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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
2021 Vigneti Repetto 'Sfera' Barbera Colli Tortonesi
By: Philip Roufail | Review Date: 6/19/2026 | Send Email
By: Philip Roufail | Review Date: 6/19/2026 | Send Email
Our Italian Buyer Straordinario, Orazio, said the bright cherry, plum, and spice of this juicy easy drinking Barbera would pair perfectly with a burger and now I can't think of anything else! I love Barbera because it has elevated acidity like many Italian red grapes, which makes it great with food. Fresh, vibrant, and gastronomic. What more do you need from a versatile everyday red?
Price:
$19.99
2022 Clotilde Legrand "L'Ecart" Saumur Blanc
By: Keith Mabry | Review Date: 6/19/2026 | Send Email
By: Keith Mabry | Review Date: 6/19/2026 | Send Email
Some of the finest dry Chenins in France are coming out of Saumur. The region's limestone-rich soils produce wines with remarkable tension, minerality, and structure—wines that, when handled well, can develop and evolve in a fashion reminiscent of great white Burgundy.
Legrand's L'Écart is a perfect example. A lightly reductive style lends subtle nutty and smoky nuances that frame generous flavors of apple, quince, and citrus. Beneath the fruit lies a firm mineral backbone that keeps the wine focused and energetic from start to finish.
Saumur remains one of my favorite sources for Burgundy-adjacent flavors and complexity, delivering a similar sense of place and age-worthy character at a fraction of the price.
2017 Clotilde Legrand "Les Chaintrée" Saumur-Champigny
By: Keith Mabry | Review Date: 6/19/2026 | Send Email
By: Keith Mabry | Review Date: 6/19/2026 | Send Email
We're definitely crossing a new threshold here with this magnificent Saumur. Layers of black cherry, currant jam, tapenade, and dried rose petals create an inviting and wonderfully complex aromatic profile.
The additional bottle age has worked its magic, transforming what was once a powerful, structured wine into something far more harmonious. Time has allowed the tannins to melt into the background, while the fruit, savory notes, and floral nuances have seamlessly integrated. The result is a wine of impressive depth and concentration that remains remarkably elegant and approachable today.
This is the kind of wine that calls for a grilled picanha steak and a generous side of chimichurri. The wine's savory complexity and polished structure are a perfect match for the richness of the beef and the bright herbal character of the sauce. This is my new weekend favorite.
2023 Clotilde Legrand "Les Lizieres" Saumur-Champigny
By: Keith Mabry | Review Date: 6/19/2026 | Send Email
By: Keith Mabry | Review Date: 6/19/2026 | Send Email
This is an accessible and delightful young-drinking Cabernet Franc. It's everything I want in a youthful Saumur-Champigny. Generous red cherry fruit is complemented by notes of crushed rosemary and thyme. Aging entirely in stainless steel preserves the wine's freshness and juicy character.
It's perfect with one of my favorite pairings: a market rotisserie chicken. Add some herb-roasted potatoes and a glass of this Cabernet Franc, and your weeknight dinner just leveled up!
2023 Vigneti Repetto "Quadro" Timorasso Derthona DOC
By: Philip Roufail | Review Date: 6/19/2026 | Send Email
By: Philip Roufail | Review Date: 6/19/2026 | Send Email
Friends, Romans, Italian wine enthusiasts, if you haven't heard about Timorasso yet, lend me your ears! This Italian white grape from the Piedmonte region was all but extinct except for the efforts of one man, Walter Massa , "The Master of Monferrato," who single handedly revived it. Timorasso is so unique, distinctive, and utterly Italian, that there's been a "Timorasso Rush" of winemakers following in Massa's pioneering footsteps, and Repetto may be just as unique and distinctive as the grape itself. Using traditional winemaking philosophy and modern technology, Gia Paolo Repetto (an engineer as well as a winemaker) takes this beautiful grape and vinifies/ages it without racking so it's never exposed to unnecessary oxidation. The result is a magnificent, aromatic, clean and pure expression of Timorasso - white peach, lemon, acacia, crushed stones, almond, and saline. A must try!
2023 Esk Valley Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough
By: Jackson Kelly | Review Date: 6/18/2026 | Send Email
By: Jackson Kelly | Review Date: 6/18/2026 | Send Email
If you're looking for a fun, delicious wine under $15, look no further than Esk Valley's Sauvignon Blanc. Arriving just in time for summertime festivities, this wine is crisp and complex, with notes of grapefruit, kiwi, passionfruit, lemon zest, and a hint of a basil on the palate, and a long, smooth finish. Whether you're lounging by the pool or relaxing in the park this summer, this is the perfect Sauvignon Blanc for you.
2023 Domaine Mardon "Cuvée Très Vieilles Vignes" Quincy Blanc
By: Keith Mabry | Review Date: 6/18/2026 | Send Email
By: Keith Mabry | Review Date: 6/18/2026 | Send Email
I often find myself championing the satellite appellations of Sancerre. While they may lack the name recognition of their famous neighbor, they offer incredible expressions of Sauvignon Blanc, each shaped by distinct terroirs and often at far more approachable prices.
Just across the Loire River sits Pouilly-Fumé, home to the prized silex soils that lend the wines their signature smoky minerality. Nearby, Coteaux du Giennois is emerging as one of the Loire's great value regions, with its own abundance of flint-rich soils producing vibrant, mineral-driven wines. To the west lies Menetou-Salon, practically a suburb of Sancerre, where the famed terres blanches soils create Sauvignon Blancs with added depth, texture, and richness.
Further afield are Reuilly and Quincy, neighboring appellations situated along the Cher River, a tributary of the Loire. Here the soils shift toward sand and gravel, producing distinctly different expressions of Sauvignon Blanc. Reuilly often leans into tropical fruit notes, while Quincy tends toward a more restrained profile, emphasizing green apple, white flowers, and subtle citrus. The wines are elegant, refined, and endlessly inviting.
