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Staff Favorites - Kerry Kennell
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Reviews
2020 Randi Burson 'Randi Selezione' Ravenna IGT
Review Date: 08-28-2026
The 2020 Randi Burson “Randi Selezione” Ravenna IGT is a wine that looks like a void and tastes like a mouthful of ripe forest berries. It’s imbued with violets and all sorts of fresh forest notions: coniferous trees, wet stones, damp earth, pure wilderness. Dark, inky, and luscious, it makes me feel like a foraging bear, and I’m ravenous for more. With real energy and lift, it’s rich and full-bodied but invigorating at the same time.
I’ve never tasted anything quite like it, which makes sense when you learn that it’s made from Uva Longanesi, a little-known indigenous variety from Emilia-Romagna. Approximately 70% of the fruit is dried for 60 days prior to fermentation, then it spends 24 months in French oak tonneaux. That appassimento step is everything here. It’s a labor of love that clearly comes across in the glass.
This is the kind of wine I love discovering—a wine that takes me places, stirs my imagination, and makes me think about who I want to drink it with. It’s distinctive without being weird or difficult, full of flavor without losing its sense of place, and it over-delivers for the price. Hat tip to our Italian wine buyer Orazio Campoli. I’ve never bought as much Italian wine in my five years at K&L as I have since he took over the program.
Price:
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2024 Cascina Alberta Nebbiolo Langhe
Review Date: 08-28-2026
The 2024 Cascina Alberta Nebbiolo Langhe is composed of Nebbiolo sourced from Treiso—one of Barbaresco's four communes—and is basically Barbaresco on the down low. It’s also one of the best Langhe Nebbiolos for the buck. Made from organically farmed young Nebbiolo grown at high elevation and aged in large Slavonian oak casks, it’s pale garnet, refreshing, and wonderfully atmospheric.
It reminds me of a gentleman’s outfitter in London, with Earl Grey tea, tobacco, violet pastilles, and rose petals framed by fresh raspberry and hibiscus. You could even give it a slight chill. It’s the sort of Nebbiolo that makes you wonder why you don’t drink more Nebbiolo.
2024 Contrada Soarda Vespaiolo
Review Date: 08-28-2026
The 2024 Contrada Soarda Vespaiolo is made from a native grape grown in the volcanic soils of the Breganze DOC, in the foothills of northeastern Italy’s Veneto region. Vespaiolo is sometimes dried to make the region’s sweet Torcolato wines, but this expression is decidedly dry, with bright, refreshing acidity. Its name comes from the Italian word for “wasps,” which are famously drawn to the grape’s naturally sugary berries.
Again, this rendition is dry—it's so flavorful, and simply a joy to drink, with notes of honeyed pear, white peach, Meyer lemon, white tea, and a hint of jasmine. It would be lovely with light fish dishes like petrale sole, baked cod, or halibut, and equally at home alongside a chicken salad or a few simple snacks.
Or you could just come home from work and drink it, like I did.
Dress it up or keep things casual—this is an effortlessly versatile wine. I especially like bringing bottles like this to dinner because it offers something a little unexpected. Plus, it’s not Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc, so guests can check their preconceived notions at the door. Everyone can simply pour a glass and enjoy it.
2009 Chadenne "La Fleur" Fronsac
Review Date: 08-27-2026
Wow! The nose on this 2009 Chadenne "La Fleur" Fronsac is gorgeous. Composed primarily of Merlot and hailing from a much-lauded vintage, especially on the Right Bank, it's still fresh and vibrant as it uncoils in the glass after being cooped up in a bottle for 17 years. This is exactly what I look for in a proper claret. It's sitting next to my mouse as I type, and I'm captivated by the wonderful aromas coming off the glass: juicy plums, blackcurrants, tobacco, soft spice, and earthy tones invite the first sip. It's all the more exciting given its ridiculously low price.
On the palate, it's surprisingly reserved and refined, neatly structured with the refreshing snap of skin as you sink your teeth into a ripe plum. Cassis, blood orange, black tea, vanilla, and hints of iron oxide round out the mid-palate, while its blackcurrant core lingers on the finish alongside whispers of orange zest and sandalwood. It wears its age and opulent vintage well — don't we all aspire to this? The pricing is phenomenal for the quality, making it a solid case-buy candidate, whether for special events or simply to hoard all for yourself. I intend to do a little bit of both.
