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Staff Favorites - Simon Li
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Reviews
2019 K&L Discovery Series Bordeaux, Pomerol
Review Date: 02-26-2026
The 2019 Discovery Series is a compelling expression of Pomerol from a stellar Vintage. The nose presents a vibrant bouquet of ripe plum and black cherry, with a distinct blackcurrant note. Subtle hints of mint and a floral lift of violet add layers of complexity. On the palate, the wine is powerfully fruit driven, showcasing a concentrated core of black fruit balanced by fresh acidity. The finish is supported by polished tannins, providing amazing structure for the wine to evolve beautifully over the next 5-10 years. Experiencing the character and prestige of Pomerol. one of France's most exclusive regions, for just 29.99 makes this a truly remarkable find!
Price:
$29.99
2023 Anonymous Wine Collective Santa Cruz Mountains Chardonnay
Review Date: 11-02-2025
This wine opens with a energetic nose of struck match, oyster shell, and sharp lemon zest, which only reluctantly reveals hints of white peach and toasted almond. The palate is defined by its tense, high-wire acidity, a hallmark of the cool vintage, creating a framework that is both linear and intensely focused. The finish is long and bracing, leaving a vibrant, mouthwatering echo of citrus oil and crushed stones.
Price:
Hidden
2022 Hamilton Russell Chardonnay Hemel-en-Aarde Valley
Review Date: 10-26-2025
The 2022 Hamilton Russell Chardonnay is a distinctive white wine from the cool, maritime Hemel-en-Aarde Valley. On the palate, this wine comes across as very clean, with prominent notes of crisp green apple. It is structurally defined by a notable medium-plus acidity, giving it a vibrant and refreshing backbone. This acidity balances the winemaking influences, resulting in a focused and expressive Chardonnay.
2022 PROJECT M "Bednarik Vineyard" Tualatin Hills Pinot Noir
Review Date: 10-20-2025
This 2022 Bednarik Vineyard Pinot Noir opens with an inviting and pure aromatic profile centered on ripe dark cherry. That primary fruit is beautifully accented by a subtle, savory herbal lift, which speaks to its Tualatin Hills origin. The wine is immediately approachable on the palate, defined by a smooth, polished texture and very fine, well-integrated tannins. This is not a wine of overt power, but rather one of balance and finesse, making it exceptionally easy to drink right now.
2019 K&L Discovery Series Italy, Brunello di Montalcino
Review Date: 10-13-2025
This 2019 Brunello di Montalcino from discovery series is a serious wine! It opens with a complex and alluring nose of sour cherry, new leather, and a hint of dried herbs. The first sip reveals a powerful core of red plum and black cherry fruit, framed by assertive, fine-grained tannins and vibrant acidity. Possessing significant aging potential, this wine is built for the cellar and will reward patience as it evolves over the next 15 to 20 years but surprisingly shows good even you have it now. Its immense structure is beautifully balanced, keeping the concentrated power in check. The finish is exceptionally long and persistent, echoing notes of dried earth and sweet tobacco.
Price:
$59.99
2016 K&L Discovery Series Italy, Barolo (Vintage Release)
Review Date: 10-13-2025
This 2016 Barolo from discovery is aromatically stunning red that offering classic notes of dried flowers, red cherry, and a touch of tar. The palate is intense and powerful, showcasing pure red fruit flavors layered with hints of savory spice and earth. Its structure is the main feature, with firm, gripping tannins and vibrant acidity that promise a long life ahead. The finish is exceptionally long and structured, indicating it will evolve beautifully for many years to come.
Price:
$34.99
2016 K&L Discovery Series Bordeaux, St-Estephe
Review Date: 10-02-2025
St-Estephe is always my favorite appellation in Bordeaux and this 2016 Discovery Series from St-Etephe captures the essence of its renowned vintage, opening with an inviting bouquet of dark cherry and fresh blueberry. On the palate, these concentrated fruit flavors are seamlessly woven with savory undertones of dried herbs and a distinct mineral streak. A bright acidity lends balance and energy, keeping the profile both substance and aging potential.
Price:
$24.99
2021 l'Esprit de Chevalier Blanc, Pessac-Léognan
Review Date: 09-01-2025
Capturing the essence of its renowned sibling, this wine is a superb example of white Bordeaux(70% Sauvignon Blanc, 30% Semillon). It presents a vibrant nose of lime zest, white grapefruit, and a touch of smoky flint. The palate is energetic and focused, with zinging acidity and intense citrus and stone fruit flavors. It's all wrapped in a subtly creamy texture from about 35% new oak barrels use, delivering exceptional class and value.
2020 Collines de l'If, St-Emilion
Review Date: 09-01-2025
As the second wine from a famed property, this offers a superb introduction to a legendary Right Bank pedigree. It opens with aromas of lush black cherry, raspberry, and subtle floral notes. On the palate, it is velvety and expressive, showcasing juicy black fruits balanced by fine-grained tannins and a hint of minerality.
Price:
Hidden
2019 Moulin du La Lagune, Haut-Médoc
Review Date: 09-01-2025
As the second wine from Chateau La Lagune, this Haut-Médoc offers exceptional quality. It opens with inviting aromas of black olive, cassis, and a touch of earthy forest floor. The palate is medium-bodied and elegant, with smooth tannins and a lovely core of fresh blue and black fruits.