Domaine Mardon is one of Quincy's benchmark producers and a perfect example of why these lesser-known appellations deserve more attention. The wine bursts with juicy green apple, white flowers, and succulent lime notes, carried by bright acidity and a graceful texture. Fresh and invigorating, it drinks like a cool breeze on a summer afternoon while delivering the kind of character and value that have become increasingly difficult to find in Sancerre itself.
Price:
$23.99
2021 Acumen "PEAK" Atlas Peak Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
By: Ryan Woodhouse | Review Date: 6/18/2026 | Send Email
By: Ryan Woodhouse | Review Date: 6/18/2026 | Send Email
This may be one of the biggest deals of the year! We just landed a parcel of 2021 Acumen “Peak” Cabernet at a crazy price, and the wine is phenomenal. The Acumen estate sits high on Atlas Peak, producing intense, powerful, structured Cabernets with real mountain character. The winemaker behind the project is none other than Phillip Corallo-Titus of Chappellet fame. Phillip has decades of experience crafting long-lived, 100-point Cabernets, and his pedigree really shows in this wine.
Atlas Peak sits just south of Pritchard Hill and shares much of the same terroir: elevation, rocky volcanic soils, and an arid climate that forces the vines to produce meager amounts of deeply concentrated fruit. The 2021 Acumen “Peak” is the top barrel selection from the estate, hand-selected for purity, power, and true mountain expression.
The wine is inky and potently aromatic, bursting with mulberry, crème de cassis, camphor, graphite, toasty oak spice, and crushed-rock minerality. Full-bodied and brooding, with a dense mid-palate and smoldering dark fruit that carries into a long, structured finish. It’s youthful and hedonistic right now, delivering all the mountain intensity and formidable concentration you’d expect from this site and vintage.
Knowing how well Phillip’s wines age, including Chappellet’s famed Pritchard Hill bottling, I think this has at least 20 years of longevity ahead of it, if not more. This is legit mountain-grown Napa Cabernet, from a great vintage, from a top 100-point winemaker, for an absolute steal.
Moussé Fils "Eugène" Extra Brut Blanc de Noirs Champagne
By: Gary Westby | Review Date: 6/18/2026 | Send Email
By: Gary Westby | Review Date: 6/18/2026 | Send Email
I loved the expressive, open character of this wine on the nose and in the mouth. My wife Cinnamon and I had it with pork rillettes as a little starter and it was fabulous. The wine has lovely honey bread toast, comes across full bodied and rich but snaps into focus on the back end, which is quite dry. It made a great match for the rillettes, and I think would also be great with any manner of pate or cheese-based starters. It is the mix of bready breadth and mineral tension that had me coming back for more.
2023 Domaine Cailbourdin "Les Cris" Pouilly-Fumé
By: Keith Mabry | Review Date: 6/18/2026 | Send Email
By: Keith Mabry | Review Date: 6/18/2026 | Send Email
Though just across the river from its more famous neighbor Sancerre,
Pouilly-Fumé has never enjoyed quite the same market prestige. Yet the two appellations share remarkably similar foundations: calcareous limestone, clay, and the prized silex (flint) soils that give Pouilly-Fumé its smoky, “fume” character. Because Sancerre remains the more recognizable name, prices in Pouilly-Fumé have often stayed comparatively sharp, making it one of the Loire's best value propositions for Sauvignon Blanc.
Domaine Alain Cailbourdin was a recent discovery for me that stands comfortably alongside some of the finest Sancerre producers. This bottling comes primarily from limestone soils and delivers racy acidity layered with grapefruit, green apple, white flowers, and a subtle note of wet hay. What lingered most was the striking chalky finish, a vivid expression of the vineyard's limestone terroir. For fans of Sancerre and its Loire Valley neighbors, it is a compelling new option that overdelivers for the price.
2018 Fallet-Dart Extra Brut Champagne
By: Philip Roufail | Review Date: 6/17/2026 | Send Email
By: Philip Roufail | Review Date: 6/17/2026 | Send Email
Fallet-Dart has been in Charly-sur-Marne, in the far western Marne Valley, since 1611 - that's 13 generations of tradition and know-how! Their historic property and terroir lends itself to Meunier, but unlike other grower-producers in the region, they do not limit themselves to Meunier dominant champagnes. Quite the contrary. The 2018 Extra Brut is 70% Chardonnay and 30% Pinot Noir - no Meunier! Ripe orchard fruit indicative of the hot but excellent 2018 vintage, along with notes of citrus, minerals, hazelnut, candied pear, almonds, and spices, and a has very toasty autolytic character from an extended 7 years on the lees and the aged Chardonnay.
Price:
$49.99
Boulard-Bauquaire "Trepail" Brut Blanc de Blancs Champagne Vieilles Vignes
By: Philip Roufail | Review Date: 6/17/2026 | Send Email
By: Philip Roufail | Review Date: 6/17/2026 | Send Email
Trepail is a 1er Cru village in the Montage de Reims unique for its ability to ripen Chardonnay in Pinot Noir country. Trepail gets loads of morning sunshine that prevents the frost that can be lethal for Chardonnay grapes. Sourced from a single vineyard with old vines that are 75+ years old and aged for 3 years on the lees, the Boulard Bauquaire Trepail Brut Blanc de Blancs has aromas of pear, lime, orange blossom, and green apple. On the palate, chalky, creamy, fresh bread bakery, lime blossom, hazelnut, pear, honey, and acacia.
Price:
$44.99
Boulard-Bauquaire "Carte Noire" Brut Blanc de Noirs Champagne
By: Philip Roufail | Review Date: 6/17/2026 | Send Email
By: Philip Roufail | Review Date: 6/17/2026 | Send Email
This Blanc de Noirs from Boulard Bauquaire in Cormicy, "the last village of Champagne" because of its far northern location, is a customer favorite. 50% Pinot Noir and 50% Meunier, you get the chiseled body and structure of Pinot Noir married with the fruit-forward richness of Meunier. Vinified in stainless steel and aged for 4 years on the lees, this is a full-bodied, creamy, and rich champagne bursting with stone fruit, strawberry, cherry, almond, peach, plum, hints of smoke, and sharp acidity indicative of its northern terroir.