Price:
$19.99
2023 Caraccioli "Escolle Vineyard" Santa Lucia Highlands Chardonnay
Review Date: 08-22-2026
Sourced from a cool site known for producing mostly sparkling wines, the 2023 Caraccioli "Escolle Vineyard" Santa Lucia Highlands Chardonnay is a huge mouthful of Chardonnay fabulosity. It’s spectacularly zaftig; there’s really no other way to put it. The mouthfeel is plush and the flavors are vivid with baked apple, poached pear, amber honey, bergamot and lemon zest followed by waves of baking spices, vanilla bean, toasted hazelnut, and golden laminated pastry.
The grapes are mostly Hyde Wente Clone planted in decomposed granitic loam soils. The fruit was whole-cluster pressed in a wooden Coquard basket press, fermented in stainless steel, and then aged in large French oak puncheons.
This is a treat bottle for me, the kind I reach for when I want flavor and I want it now. I have a bottle waiting for the right moment, and I bought one for a friend who I hope won’t be as hung up as I am about finding the perfect occasion. I need to practice what I preach. Just drink this! It's one of those John 2:10 wines. So very, very good. Hat tip to buyer Ryan Woodhouse for sussing out this exquisitely rendered little treasure.
Baron-Fuenté "Quinconce" Grand Cru Brut Champagne
Review Date: 08-21-2026
Finding Grand Cru Champagne for a reasonable price is becoming as rare as hen’s teeth these days. The Baron-Fuenté "Quinconce" Grand Cru Brut Champagne falls squarely into the best-value category for elevated everyday sipping. It’s dry yet remarkably generous thanks to seven years of beauty sleep on its lees. Notes of golden apple, toasted brioche, Marcona almond, and candied lemon peel provide a beautiful lift and freshness to its racy, lightly textured frame. Pair with friends and a charcuterie board for a lovely evening.
2019 Lété-Vautrain "Echo" Blanc de Noirs Champagne
Review Date: 08-19-2026
A K&L Direct Import, the 2019 Lété-Vautrain "Echo" Blanc de Noirs Champagne is composed of 75% Meunier and 25% Pinot Noir and aged a minimum of six years on the lees. My first impression was, “Oh. Wow. This is unique indeed.” My palate raced past the usual golden apple, crème anglaise, and lemon notes, wanting to cozy up to the sensory notions lingering in the shadows. Quince, honey, ginger, and orange blossom water—oh, hello there. It took a few sips to capture, but this is exquisite. The bead is so fine. It’s perfect for those who think they’ve tasted it all in Champagne.
2021 Viña Bujanda Crianza Rioja
Review Date: 08-10-2026
From a family winery founded in 1889, the 2021 Viña Bujanda Crianza is composed of 100% Tempranillo sourced from Rioja Alta and Rioja Alavesa estate vineyards. The vines average roughly 30 years of age. This Crianza fermented in stainless steel and aged 12 months in American oak barrels. For the price, this is a no-brainer. First off, the 13.3% ABV is immediately appealing for sensible mid-week and casual enjoyment. Second, it’s absolutely delicious as it opens in the glass. Blackberry, blood orange, leather, dried herbs, black tea, and touches of ferrous red earth in the finish. Due to the cool vintage, this will appeal to the Bordeaux palate and is one of those rare hidden treasures that drinks orders of magnitude better than its price tag. It's a terrific case buy opportunity! I expect it will blow out of here pretty quickly once people catch on.
2024 Domaine Seguinot Bordet Petit Chablis
Review Date: 08-07-2026
I’m not embarrassed to admit that, though the 2024 Domaine Seguinot-Bordet Petit Chablis was one of the least expensive wines in a recent Burgundy tasting, it was one of my favorites. It’s like a pair of jeans that fits just right. You can dress it up or down. It’s easy breezy. Baked apple, fresh pear, jasmine, green tea, and lemon swirl across the palate. The finish brings pear, soft jasmine, and lemon peel, followed by a chalky seashell note that speaks directly to the Kimmeridgian soils on which the 25- to 35-year-old vines are planted. The wine is aged in temperature-controlled tanks for precision and purity, both of which come through clearly on the palate. This is what you drink while waiting for cherished Burgundy collectibles to get some beauty rest. A winner-winner for a chicken dinner, too.
Price:
$24.99
Baron-Fuenté "Grande Réserve" Brut Champagne
Review Date: 08-05-2026
Here's an honest Champagne that delivers elegance and pure delight without unnecessary pomp and posturing. Dry and refreshing, Baron Fuente Grande Réserve Brut Champagne is a blend of approximately 60% Meunier, 30% Chardonnay, and 10% Pinot Noir vinified in stainless steel and aged three years on the lees. Crisp green apple and lemon curd on toasty brioche - - zesty, yet rich and rewarding. There's a little bit of almond croissant on the finish, no doubt due to ample time maturing on its lees. Delicately textured, it's truly one of the best bubbles for the buck in the store - - perfect as an aperitif to greet guests or as a bottle to have chilling in the fridge at all times. Pop cork in case of emergency. Aaah...that's better. Cheers!
