariston Aspasie Blanc de Blancs Brut Champagne is perhaps a little firmer, a little less open knit than previous bottlings. But the tradeoff is more focus, more purity, and more length. Quite dry, but with remarkable sweetness of fruit and a light toast that adds depth and character. The ideal New Year's Eve companion - complex enough to be interesting but not so serious as to dominate the conversation.
Price:
$44.99
St. George Pear Brandy (750ml)
By: Jeffrey Jones | Review Date: 12/29/2014 | Send Email
By: Jeffrey Jones | Review Date: 12/29/2014 | Send Email
This eau de vie is packed full of happiness. If you like pears and booze, this is a wonderful combination. There are expressive pear aromas followed by nice clean and dry pear flavors. Great alone, but I bet some creative cocktails could be made with this product.
Ardbeg "Corryvreckan" Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky
By: James Knight | Review Date: 12/5/2014 | Send Email
By: James Knight | Review Date: 12/5/2014 | Send Email
For sure, the next time I have enough spare change to be able to decide between purchasing a Talisker 18 or the Corry, I am likely to experience some cognitive dissonance--and I mean before I have had any whisky! UPDATE: After first sampling the Corryvreckan, I was able to purchase a bottle and am very happy with it. This whisky presents luxe aromas of vanilla, caramel, and a hint of chocolate liqueur, haunted by a roasted seaweed, smoked fish and bacon sort of peatiness. If you've tried the Ardbeg 10 but felt it was just somewhat too aggressively peaty for you, at least for now, check out this one. It's got all the soft, lovely smoky beauty of a Talisker Distiller's, say, but with a spicier, cinnamon mint finish--like a younger Islay, like our Kilchoman single barrels, for instance. If you don't mind a hot finish, and love a single malt that tantalizes your nose with seductive, smoky and sweet aromas, this is it.
Charles Baur "Emotion" Cremant d'Alsace Brut
By: Sarah Covey | Review Date: 12/4/2014 | Send Email
By: Sarah Covey | Review Date: 12/4/2014 | Send Email
Bright, fresh and elegant, the Chardonnay in this sparkling wine really shines with citrus, pear, apple and mineral. Looking for an affordable, classy wine for your holiday parties? Look no further!
Chartreuse "V.E.P." Green (1L)
By: Adam Winkel | Review Date: 12/1/2014 | Send Email
By: Adam Winkel | Review Date: 12/1/2014 | Send Email
The most extraordinary digestif ever made. The most extraordinary anything ever made. My desert island one-and-only.
Ariston Aspasie Brut Rosé Champagne
By: Jeff Garneau | Review Date: 11/29/2014 | Send Email
By: Jeff Garneau | Review Date: 11/29/2014 | Send Email
Always my favorite rosé champagne here at K&L. Drank it with Thanksgiving dinner this year. Quite dry with a pronounced red fruit character - crisp red apple and tart cherry. For die hard Pinot fans - 50/50 Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier.