2017 Boulard-Bauquaire "Les Fervins" Verzenay Grand Cru Brut Champagne
By: Philip Roufail | Review Date: 6/17/2026 | Send Email
By: Philip Roufail | Review Date: 6/17/2026 | Send Email
This is Boulard Bauquaire's prestige cuvee - a tiny production - only 300 bottles, first press only, for the entire world! 50% Pinot Noir and 50% Chardonnay sourced from a single vineyard, Les Fervins, in the Grand Cru village of Verzenay in the Montage de Reims. Spring flowers, hazelnut, lemon poppy seed, citrus, fresh sourdough, wildflower honey, saline, tea leaves, incense, and notes of chalky minerality.
Price:
$119.99
2019 Fallet-Dart "Pur Meunier" Champagne
By: Philip Roufail | Review Date: 6/17/2026 | Send Email
By: Philip Roufail | Review Date: 6/17/2026 | Send Email
The 2019 Fallet Dart Pur Meunier comes from two stony old vine (80-90 years) plots in Charly-sur-Marne in the far western Marne Valley, home of Champagne Fallet-Dart since its inception in 1970, and the Fallet family since 1611. 2019 is considered one of the top champagne vintages of the last quarter century characterized by its ripe balanced fruit and outstanding acidity. This is not a champagne for oysters and shellfish. It's big, full-bodied, concentrated, and fruity, with savory notes, tarte tatin, baking spices, apple, stony minerality, ginger, almond, and white cherry. Do yourself a favor and pair with pate and rich creamy cheeses.
Price:
$69.99
2012 Bunnahabhain 13 Year Old "Signatory" K&L Exclusive 1st Fill Oloroso Sherry Butt #19 Cask Strength Single Malt Scotch Whisky (700ml)
By: David Othenin-Girard | Review Date: 6/17/2026 | Send Email
By: David Othenin-Girard | Review Date: 6/17/2026 | Send Email
There are few things more pleasurable than the robust, oily, salty malt of Bunnahabhain paired with sultry oloroso-soaked European oak sherry casks for nearly a decade and a half. It's a style we rarely see in modern Scotch, harkening back to an older era that once seemed to define the far-flung distillery on the northeast coast of Islay. The simple fact that these casks once sold for much more does not negate their incredible quality. You'll still find previous releases of similar age from just a few years ago selling for legitimately twice our price. But that's ultimately beside the point, because these newer stocks are now coming of age and we are exploring their quality for the first time. I'm happy to report that the quality, at least of this particular butt, is simply stupendous. On we go.
The color is a beautiful, robust burnt umber (1.7). The nose is universally appealing with huge notes of roasted sugar, sweet dried plums, poached pears, and sweetened whipped espresso, recalling the wafting aromas of Sant'Eustachio il Caffè in Rome's Centro Storico. Beneath all that dense sherry lies a sweet saltiness that reminds us the ocean is lapping at the foot of these warehouses. The palate is bold and rich with more herbs and sweet bark than the nose, but plenty of dense, ultra-mature rancio fruit as well. This whisky absolutely loves to swim, broadening and opening beautifully with water, adding both weight and complexity.
I wish the distillery would offer more whisky like this; we'd have lots more interest in the brand. But alas, we're relegated to the occasional cask here or there showing this absurdly delicious character. I'll be praying each year that Signatory keeps the prices low on these very special stocks.
Price:
$99.99
2021 Quinta de Saes Tinto Dão
By: Matthew Landau Hassan | Review Date: 6/17/2026 | Send Email
By: Matthew Landau Hassan | Review Date: 6/17/2026 | Send Email
The 2021 Quinta de Saes Tinto Dão is one of Portugal’s great under-the-radar values, made by the Quinta da Pellada team—one of the region’s most respected producers—this is a field blend of native grapes, and it shows real character for the price. Bright red and black berry fruit lead, accented by violets, dried herbs, and a smoky, mineral edge that comes straight from the granite soils. The palate is medium-bodied and fresh, with firm but fine-grained tannins and a lively acidity that keeps it food-friendly. Earthy, elegant, and distinctly Portuguese.
2018 Billecart-Salmon 250th Anniversary Vintage Champagne
By: Philip Roufail | Review Date: 6/17/2026 | Send Email
By: Philip Roufail | Review Date: 6/17/2026 | Send Email
K&L Wine Merchant's LOVE Billecart-Salmon! We are the largest buyer and seller of Billecart-Salmon in the United States, and the United States is one of Billecart's first export markets and now it's largest and most profitable. Given those facts, it should come as no surprise that Billecart's special 200th anniversary limited edition 2018 vintage champagne is also a celebration of America's 250th birthday and was created especially for us! There's even a sketch of the Statue of Liberty (a gift from France!) on the label. Elegant and refined on the nose, the Anniversary is 65% Grand Cru Pinot Noir and 35% Grand Cru Chardonnay, vinified in stainless steel (97%) and a tiny bit in barrel (3%). 2018 is solar (hot!) but highly rated vintage characterized by fruitiness, elegance, freshness, and delicacy. Partial malolactic conversion maintains the wine's freshness. The dosage is 4.9g/l, keeping with Billecart's pivot to drier champagnes. On the nose and palate, brioche, chalk, white flowers, poached pear, almond, peach, mirabelle plum, and stone fruit. Load up for July 4th!
Price:
$119.99
2023 Esk Valley Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough
By: Scott Beckerley | Review Date: 6/17/2026 | Send Email
By: Scott Beckerley | Review Date: 6/17/2026 | Send Email
Another new crispy treat for the summertime! It starts out with scents of Jolly Rancher green apple hard candy, limestone and lemon peel. In the mouth, it is a midweight lovely with softer green fruits. persimmon, minerals. This baby is juicy, juicy, juicy! Mouth-wateringly so. The finish is pure New Zealand....bright acidity and citrus fruit. I'm thinking of it now sitting next to a big bowl of mussels with a side order of pommes frites! Hello, Galinette on Taraval!