2018 Baron-Fuenté "Rebelle" Brut Nature Champagne
Review Date: 08-05-2026
All estate-grown, the 2018 Baron-Fuenté "Rebelle" Brut Nature Champagne is made of 50% Chardonnay and 50% Meunier. This generous zero-dosage Champagne is a rebel in the best sense of the word. It likes dancing and it looks divine as it dazzles the palate with an unexpected note of ripe, juicy Rainier cherry. Cherry. Yes, cherry. I went back, retasted, and confirmed. Oh, it’s so there. This bold fruit is framed by toasted caramel, almond, a hint of lemon peel and wisp of flinty smoke. You could rock this beauty on its own as an aperitif, but I’m eager to pair it with a sous vide fillet mignon, seared in butter and finished with Maldon sea salt. Hot tramp, I love you so.
2024 Clos de Luz "Agras" Pais Cachapoal
Review Date: 08-04-2026
Chillable reds are so versatile that I'm mystified they aren't more popular. Unfussy and easy to love, they sip well on their own with casual snacks and are a refreshing counterpoint to rich or meaty meals. The 2024 Clos de Luz "Agras" País Cachapoal brings it on home by way of País sourced from 100-year-old vines with a wee splash of Moscatelle, lending an alluring floral rosiness. Grapes are 100% destemmed for a pure fruit expression and supple tannins, then foot-stomped and aged 10 months in oak barrels. With only 375 cases produced, it tastes like the kind of wine only lucky locals are privy to and somehow never makes it beyond their borders. Bright cranberry and hibiscus are layered with red rose petals, cinnamon, black pepper, and a whisper of smoke. The 12% ABV makes it a great mid-week or early afternoon wine. Though great on its own for chit-chat with friends or movie night, it would be fantastic with charcuterie, burgers, pulled pork, baby back ribs, street tacos.
2025 Vin Vif (Union Sacre) Central Coast Albariño
Review Date: 07-24-2026
Vin Vif (pronounced Vahn Veef) is French for “lively wine.” The 2025 Vin Vif (Union Sacré) Central Coast Albariño is bright lively as it shimmies on the palate. Whole-cluster pressed, it fermented in neutral oak barrels and aged sur lees for 6 months. A smile in a glass, it’s a sheer delight. What a perfect wine to open any dinner or event with because it’s refreshing, freestyle fun. Passionfruit, white peach, jasmine blossoms, and lime zest jive to the beat of a juicy, mouthwatering acidy. Tongue-tingling minerality is electrifying—definitely sequins on this go-go dancer’s hot pants. At 12.5% ABV it’s a great afternoon sipper while listening to Fabienne Delsol.
Price:
$14.95
2024 Anonymous Wine Collective "Heritage Block" Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
Review Date: 07-21-2026
Hard to believe that the fruit in this block was once used by Opus One and Robert Mondavi in the late ‘70s and ‘80s to support To Kalon fruit, because this is lead material through and through. Those who enjoy classic Napa Cabernet will appreciate this one. Dark plum and blackberry mingle with licorice, saddle leather, violets and sandalwood. Fantastic value! Great aging potential.
Price:
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2021 Marqués de Murrieta Reserva Rioja
Review Date: 07-16-2026
The 2021 Marqués de Murrieta Reserva Rioja is composed of 86% Tempranillo, 8% Graciano, 4% Mazuelo, and 2% Garnacha that aged 26 months in 225-liter American oak. Pure elegance and balance. Ripe plum dances with dry red earth, comforting baking spice, black pepper, dried violets, and tobacco. Round, spicy, and sumptuously approachable. Gorgeous and ready to drink now.
2023 Domaine Marc Morey Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru "En Virondot"
Review Date: 07-02-2026
The 2023 Domaine Marc Morey Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru "En Virondot" is an exquisite snapshot of Chassagne-Montrachet. The first sip immediately took me back to the good old days of sipping Chassagne-Montrachet and Puligny-Montrachet with my father-in-law. He was particular and discerning when it came to Chardonnay. The nose is sensational, following the palate note for note. There's remarkable intensity without sacrificing finesse. Gorgeous apricot and baked apple notes are interwoven with a fine nectar-like thread, lifted by creamy lemon acidity and unfolding into a long finish of baking spices and the lacy caramel top of a crème brûlée.