Price:
$42.99
Ariston Aspasie "Réserve" Brut Champagne
By: Jim Barr | Review Date: 11/14/2014 | Send Email
By: Jim Barr | Review Date: 11/14/2014 | Send Email
It is remarkable to me, and to much of our wine staff, some of the unique, profoundly produced Champagnes from the small producers that Gary Westby, our Champagne Wine Buyer, has discovered over the last decade. Virtually all of these producers, including the Aristons, are making sparkling wine strictly from estate fruit from Grand Cru recognized vineyard sites, and in small lots. As with any small producer, these wines are “hands-on” creations that are given extensive individual attention and long term aging before being disgorged. The Ariston “Carte Blanche’s” exquisite, superb quality is at a mind boggling low price vis-à-vis its style and complexity. Rich and authoritative both on its nutty, doughy yeasty nose and in the mouth, the very fine mousse leads to an amazingly rich, full style brut, with a long, intense finish. Some of you will probably not enjoy this Gem, due to the fact that you have gotten use to flavorless, bulk productions from the international, well-known, simply made name “brands,” but for those of you that seek complexity and profoundness in your Champagne, you will not find one even close in quality to this Gem at this price. The Guys (Rusty, Eby, The Beaner, and Rizzo) have forcefully made this our house sparkling wine forever. Don't be afraid to age this wonderful Champagne; it will only keep getting better. ABV 12%
Price:
$37.99
Lustau "Los Arcos" Amontillado Jerez
By: Olivia Ragni | Review Date: 10/22/2014 | Send Email
By: Olivia Ragni | Review Date: 10/22/2014 | Send Email
This dry Amontillado is a perfect accompaniment to cured meats and other Spanish style snacks. With its beautiful amber color, this Amontillado has pungent aromas of roasted nuts, coffee and dried figs, while the palate includes candied orange peel, seawater, toffee and butterscotch. Its pronounced flavors open up your pairing possibilities to more than just snacks, it could even hold up to a full array of grilled meats.
Singani "63" Bolivian Muscat Brandy (750ml)
By: Ryan Woodhouse | Review Date: 9/15/2014 | Send Email
By: Ryan Woodhouse | Review Date: 9/15/2014 | Send Email
Seriously one of the coolest things I have tasted in a while. It's amazing how this retained so much of the pure Muscat flavor profile through distillation. Fantastically floral aromatics, very delicate and yet flavorful all at the same time. Like the finest Muscat-based wines this is not about sweetness but about perfume and delicacy on the palate. I can only imagine what people will think up to do with this intriguing little spirit but it is certainly something worth having on your bar.
Price:
$29.99
Singani "63" Bolivian Muscat Brandy (750ml)
By: Kyle Kurani | Review Date: 9/15/2014 | Send Email
By: Kyle Kurani | Review Date: 9/15/2014 | Send Email
Exactly what we love to drink. After a "serious day in the office" tasting as many as 40 different whiskies, the Singani is the type of spirit I want to come home to, delicious. Fresh, and lively, you get the essence of the Muscat grape, floral, with ripe peach and apricot, this is super clean and dangerously drinkable.
So much to do with it: Pisco sour stand-in, add some tonic, or lemon soda with a twist; I would even venture to say it would be killer in a Mojito.
Price:
$29.99
Singani "63" Bolivian Muscat Brandy (750ml)
By: David Driscoll | Review Date: 9/15/2014 | Send Email
By: David Driscoll | Review Date: 9/15/2014 | Send Email
The is the do-it-all spirit for your liquor cabinet (and you don't even know what it is!). Fruity, floral, and clean, this can be substituted into a number of different cocktails in place of tequila, vodka, gin, and rum. I've made Singani Daiquiris, Singani Margaritas, Singani Negronis, Bloody Maries, Singani and Tonic, Singani Sangria--they're all fantastic. Bolivia's finest export may indeed be Singani. Now you just need to queue up "Che" on Netflix-instant, imagine you're Soderbergh drinking Singani on the set, and drink until your heart's content.
Price:
$29.99
Ariston Aspasie "Réserve" Brut Champagne
By: Jeff Garneau | Review Date: 9/2/2014 | Send Email
By: Jeff Garneau | Review Date: 9/2/2014 | Send Email
I think the Ariston Aspasie Carte Blanche Brut was one of the first grower-producer Champagnes I ever purchased from K&L. It remains to this day our best value in Champagne, and a superb introduction to the grower producer (RM) Champagnes. If your usual Champagne experience is Veuve Clicquot or Moet & Chandon, you owe it to yourself to try the Carte Blanche from Paul-Vincent Ariston. With roughly equal parts of the three classic Champagne grapes, and a retail price comfortably south of $30, this is a no-brainer. Open a bottle for no reason in the middle of the week. You'll feel like royalty.
Price:
$37.99