Jean-Jacques Lamoureux "Les Amoureux" Pinot Blanc Champagne
By: Philip Roufail | Review Date: 6/17/2026 | Send Email
By: Philip Roufail | Review Date: 6/17/2026 | Send Email
The three noble grapes of Champagne are Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Meunier, but there are four other OG grapes that are part of Champagne's storied history and are still legally allowed to be used in champagne, though rare. Jean Jacques Lamoureux's Les Amoureux is one of those rare champagnes - it's 100% Pinot Blanc planted in 2010! Pinot Blanc is still used frequently in the crémants of Alsace, but you have to search for one in Champagne and when you do find one it's usually blended with the other three - Pinot Gris, Petite Meslier, and Arbanne. If you've ever wondered what a pre-World War I champagne tastes like, the Amoureux is your ticket to a different era. Aromatic and exotic, many of the flavors are familiar - peach, citrus, pear, apple, and almond, but the floral and herbal elements reveal a cuvee that is out of the ordinary. This is a great sparkler that is a liquid unicorn!
Price:
$49.99
2021 Quinta de Saes Tinto Dão
By: Rachael Ryan | Review Date: 6/17/2026 | Send Email
By: Rachael Ryan | Review Date: 6/17/2026 | Send Email
The quality of wine coming out of Portugal has simply never been better. In the past few decades, the country has experienced a renaissance of sorts, with an infusion of wine technology, young winemakers armed with fresh ideas, and a newfound dedication to regional and varietal typicity. And while the quality has steadily risen, the prices remain unbelievably low! If you haven’t opened a bottle of Portugese wine in a while, my hands down pick would be the 2021 Quinta de Saes from Dão, a region in the north of the country often referred to as the “Burgundy of Portugal”. Medium-bodied, with loads of fresh, almost slightly crunchy red fruit – think pomegranate, Bing cherry and cranberry – this is a wine that will likely change your mind about the kind of wine Portugal is capable of producing. There is an almost Pinot Noir-like transparency here, with subtle earth and oak spice notes emerging on the lingering finish, adding depth and complexity without sacrificing freshness. The mouthfeel of this wine is so light and graceful, it could be served with a slight chill even, perfect for warm summer evenings. The varieties here are a blend of native varieties as most Portuguese wines are – about 25% Touriga Naçional, 25% Alfrocheiro, 25% Jaen, and 25% Tinta Pinheira in this wine. Portugal has the highest density of indigenous varieties in Europe, about 300 by most counts, an extraordinary number for a small country. Most of these varieties are little known outside the country yet have had centuries to adapt to the climate and terroir where they grow, making them the perfect mirrors of each region. Refined yet utterly approachable, the 2021 Quinta de Saes truly overdelivers, offering distinctive character and sophistication at a price that makes reaching for a second bottle feel entirely justified.
Jean-Jacques Lamoureux "Cuvée Gabin" Brut Zero Champagne
By: Philip Roufail | Review Date: 6/17/2026 | Send Email
By: Philip Roufail | Review Date: 6/17/2026 | Send Email
Jean Jacques Lamoureux is in the most southern part of Champagne - the Aube, aka Cotes des Bars. What separates the Aube from the rest of Champagne is the soil. While limestone, it's not the chalk that dominates the rest of the region. Just north of Chablis, the Cotes des Bars shares it's Kimmeridgian clay-limestone (along with Sancerre), giving the champagne, including Lamoreaux's Gabin, a distinctive ancient sea minerality. The Aube is also known for its Pinot Noir. The area is frost-prone and reliably growing and ripening Chardonnay can be challenging. The Gabin is 100% Pinot Noir, aged for 4 years on the lees, On the nose and palate, orange zest, white flowers, potpourri, brioche, smoke, and red berries. This is a true Brut Nature - bone dry on the finish, but "never austere." Pair with shellfish.
Price:
$44.99
2017 Franck Bonville "Belles Voyes" Brut Blanc de Blancs Champagne
By: Philip Roufail | Review Date: 6/17/2026 | Send Email
By: Philip Roufail | Review Date: 6/17/2026 | Send Email
Everything about Champagne Frank Bonville's vintage dated prestige cuvee is special. It's from the oldest plots (planted in the 1920s/1930s) of a single vineyard, "Les Belles Voyes," from a single Grand Cru village in the Cotes des Blancs, Oger, and is 100% Grand Cru chardonnay. "The Beautiful View" is a hilltop vineyard that overlooks the village of Oger (population 514) and, as you can imagine, it is stunning. The 2017 vintage was solar, but exceptional specifically for Chardonnay. It's vinified and aged in 228L barrels before bottling and the dosage is 2.5g/l, giving it a bone-dry finish that allows the fruit shine. On the nose and palate, orange zest, mocha, pastry crust, green apple, almond, toast, and a long honeyed, lemon, and chalky finish. A remarkable champagne of depth and character.
Franck Bonville Unisson Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs Champagne
By: Philip Roufail | Review Date: 6/17/2026 | Send Email
By: Philip Roufail | Review Date: 6/17/2026 | Send Email
Champagne Frank Bonville's Unisson Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs is one of our best deals. It's a remarkable, distinctive high-end non-vintage champagne that maintains its NV grower-producer price.Sourced from the Grand Cru villages of Avize (where Bonville is based) and Oger, an alluring, creamy rich nose gives way to apple, grapefruit, peach, pear, baking spices, citrus, and toasted baguette. Round (dosage is 6.7g/l), balanced, with zippy popping acidity indicative of the base vintage - one of champagne's best. It's absolutely outstanding. If you like Blanc de Blancs, Unisson is a must try and rebuy!