2024 Château Vitallis Pouilly-Fuissé Vieilles Vignes
Review Date: 07-02-2026
The 2024 Château Vitallis Pouilly-Fuissé Vieilles Vignes is sourced from the domaine’s oldest vines that are rooted in clay-limestone soils. Some vines are 85 years old! The wine fermented naturally with ambient yeasts and aged in barrel on its lees for a year. The wine vividly radiates peach, ripe pear, a hint of fresh ginger, crushed stones, and soft spice notes. Refreshing touches of peach and lemon linger on the palate. Lovely!
2024 Château Vitallis Mâcon-Fuissé
Review Date: 07-02-2026
The 2024 Château Vitallis Mâcon-Fuissé comes from vines averaging approximately 35 years of age. Fermented in stainless steel vats and aged on its fine lees for six months, it made an immediate impression. First sip: yum. Second sip: oh, yum! Third sip...HEY! Pay attention, you’re on the clock! On the palate, ripe green apple leads into pleasurable notions of honeydew melon, lively lemon, chamomile blossoms, and soft whispers of baking spice. There’s tremendous freshness, charm, and generosity in this wine. It's a *fantastic* value. Wow. Hat tip to K&L Burgundy Buyer Alex Pross for scoring this one for all of us to enjoy.
Price:
$19.99
2024 Château Vitallis Pouilly-Fuissé "Les Vignes du Château"
Review Date: 07-01-2026
Sourced from vines averaging of 35 years of age and planted on clay-limestone Jurassic soils, the 2024 Château Vitallis Pouilly-Fuissé "Les Vignes du Château" takes on a rounder and more subtle guise. Notes of fresh pear, honey, white blossoms, and sunny lemon in the finish. I can see this being dangerously easy to drink. Be sure to have plans to share with a friend or two. Ideally paired with seafood, a lightly dressed salad, or your favorite evening snacks.
2024 Château Vitallis St-Véran "A La Côte"
Review Date: 07-01-2026
The 2024 Château Vitallis St-Véran "A La Côte" turns the complexity up a notch in the Vitallis lineup with delicious notes of baked apple, fresh-from-the-hive honeycomb, and soft touches of brioche and holiday baking spices. A crisp, juicy apple and lemon finish refreshes the palate for the next sip, and the next.
Price:
$24.99
2023 Anthill Farms "Campbell Ranch" Sonoma Coast Chardonnay
Review Date: 06-26-2026
The 2023 Anthill Farms "Campbell Ranch" Sonoma Coast Chardonnay comes from 20-year-old vines planted on Sonoma’s northwest coast in low-vigor Goldridge soils, yielding just two tons per acre. That’s the focus here: quality, not quantity, with only 280 cases produced. The quality is so striking that I want to call the grower out by name, so hat tip to Steve Campbell.
This wine stopped me in my tracks because there is so much to unpack. I adore wines like this, ethereal shapeshifters where one sensation morphs into another. Just as your palate reaches to grasp the fringe of its cloak, it has already moved on. To me, that signals a wine at the top of its craft, guided by the skilled and thoughtful winemakers at Anthill Farms.
What’s it like? Medium-bodied, with golden apple, leesy notes of laminated pastry, diaphanous layers of vanilla, and a tisane-like impression of fresh lemon balm, followed by finely grated Meyer lemon zest. A briny hint of crushed seashells flitters across the tip of the tongue and lingers into the finish. Serve cool rather than cold and allow it to reveal its exquisite and unmistakable northwest Sonoma Coast character.
2021 Quinta de Saes Tinto Dão
Review Date: 06-25-2026
2021 Quinta de Saes Tinto Dão is a blend of native grapes, approximately 25% Touriga Naçional, 25% Alfrocheiro, 25% Jaen, and 25% Tinta Pinheira. It underwent wild yeast fermentation in stainless steel vats, then aged for 18 months in second- and third-use large format French oak barriques. It’s super easy to love—notes of pomegranate, hibiscus, plum, and rose with a whisper of baking spices and a fine ribbon of flint in the finish. Reminds me of a young red Burgundy. It needs a little bit of air, so give it a few spins and some time in your glass before diving in. The price on this speaks to the talent of our Western Hemisphere wine buyer, not only for selecting it but negotiating a fantastic price. I know I'll be taking home a few bottles for weeknight sipping.