2023 Esk Valley Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough
By: Rachael Ryan | Review Date: 6/17/2026 | Send Email
By: Rachael Ryan | Review Date: 6/17/2026 | Send Email
One of New Zealand’s gifts to the wine world is undoubtedly Sauvignon Blanc, made in a wonderfully crisp and exuberant style, and the 2023 Esk Valley is a great example of just why Sauvignon Blanc from this tiny nation is so remarkable. Expressive and juicy immediately after opening, the wine also presents incredible value – there’s just a lot going on here for only $14.99! Aromas of freshly squeezed grapefruit juice, lime zest, and passionfruit leap from the glass, followed by hints of Thai basil, orange blossom and sea spray. Bright and energetic on the palate, the wine delivers layers of juicy citrus and tropical fruit framed by mouthwatering acidity. There is plenty of intensity here, but the wine remains balanced and graceful rather than overly pungent. A subtle mineral streak carries through the finish, lending length and a satisfying sense of freshness. A small percentage of the wine was barrel fermented with some lees stirring, which adds complexity and a slightly weightier, rounder mouthfeel than one might expect from a Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc. Both vibrant and satisfying, this is the kind of white wine that seems to disappear from the glass all too quickly. Whether enjoyed on a warm afternoon or paired with fresh seafood, goat cheese, or spicy Asian cuisine, the 2023 Esk Valley is a delicious reminder of why New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc remains one of the wine world's greatest values.
Maison 76 Côte des Blancs Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs Champagne
By: Philip Roufail | Review Date: 6/17/2026 | Send Email
By: Philip Roufail | Review Date: 6/17/2026 | Send Email
Our first round of K&L's inaugural champagne collaboration, Maison 76, broke sales records, and why wouldn't it? This incredible new champagne from fourth generation grower-producer superstar Olivier Bonville of Champagne Franck Bonville and K&L's own champagne buyer, Gary Westby, is 100% Grand Cru Chardonnay from the renown Cote des Blancs village of Avize, where Bonville has been operating since 1936 (first bottling under the Franck Bonville name was in 1959). It's 40% base vintage with 60% reserve wines, aged for 4 years on the lees, and the dosage is 5.8g/l. On the nose and palate, beautiful ripe orchard fruit, green apple, lemon, hazelnut, fresh dough, honeysuckle, with a chalky backbone and richness mid-palate. Maison 76 is everything you want from a Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs!
Price:
$44.99
2017 Mazzei Castello di Fonterutoli 'Siepi' Toscana
By: Orazio Campoli | Review Date: 6/17/2026 | Send Email
By: Orazio Campoli | Review Date: 6/17/2026 | Send Email
Siepi is the ultimate proof that you can blend Sangiovese and Merlot without losing your Tuscan soul.
The nose has an incredibly playful interplay between the two varieties, Sangiovese and Merlot. The Merlot provides a brooding, savory wave of dark chocolate, crushed blackberry, and roasted earth, but the Sangiovese cuts straight through it with a fiercely high-toned, "crunchy" core of dried blood orange peel, wild mint, and iron. It smells profoundly serious and firmly anchored to the dirt.
You might expect a 50/50 blend to sit wide and plush across the mid-palate, but it drives straight down the center with a razor-sharp, vertical spine of acidity.
A top Supertuscan offered at 50% off—what more could you ask for?
2015 Vieux Château Certan, Pomerol
By: Ryan Moses | Review Date: 6/17/2026 | Send Email
By: Ryan Moses | Review Date: 6/17/2026 | Send Email
This is a quietly great vintage on the Right Bank, one we’ve been fans of since release. The very top wines of the year—especially in Pomerol—produced some all‑timers, bottles with remarkable density, structure, and depth. Right at the peak of that class sits the 2015 Vieux Château Certan. The 100‑point scores are really just the appetizer; what’s in the bottle is the true reminder of why collectors have such deep affection for this limited‑production Pomerol estate.
After about an hour in the decanter, all the brilliance of VCC comes forward: dense fruit without heaviness, a harmony of richness and precision, and a long, incredibly fine finish. We’ve tasted it a few times over the years, but this recent look—now a decade on—shows that the early promise is coming through in a big way. It should age effortlessly for another 30 years, yet there’s already so much to enjoy with a bit of air.
A genuine and wonderful Pomerol that will rival the greats of the region, which is no easy feat.
2023 Vigneti Repetto "Quadro" Timorasso Derthona DOC
By: Gary Westby | Review Date: 6/16/2026 | Send Email
By: Gary Westby | Review Date: 6/16/2026 | Send Email
What an incredible value in white wine! This wine manages to be crisp, precise and super easy to drink while at the same time offering depth and interest that is extraordinarily rare at this price point. I loved the nutty frame on the subtle white fruit nose, the texture and the great bright finish. Don't miss this!
2021 Caelesta "Apollo - Estate" Templeton Gap District Paso Robles Red Blend
By: Ryan Woodhouse | Review Date: 6/15/2026 | Send Email
By: Ryan Woodhouse | Review Date: 6/15/2026 | Send Email
Apollo is a Cabernet Sauvignon-dominant blend with a smaller portion of Petite Sirah. Brian consulted with legendary Napa Valley winemaker Tony Biagi of Hourglass, PlumpJack, CADE, To Kalon Wine Co., Amici, Odette, and others to help hone his Cabernet Sauvignon skills after focusing primarily on Rhône varieties. It seems to have done the trick, as this Cabernet-based blend is stunning. Very lifted, with lavender, crushed cassis, blackberry, hints of green tobacco leaf, crushed-rock minerality, and sexy oak spice around the edges. A bold but beautifully polished wine. STUNNING value at this ludicrous price.
Fallet-Dart "Clos du Mont" Brut Champagne (2006)
By: Matthew Landau Hassan | Review Date: 6/12/2026 | Send Email
By: Matthew Landau Hassan | Review Date: 6/12/2026 | Send Email
The 2006 Fallet Dart “Les Hauts des Clos du Mont” feels like a Champagne that has finally settled into itself. The mousse is soft and refined, more silk than sparkle, opening with aromas of toasted brioche, roasted almond, honeyed apple, and a subtle chalky depth that immediately signals age and complexity. On the palate it’s broad and layered, showing baked pear, lemon curd, hazelnut, and a touch of caramelized sugar, all carried by a quiet but persistent line of acidity that keeps everything balanced. The finish is long, savory, and mineral-driven, leaving behind notes of warm pastry and saline stone. This is not a loud or flashy Champagne — it’s mature, composed, and indulgent in a slow, luxurious way, made for dim lights, long conversations, and unhurried drinking.