2023 Esk Valley Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough
Review Date: 06-22-2026
The 2023 Esk Valley Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough is sourced primarily from Wairau Valley and the cooler Awatere Valley, where lower temperatures preserve the wine's freshness and aromatic intensity. After fermentation, the wine rested on its lees with regular stirring, building texture and mouthfeel while retaining vibrant notes of Makrut lime, green apple, passion fruit, lemon zest, and wet stone. Bright passionfruit and Makrut lime linger on the finish. Pair with Thai food, fried chicken, lightly dressed summer salads, or simply savor a glass on the patio. Great value!
2017 Launois "Helia" Grand Cru Brut Blanc de Blancs Champagne
Review Date: 05-25-2026
A fine perlage provides a beautiful lacy texture. Crisp apple is highlighted by rich notes of frangipane, caramel-coated hazelnuts, and buttery pastry. Caramel apple and toasted almonds linger in the ether for what seems like ages. The empty glass smells heavenly, making me yearn for another pour. Let this one sleep in the cellar a while and it will dazzle all the more!
Price:
$79.99
2023 Domaine de l'Amandine Côtes-du-Rhône-Villages Séguret
Review Date: 05-14-2026
The 2023 Domaine de l'Amandine Côtes-du-Rhône-Villages Séguret is more than half Syrah with Grenache in the balance, all destemmed for pure fruit expression. It's plush and fruity with notes of ripe plum, black cherry, and soft hints cocoa with a touch bouquet garni. It would go great with burgers, BBQ, or your favorite savory snacks. Pretty bottle too!
2025 La Bargemone Coteaux d'Aix-en-Provence Rosé
Review Date: 04-28-2026
Composed of certified organic Grenache, Cinsault, and Syrah, the 2025 La Bargemone Coteaux d’Aix-en-Provence Rosé is no porch pounder. For goodness’ sake, please give it some space and time to be admired for its vivid flavors and impossibly juicy splendor. It generously offers up a cornucopia of ripe red berries, red-fleshed plum, white nectarine, rose petals, and a hint of Meyer lemon zest. I’m sad my tasting glass is empty right now, and I’m daydreaming about when and where I’ll drink it again, and with whom.
2023 Antech "Cuvée Eugenie" Extra Brut Crémant de Limoux
Review Date: 04-28-2026
Composed of 70% Chardonnay, 20% Chenin Blanc, and 10% Mauzac, the 2023 Antech "Cuvée Eugénie" Extra Brut Crémant de Limoux aged 18 months on its lees and was finished with a 5 g/L dosage. It’s another fine example from Antech, offering delightful bubbles for times when you don't want to feel like you're on a tight budget. You can suspend your disbelief with this one, thinking that you paid much more for it than you actually did. Notes of crunchy pear, ripe green apple, and sourdough toast carry a touch of honeyed flavor without the sweetness. Dry, crisp, thirst-quenching and civilized, it would be equally at home at a garden party, a family gathering, or a relaxed Wednesday night with a cat or two and a good movie.
Launois "Veuve Clemence" Brut Blanc de Blancs Champagne
Review Date: 04-09-2026
Launois Veuve Clémence Grand Cru Champagne exemplifies incredible quality that easily outshines Champagnes at more than double the price point. Textures from an impossibly fine perlage and seductively silky mousse caress the plate upon entry. It presents on the dry side of Brut with crisp green apple, lightly toasted hazelnuts, and chalky minerals that delight and set the mind ticking away trying to parse out the how and why this wine is so fantastic. The lingering honeyed finish inspires a yearning thirst for more. Like all top-tier bubbly, don't drink this too cold. It will come off as steely and the richly rewarding mid-palate will be muted. This is an exquisite example of why the Champagne category shares a chamber in my heart with my most treasured epicurean delights. Whenever we get a shipment from Launois, a family-owned and -operated, grower-producer Champagne house that was established in 1872, I buy a bottle of everything they make without question. I would’ve bought an entire case of Veuve Clémence but I didn't want to be greedy as we get such limited quantities.
Price:
$44.99
2019 Smith Haut Lafitte, Pessac-Léognan
Review Date: 03-03-2026
The 2019 Smith Haut Lafitte, Pessac-Léognan is one of those wines that makes you feel like you should be better dressed. When a colleague at work said, "here, try this," I made the mistake of not saving it for last because the wines that followed paled in comparison, making it nearly impossible to be objective. As soon as I raised the glass to my nose, I knew I was about to sip pure sophistication. Aromas of freshly turned soil, blackberries, and beef consommé made me stand a little straighter. The palate is confident and richly layered with soft waves of blackberry, cassis, an alluring umami note, tobacco, black tea, fresh soil after a rain, and a lick of graphite. Time stopped and I felt momentarily embraced. In a word: exquisite.