Price:
$79.99
2021 Big Basin "Rodnick Farm Vineyard" Chalone Gabilan Mountains Pinot Noir
By: Ryan Woodhouse | Review Date: 6/12/2026 | Send Email
By: Ryan Woodhouse | Review Date: 6/12/2026 | Send Email
Rodnick Farm is a fascinating vineyard in one of the most distinctive and singular terroirs in all of California: the Chalone AVA. This high-elevation, mountainous region is famed for its rugged limestone soils. Sitting high in the Gabilan Mountains, very close to Pinnacles National Park and right on the San Andreas Fault, the unique geology here really informs the wines. Ancient, uplifted seabed limestone on the western side of the fault meets volcanic and granitic bedrock on the other. The region’s climate is very dry due to the rain shadow effect of the Santa Lucia Mountain Range. It’s almost like a high desert up there, well above the fog line, but the region still gets significant cooling from the Pacific Ocean 40 miles away, creating dramatic diurnal swings in temperature.
Rodnick Farm was planted by legendary vigneron Richard Graff in the 1980s. Graff also owned Chalone Vineyard from the 1960s and developed this vineyard right next door. This Pinot Noir is produced from those same 40+ year-old heritage Pinot Noir vines planted by Dick Graff himself. The wine is so reminiscent of the place. A real mineral core runs throughout. The fruit is a little more substantial than the Ascona Vineyard bottling, and Rodnick trades redwood forest character for more dry-land, mountain chaparral and dusty limestone elements. The fruit profile is quite brambly, and the wine has a really fascinating “sauvage” wildness to it. Whether it’s the old heritage vines or the ruggedness of this remote mountain terroir, this wine is totally captivating and such a vivid expression of place. Once again, our pricing here is just incredible for such an artisanal, high-quality wine.
2021 Doren "Reserve" Sonoma Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
By: Ryan Woodhouse | Review Date: 6/12/2026 | Send Email
By: Ryan Woodhouse | Review Date: 6/12/2026 | Send Email
Today we have an absolutely incredible price on a classically styled, tiny-production Sonoma Cabernet Sauvignon. Just four barrels of the 2021 Doren Reserve Cabernet were produced - only 85 cases in total. The organically grown fruit comes from two small vineyards in Glen Ellen and Kenwood and is the passion project of longtime K&L friend Ben Doren.
Ben crafts this wine with meticulous attention to detail, and the Reserve bottling spent more than three years maturing in top-quality French oak, 25% of it new. The flavor profile is decidedly old school, favoring varietal typicity, balance, and nuance over sheer power and ripeness. Weighing in at a modest 13.2% ABV, it recalls local icons such as Laurel Glen and B.R. Cohn's Olive Hill Cabernet.
The wine leaps from the glass with dark fruits intertwined with leafy, cigar box notes. Plummy fruit is laced with tobacco, cedar, mint, and an array of dried herbs. Dark chocolate-covered cherry and dried rose petal aromas add another layer of intrigue, creating a fascinating interplay of dark fruit, savory complexity, and floral nuance.
This is a complex, beautifully layered Cabernet with excellent aging potential. I can easily imagine it shining a decade from now as secondary characteristics begin to emerge and add even greater depth and complexity. We secured every remaining case of this beautiful wine, and at the price we're offering, it certainly won't be around for long.
2022 Lamothe-Bergeron, Haut-Médoc
By: Ryan Moses | Review Date: 6/11/2026 | Send Email
By: Ryan Moses | Review Date: 6/11/2026 | Send Email
One of our favorite under-the-radar value producers, Lamothe-Bergeron, elevated their game even further in 2022. Located between St-Julien and Margaux, Lamothe-Bergeron delivers exactly the kind of Cabernet-led, Left Bank value that savvy Bordeaux buyers love: undeniably delicious yet complex, with classic Médoc character. The 2022 vintage provides remarkable accessibility without sacrificing depth, as layers of deep red and black fruit cover the palate, accented by notes of tobacco and lifted by enough acidity to carry the fruit through a long finish. Polished, refreshing, and already highly enjoyable, this is a bottle that should age well, though I imagine it will be hard to resist pulling corks now. A top value selection and another winner from both the 2022 vintage and Lamothe-Bergeron.
Omnipollo+ Moksa "All The Coconuts" Barrel-Aged Coconut Imperial Stout, Sweden (11.2 oz bottle)
By: Michael Pires | Review Date: 6/11/2026 | Send Email
By: Michael Pires | Review Date: 6/11/2026 | Send Email
Omnipollo and Moksa were not messing around on this one! The coconut is not overwhelming and plays well with the dark chocolate, espresso, and biscotti. Thick and rich with an extremely long finish!
Price:
$25.99
2025 Vieux Château Certan, Pomerol
By: Ryan Moses | Review Date: 6/10/2026 | Send Email
By: Ryan Moses | Review Date: 6/10/2026 | Send Email
One of my favorite moments of the year is tasting Vieux Château Certan En Primeur, and this year was no different. The Thienpont family—this time with Guillaume leading the way—always lets the wine speak for itself. And the 2025 speaks volumes.
Fragrant, perfumed red‑to‑black fruits lead the way, lightly oak‑kissed in all the right ways. Any initial sense of opulence quickly gives way to precision and focus on the palate: powerful yet silky, driven by fruit and mineral, with black fruit, baking spice, and a lifting acid backbone. Fine, long tannins frame an intense but beautifully balanced wine. The finish is long and layered, carrying the clay soils with it alongside mouthwatering fruit.
It’s a wine you simply want to spend time with, and once again it brought a smile to all of our faces—placing Vieux Château Certan firmly among the finest in Pomerol.
2025 Margaux, Margaux
By: Ryan Moses | Review Date: 6/10/2026 | Send Email
By: Ryan Moses | Review Date: 6/10/2026 | Send Email
The 2025 Margaux has the potential to be a singular wine on many fronts. With production down 40%, it will be rarer than recent vintages, but it’s really the decisions in the vineyard that define it. Among the last to pick, the team at Château Margaux held steady through one difficult call after another, and the result makes clear that their risks paid off.
Highly floral, red‑fruit‑driven aromatics lead into a silky palate that carries more intensity than is typical for this address. Everything feels precisely placed: delicate spice, deep red fruits, an endless finish, and very fine tannins. It is, however, a powerful Margaux—one that will almost certainly reward time, even if it won’t strictly require it.
I’ve tasted prettier, more overtly elegant versions of Margaux in the past, but if this comes together in bottle, it will deliver all of that and more. I hope to have the chance to revisit it in the years ahead.
2018 Rhys Santa Cruz Mountains Pinot Noir
By: Jackson Kelly | Review Date: 6/10/2026 | Send Email
By: Jackson Kelly | Review Date: 6/10/2026 | Send Email
Rhys consistently produces incredible wine, and their 2018 Santa Cruz Mountains Pinot is yet another examples. This wine is smooth with plush tannins and notes of dark cherry, plum, espresso, dark chocolate, and pomegranate on the palate. An awesome wine from a fantastic winery at an incredible price.
2024 As Laxas "Laxas" Albariño Rias Baixas
By: Jackson Kelly | Review Date: 6/10/2026 | Send Email
By: Jackson Kelly | Review Date: 6/10/2026 | Send Email
If you're looking for a great white wine for summer, look no further than As Laxas's Albarino. Light, fresh, and crisp, this wine has notes of lemon juice, lime zest, green apple, and apricot, tied together with beautiful salinity and tart minerality. A delicious wine, perfect for a hot day in the sun.
2024 As Laxas "Laxas" Albariño Rias Baixas
By: Scott Beckerley | Review Date: 6/10/2026 | Send Email
By: Scott Beckerley | Review Date: 6/10/2026 | Send Email
This Albarino has the traditional elements of fresh citrus, dominated by fresh squeezed lime juice and light sea salt. Where it differs is in the scents of white peach and nectarine. So juicy! On the palate, a repeat as far as style goes. It starts out fresh and crisp with the citrus flavors. From there it expands into more peach with white stone fruits and a light dose of sea salt. The finish stays with you, and it is a clean one. Just the perfect amount of acidity and tartness. All in all, a fresh style that has a nice semi-plush center. This one will be super versatile per the food pairings. Seafood, fowl, pork, veggies, cheeses, charcuterie. This will be THE wine of Summer!
2025 d'Issan, Margaux
By: Scott Turnbull | Review Date: 6/10/2026 | Send Email
By: Scott Turnbull | Review Date: 6/10/2026 | Send Email
Château d’Issan’s 2025 is initially restrained and slow to reveal itself, but with a little patience and air it opens beautifully. Layers of rich dark red fruit emerge with ripe cherry and plum, interwoven with delicate floral notes of cherry blossom and a subtle note of verbena that adds freshness and lift. On the palate, there is a sense of purity and balance rather than overt power, with the fruit carrying cleanly through the mid-palate and supported by fine, well-integrated structure. The tannins are polished and measured, giving shape without overshadowing the wine’s charm. Tasted at the château, the winemaking team described it as the most “on point” d’Issan they have produced to date, and I am included to agree. Everything is in harmony, with the fruit, freshness, and structure aligned with clarity and intent. A charming and finely tuned wine that combines approachability with clear cellar potential. The 2025 d’Issan would be a strong addition to any serious Bordeaux collection.
2025 Brane-Cantenac, Margaux
By: Scott Turnbull | Review Date: 6/10/2026 | Send Email
By: Scott Turnbull | Review Date: 6/10/2026 | Send Email
The 2025 Brane-Cantenac shows a poised character already, with a core of sappy blackcurrant and ripe blackberry that immediately anchors the wine in dark, supple fruit. Layered over this are lifted notes of baking spices, adding warmth and aromatic complexity without overpowering the fruit profile. On the nose, there is a subtle but noticeable presence of oak, giving a lightly toasty frame to the aromatics. Hints of mint and bay leaf bring a cool, herbal edge that adds lift and reinforces the wine’s classic Left Bank character. On the palate, there is a sense of harmony between fruit intensity, fresh acidity, and finely grained tannins, all working in concert rather than competing for attention. Overall, this is a wine of excellent balance and composure, already showing integration in its youth while clearly showing that patience will be rewarded once these bottles are in your cellar.
2025 Margaux, Margaux 6-Pack in OWC
By: Scott Turnbull | Review Date: 6/10/2026 | Send Email
By: Scott Turnbull | Review Date: 6/10/2026 | Send Email
The team at Margaux described 2025 as a year defined by crucial decisions, and it appears they made the right ones at every turn. They were among the last estates to begin and complete the harvest, waiting for full ripeness. Following an even stricter selection process than usual, production of Château Margaux is expected to be approximately 40% lower than normal in 2025. The resulting wine is exceptional, offering a lush concentration of dark red fruits layered with subtle notes of cedar, graphite, and Christmas cake. The tannins are firm yet silky, providing structure without sacrificing elegance, while a vibrant acidity brings freshness and balance throughout. Another outstanding release from Margaux, this is a compelling candidate for wine of the vintage.