Pierre Mineral Mesnil "Vieillie En Fût" Grand Cru Brut Blanc de Blancs Champagne Magnum 1.5L
Review Date: 03-03-2026
I’m not naming names, but there’s a Champagne out there strikingly similar to this one that’s currently fetching $260. Need I say more? Probably not. But as a shameless bubble head, I can’t help but sing this wine’s praises. Think ripe pear layered with delicately toasted almond, vanilla crème anglaise, green apple, and a whisper of fresh sourdough toast that fans out across the palate. The texture is plush, the perlage exquisitely pinpoint. This is luxury, full stop. I tasted it on a day when I was a little down, and it felt like a shining mercy: a reminder that we need Champagne this fine in both victory and defeat. Just as time heals all wounds, so does great Champagne.
Price:
$119.99
2025 Anonymous Wine Collective Contra Costa County Rosé of Mourvedre
Review Date: 03-03-2026
Aged in stainless steel and neutral oak, the 2024 Anonymous Contra Costa County Rosé of Mourvèdre is rumored to be composed of 83% Mourvèdre, 9% Zinfandel, 7% Carignane, and 1% Grenache = 100% deliciousness in total. I'm not ashamed to admit that my third sip of this at K&L in San Francisco prompted a combo of jazz hands and a little happy dance. I didn't care who saw me, because I am so ready for spring! I am ready for fun! I am ready for THIS WINE! Refreshing bright red raspberry, fragrant wild strawberries, blood orange zest, and tulsi rose tea put the joy in enjoyment. This is a case-buy proposition — drink young, drink often.
Price:
$14.95
2024 Anonymous Wine Collective Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir
Review Date: 03-03-2026
Massively overdelivering for its price point, the 2024 Anonymous Wine Collective Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir walks that perfect line where California fruitiness meets Burgundian clarity and restraint. At the moment it is youthful and primary, but who cares when the fruit is this delicious. A kaleidoscope of black raspberry, red cherry, violets, and a hint of bay laurel evolves on the palate. The finish hums with bright cherry and delicately whispered black tea sweet nothings. This is the kind of Pinot to sip slowly and revisit because the aromatherapy coming off the glass is half the experience. As a California girl with French ancestry, this is exactly what I want in domestic Pinot Noir. SOLD, to the woman in the flat cap!
Price:
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2024 Anonymous Wine Collective Sonoma Coast Chardonnay
Review Date: 03-03-2026
The 2024 Anonymous Wine Collective Sonoma Coast Chardonnay opens with Golden Delicious apple and ripe pear, layered with hints of white blossoms and vanilla-kissed butterscotch. The finish lingers on bright orchard fruit, leaving a fresh, sunlit impression that makes me look forward to warmer days ahead. It’s definitely a mood-lifting Chardonnay with lots of charm.
Price:
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2020 Celler Pardas "Hermós" Brut Nature Corpinnat (Cava)
Review Date: 02-25-2026
I love honest sparkling wines that don’t try to be anything but themselves. While most others posture and preen, the 2020 Celler Pardas “Hermós” Brut Nature Corpinnat shows up to the dinner party in sexy black jeans, black boots, a tuxedo shirt, and a black leather jacket—looking like a million bucks. Soft, luxe, and creamy on the palate, it offers notes of quince, pear, lemon verbena, and amber honey—dry without being austere. It’s gorgeous and unusual in the most satisfying ways. ¡Viva la diferencia!
2023 Berta Valgañón "Selección Maturana Tinta" Rioja
Review Date: 02-18-2026
My goth past has come back to haunt me. This is winsome nostalgia in a glass. The 2023 Berta Valgañón “Selección Maturana Tinta” Rioja is dark, inky, and hypnotic, with intriguing notes of cassis, smoldering clove cigarette, glossy black lipstick, Choward’s violet candies, incense, and leather, all wrapped in a plush, velvety mouthfeel. It’s lights-out lovely and highly recommended. Made from Maturana Tinta with a splash of Garnacha by a one-woman winery with an annual output of a mere 1,500 cases. Pay attention as Berta Valgañón is one to watch!
CVNE Brut Cava Penedès
Review Date: 02-18-2026
CVNE Brut Cava Penedès is composed of 40% Xarel-lo, 30% Macabeo, and 30% Parellada, aged 9–12 months on its lees before disgorgement and finished with a 9 g/L dosage. It’s a sound choice for midweek bubbles, a quality base for sparkling cocktails, or as a festive aperitif for gatherings. In classic Brut style, it offers notes of poached pear, light honey, and flint, carried through by an easy-breezy touch of lemon squeezy finish.
Price:
$11.99
2023 Luis Pato Vinhas Velhas Bairrada
Review Date: 02-18-2026
The 2023 Luis Pato Vinhas Velhas Bairrada hails from 100% estate-grown Baga planted on clay and limestone soils. Fermented in stainless steel and aged 18 months in neutral oak, it offers baskets of ripe blackberry, briny olive, dried violets, and zesty blood orange, with a subtle touch of vanilla riding waves of muscular tannins. Decant if opening young, and serve alongside roasted meats and vegetables or a charcuterie board of aged cheeses and cured meats.
Rhys "Perpetual Reserve" California Sparkling Wine
Review Date: 02-13-2026
Rhys “Perpetual Reserve” California Sparkling Wine is composed of 75% Chardonnay and 25% Pinot Noir, with 79% fermented in neutral oak and 21% in tank. Drawn from the 2016–2023 vintages, it spent three years en tirage and was finished with a 5 g/L dosage. My first impression: it’s Grand Cru–esque, sure to delight fans of crisp, dry Champagne, showing a fresh, steely profile of lemon curd, finely grated tangerine zest, wet stone, and a subtle pithy bitterness that adds an exciting layer of tension. Its lingering, stony lemon finish suggests it will cruise in the cellar for quite some time—well worth buying a few bottles to follow its evolution.
2024 Domaine du Gour de Chaulé ".26" Gigondas Rosé
Review Date: 02-13-2026
The 2024 Domaine du Gour de Chaulé Gigondas Rosé is structured for the table, with the precise architecture not only to carry a meal but to enchant, offering vibrant notes of ume plum paste, cherry, and strawberry, finished with a whisper of fresh fennel. Certified organic.
2019 Fallet-Dart "Pur Meunier" Champagne
Review Date: 02-10-2026
As the name suggests, this Blanc de Noirs is composed entirely of Pinot Meunier, elegantly embellished with a 5g/L dosage. Disgorged in May 2023, the 2019 Fallet-Dart “Pur Meunier” offers an impossibly fine perlage. It’s a thrilling kiss on the lips—orange blossom honey-tinged pear, Marcona almond, and lime marmalade elevated by a discreet touch of pithy bitterness. Silky wisps of smoke hint at old vines deeply rooted into limestone soils. Charming as an apértif wine to greet guests or to crack open to celebrate a milestone with someone you love.
Price:
$69.99
Billecart-Salmon "Le Rosé" Champagne
Review Date: 02-04-2026
Considered Extra Brut, Billecart-Salmon’s “Le Rosé” Champagne is composed of 45% Chardonnay, 35% Pinot Noir, and 20% Meunier. It luxuriated on its lees for 36 months. Its pale ballet-slipper pink makes my heart skip a beat. Drifting on bright notes of raspberry and fresh rose petals, lifted by finely grated lemon zest and fresh ginger, this is romance in a glass. Like an exquisite Mozart symphony, every note lands exactly where it should—as usual. You can never go wrong with Billecart-Salmon “Le Rosé.” For me, the answer is always oui.
2024 Château de la Charrière Chassagne-Montrachet "Les Champs Morjot"
Review Date: 01-20-2026
The 2024 Château de la Charrière Chassagne-Montrachet “Les Champs Morjot” is the kind of wine that says all the right things right off the get-go—please, thank you, those are great glasses, nice work today—while holding the door open with a smile. Everything is right where it should be: notions of apple tarte tatin with a light, flaky crust, bright lemon zest with a touch of pith, and a subtle apple finish. Savory notes of flint and Marcona almond add poise and balance, keeping the experience polite and even a little bit flirty. It’s a fantastic value for such a handsome, thoroughly pleasing sip—equally enjoyable on its own or alongside a roast chicken dinner, or at brunch with a mushroom and spinach quiche.
Price:
$59.99
2023 Ramey Russian River Valley Chardonnay
Review Date: 01-03-2026
When I think of the best examples of California-styled Chardonnay, Ramey immediately comes to mind—they’re simply that reliable. Measured and structured, the 2023 Ramey Russian River Valley Chardonnay is redolent with caramel apple, golden flaky pastry, and baking spices, finishing with a subtle touch of jasmine blossom. It’s a lush and satisfying mouthful of deliciousness. I adore it, and that’s all there is to it.