2025 Margaux, Margaux
By: Scott Turnbull | Review Date: 6/10/2026 | Send Email
By: Scott Turnbull | Review Date: 6/10/2026 | Send Email
The team at Margaux described 2025 as a year defined by crucial decisions, and it appears they made the right ones at every turn. They were among the last estates to begin and complete the harvest, waiting for full ripeness. Following an even stricter selection process than usual, production of Château Margaux is expected to be approximately 40% lower than normal in 2025. The resulting wine is exceptional, offering a lush concentration of dark red fruits layered with subtle notes of cedar, graphite, and Christmas cake. The tannins are firm yet silky, providing structure without sacrificing elegance, while a vibrant acidity brings freshness and balance throughout. Another outstanding release from Margaux, this is a compelling candidate for wine of the vintage.
2024 As Laxas "Laxas" Albariño Rias Baixas
By: Rachael Ryan | Review Date: 6/9/2026 | Send Email
By: Rachael Ryan | Review Date: 6/9/2026 | Send Email
Albariño is undoubtedly one of Spain’s gifts to the world – it’s fresh and crisp, bursting with stone fruit and lemon zest flavors, making it the ultimate wine for summer. Though the vast majority comes from Rias Baixas, in Spain’s cool northwestern corner, there’s a surprising amount of variation within the region, generally dependent on how far away the Atlantic ocean is. Examples close to the coast are lean, mineral-driven and saline, while those more inland, like the 2024 Bodegas As Laxas Albariño, retain the bright freshness the variety is so well-known for, but add in densely packed nectarine and apricot notes, along with tangerine peel and fragrant lemon blossom. On the palate, the wine feels round and juicy, but that racy acidity adds structure and leads into a lingering finish. The slightly weightier style of this wine also makes it an excellent match for richer seafood and fish, like grilled shrimp or braised octopus, or even poke bowls. This is such a delicious and drinkable style of Albariño that’s also just highly enjoyable and uncomplicated to drink – it’s going to be hard to stop at just one glass! And at well under $20 per bottle, there’s no reason not to stock up on this one by the case.
2021 Domaine Jaume "Altitude 420" Vinsobres
By: Noah Schwartz | Review Date: 6/9/2026 | Send Email
By: Noah Schwartz | Review Date: 6/9/2026 | Send Email
I have a soft spot for Rhône Grenache. Its juicy berry fruit, gentle tannins, and velvety texture make it endlessly appealing. Here, the addition of 40% high-altitude Syrah brings an extra spark of acidity that gives the wine energy and complements Grenache's natural roundness. I particularly enjoy how the oak softens Syrah's peppery notes and greener edges, allowing its spice character to shine without taking over. Honestly, this is the sort of bottle I'd happily open at lunch, pour another glass with dinner, and slowly finish over the course of the evening. It's fruit-forward and generous yet balanced by spice and lifted acidity that keep it fresh. Delicious, versatile, and a fantastic value.
2025 Lafleur Vin de France
By: Ryan Moses | Review Date: 6/9/2026 | Send Email
By: Ryan Moses | Review Date: 6/9/2026 | Send Email
Lafleur’s 2025 is the first release since leaving the appellation, a move made to ensure they can craft the best possible expression of their treasured Pomerol terroir. The Grand Vin is a remarkable wine in 2025—every bit as inspiring as it has ever been—and the only thing not‑Pomerol about it is the name.
Aromatically it leaps from the glass with a beautiful perfume, flowers, and blackberries. On the palate, the incredibly seamless texture is hard to get over, yet it’s supported by deep red and black fruit, a distinct minerality, and a touch of spice on the finish. Dense but never heavy, as long as anything in the vintage, it’s a wine you simply want to spend time with as it reveals one nuance after another without ever becoming tiring.
I think Lafleur continues to reach new heights these days, and 2025 will be a signature vintage for reasons that go well beyond classification. This is a remarkable wine that will be an absolute treasure in the years to come.
2025 Haut-Brion, Pessac-Léognan
By: Ryan Moses | Review Date: 6/8/2026 | Send Email
By: Ryan Moses | Review Date: 6/8/2026 | Send Email
I feel like the 2025 Haut-Brion could be from nowhere else. My notes call it “very Haut-Brion,” which, beyond being a bit redundant, speaks to the character of this wine when it’s really great—almost excessively stern, but incredibly nuanced, endlessly elegant, and a wine that just keeps delivering something new with every smell and taste. The quality of the Merlot is evident in the more berry-focused aromatics, and at first the wine tastes a bit reserved. But then it keeps building, with minerality, dark red and black fruits, and spice. Very long, very concentrated, and yes, very Haut-Brion. Unlike many top 2025s, I expect this will demand a bit of time in the cellar, but it’s certainly a brilliant wine and one that had me thinking about it long after I left our tasting.
2025 Beau-Séjour Bécot, St-Emilion
By: Ryan Moses | Review Date: 6/8/2026 | Send Email
By: Ryan Moses | Review Date: 6/8/2026 | Send Email
Beau-Séjour Bécot is an elite wine at an incredibly reasonable price in 2025. I was absolutely spellbound by their 2022, and this echoes that style of an elevated and electric wine. A brilliant intensity surrounds the 2025 Beau-Séjour Bécot, with high-toned, vibrant acidity supported by waves of bright black fruit and a lingering limestone saline note that begs for another sip. It is a remarkably complex, thought-provoking wine that I can’t wait to follow over the years. The work being done at this address is astounding, and while the word has already gotten out, considering the multiple potentially perfect scores, it still somehow flies under the radar. This might be the last vintage it does so, and for that reason, I can’t recommend it enough as a high-upside buy. Either way, congrats to Julien Barthe and Juliette Bécot on a superb 2025.
2025 Margaux, Margaux
By: Andrew Shaheen | Review Date: 6/8/2026 | Send Email
By: Andrew Shaheen | Review Date: 6/8/2026 | Send Email
A wine of unanimous praise. I don't recall encountering a single taster during en primeur week who did not place Château Margaux among their top wines of the vintage. I can't disagree. The 2025 Margaux is incredibly pure and expressive on the nose, with violet, lavender, and graphite framing a silky, elegant palate of cassis, plum, subtle cocoa, and baking spice. The 2025 will likely take its place among the great releases from this estate. A must-have for the cellar.