2024 Bodega Chacra "Barda" Pinot Noir Rio Negro Patagonia
Review Date: 11-13-2025
The 2024 Bodega Chacra “Barda” Pinot Noir is an approachable, food-friendly expression of Patagonian Pinot. Bright notes of cranberry, wild strawberry, and hibiscus weave together with subtle undertones of baking spices and a freshly rolled cigar. The palate is supple yet energetic, carrying its fruit with effortless grace and a whisper of savoriness. It’s a versatile Pinot that would elevate a quiet dinner at home with a roast chicken or serve alongside a more refined meal. It's unpretentious, elegant, and simply delicious.
2023 Domaine du Chêne Vert "L'Enracinée" Crozes-Hermitage Rouge
Review Date: 10-28-2025
Produced with a light touch from organically grown Syrah selected from the finest lots of the vintage, the 2023 Domaine du Chêne Vert “L’Enracinée” Crozes-Hermitage Rouge comes from 60-year-old, massal-selection vines, the best of the best. Medium-bodied, dark, and lushly layered, it reveals notes of black cherry, freshly picked raspberries, cola, and vanilla, with a subtle touch of crushed gravel that hints to old, deeply rooted vines. Sip now or cellar and savor later.
Ariston Aspasie "Brut de Fût" Champagne
Review Date: 10-08-2025
This is not a flashy Champagne dandy—more one to sip and contemplate. Firmly planting your feet where the wine was made, it tastes like an old Champagne cellar, but an exceedingly good way. This wine shows rather than tells—apple tarte tatin, lemon verbena, and a faint hit of smoke with a flinty minerality and a racy acidity that cuts a marvelous swath of masculine class and finesse. There’s a difficult to describe sense of the dark shadows in a cold, dusty cellar. These wistful qualities can never be produced on a large commercial scale — one for true lovers of the complex side of micro-lot grower Champagne.
Price:
$69.99
2022 Domaine Robert Chevillon Nuits-St-Georges Vieilles Vignes
Review Date: 10-08-2025
From bothers Bertrand and Denis Chevillon, the 2022 Domaine Robert Chevillon Nuits-St-Georges Vieilles Vignes was destemmed and aged 18 months in approximately 30% new oak barrels. So clean and well-defined—red cherry, floral ume (Japanese plum), blood orange, whole green cardamom, and soft sandalwood incense. It's as if the etherial sensations of Kyoto were captured in a red Burgundy. Exquisite.
2023 Domaine Gerard Mugneret Vosne Romanee "Cuvee Quatrain"
Review Date: 10-08-2025
Organic and biodynamically farmed but not certified, Cuvée Quatrain is a blend of four parcels: Réas, Jaquines, Ormes, and Chalendins. It's a four-line stanza that flows well across the palate. Vibrant cherry, ripe mulberry, raspberry, and soft violet florals. Poetic notions dovetail into a long, light brown sugar-like finish redolent with fresh cherry and violets. So elegant! This was a star in a staff tasting of 21 red Burgundies—moreish in every way.
2022 K&L Discovery Series Italy, Super Tuscan
Review Date: 10-08-2025
This is a sumptuous mouthful of wine for the price. Our 2022 Discovery Series Italy Super Tuscan is tall, dark, and handsome—black currant, blackberries, black plum—a real Casanova. A lush, plush mouthfeel brings notions of dried herbs and graphite. This is a wine to build a dinner around—steak, roasted pork, or venison would be natural pairings. For those who don't cook—break out the sharp cheddar, aged dry cheese, prosciutto, Marcona almonds, and even dark chocolate for a pleasurable evening of indulgence.
Price:
$39.99
2023 Domaine Parent Bourgogne Côte d'Or Rouge "Sélection Pomone"
Review Date: 10-06-2025
I’m not sure whether Pomone was named after the pastoral 15th-century French opera composed by Robert Cambert or the Roman goddess of orchards, gardens, and fruitful abundance. Either inspiration suits this wine, because all of those notions shine through in the 2023 Domaine Parent Bourgogne Côte d'Or Rouge "Sélection Pomone." It’s delicate, layered, and almost lyrical—a sensory libretto that sets my heart and mind ticking away in unison. What am I tasting here? So subtle—a blessed potation of cherries, wild strawberries, violets, and juicy blood orange, with subtle hints of petrichor. Ethereal and romantic, with a lengthy finish of cherry, violet and wet stone that reveals its fine Pommard vineyard origins.
Price:
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