2000 La Cabanne, Pomerol
Review Date: 09-01-2025
Here is a rare opportunity to enjoy a fully mature Pomerol from a legendary vintage. The bouquet is complex and developed, offering alluring notes of dried plum, black truffle, and dried herb. On the palate, it is exceptionally smooth and resolved, with silky tannins and a wealth of savory, mature fruit flavors like black plum and black cherry. It showcases the classic plush character and pedigree of its appellation, delivering a beautifully expressive drinking experience right now.
2019 K&L Discovery Series Bordeaux, Pauillac
Review Date: 08-15-2025
This 2019 Pauillac from our discovery series is something else entirely. The first thing I got was this wave of ripe of black plum and black cherry, giving it a really rich and inviting feel right away. But underneath, that classic cassis and a cool, earthy vibe remind you that it's still a serious Pauillac. What really gets me is the texture; its got this great structure and firm tannins that give it powerful backbone, but it's not aggressive at all. It feels both plush and powerful at the same time. This is one of those bottles that's impressive enough to lay down for few years, but also really good to enjoy it as its young as well. And for this pricing is unbeatable!
Price:
$29.99
Fallet-Dart "Clos du Mont" Brut Champagne (2006)
Review Date: 07-14-2025
If you want something with real age and complexity, this is the one. A single-vineyard Champagne aged over 15 years on the lees and made with a good amount of Chardonnay, it pours deep gold and smells like baked pear, dried flowers, toasted nuts, and even a bit of spice. It’s rich and layered, with caramelized apple and nutty, earthy tones coming through. But what makes it special is that it’s still fresh—there’s acidity, tension, and a kind of quiet power to it.
Price:
$79.99
Fallet-Dart "Cuvée de Réserve" Brut Champagne
Review Date: 07-14-2025
This is a bigger, more generous style of Champagne made mostly from Pinot Meunier and Pinot Noir, and you really feel that weight and warmth. On the nose, it’s like walking into a bakery—baked apple, toasted brioche, and hazelnuts. The palate is broad and full, but not heavy—it’s lifted by a bright core of citrus and fine bubbles. There’s a little edge of bitterness and minerality that keeps everything in check and gives the finish some grip. It’s a great example of a rounder, more savory Champagne that still feels fresh.
Price:
$34.99
Petiau "Cuvée Prestige" Brut Champagne
Review Date: 07-14-2025
This is Petiau’s top cuvée, made from old Chardonnay vines with just a little Pinot Noir in the mix—and it definitely drinks like a flagship. The nose has a lifted floral character—honeysuckle, citrus zest, and a little almond biscotti vibe. It’s lean and clean, but there’s this slow-building richness underneath. On the palate, you get golden apple, a touch of pear skin, and super fine bubbles that feel really polished. What I love most is how precise it is—no oak, no spice, just pure, mineral-driven fruit and chalk.
Price:
$49.99
2020 Viña Maquis "Lien" Red Blend Valle de Colchagua
Review Date: 07-07-2025
2020 Maquis Lien doesn’t just show fruit—it shows form. It opens with dark berries and graphite, but quickly draws you into deeper layers: smoke, grilled herbs, tobacco leaf, even a peppery hint of Tabasco. The texture is rich but focused, with firm tannins and a mineral edge that makes each sip feel sculpted.
2020 Ducru-Beaucaillou "Croix de Beaucaillou," St-Julien
Review Date: 07-07-2025
Beautifully inky in color, it kicks off with rich black plum and blackberry on the nose, overlaid with graphite, crushed stone minerality, violet florals, and a whisper of tobacco leaf. It’s full-bodied with intense fruit concentration, plush mid-palate energy, and fine-grained, ripe tannins that give it a velvety yet powerful grip. On the palate, expect layers of cocoa, roasted almond, and dusty minerality, all held together by a saline, linear backbone. The finish is long and precise, echoing dark fruit, smoke, and a fresh mint-kissed lift. Though approachable now with decanting, its tannic structure suggests it shines better with a few more years in the cellar.
2023 Peay West Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir
Review Date: 06-09-2025
The 2023 Peay Vineyards Estate Pinot Noir captures the elegance of Burgundy while embracing the purity and energy of the West Sonoma Coast. Aromatically, it opens with a lifted mix of forest floor, lavender, and mint, followed by raspberry, and red plum. There’s a gentle but confident use of oak, adding spice and texture without overwhelming the fruit. The palate is precise and vibrant, with a long, graceful finish driven by fresh acidity and well-integrated tannins.
Much of this character is shaped by winemaker Vanessa Wong, a Chinese American vintner whose résumé includes Château Lafite-Rothschild, Domaine Jean Gros in Burgundy, and Peter Michael Winery. Since joining Peay in 2001, she has quietly built a reputation for wines of restraint and site expression—always letting the vineyard speak louder than the winemaking.
2022 Chateau Montelena Napa Valley Chardonnay
Review Date: 06-09-2025
Produced by one of the Napa Valley's most iconic and historically significant wineries, this Chardonnay reflects the exceptional quality of the 2022vintage-an outstanding year for white wines in the region. The wine's purity, depth, and finesse make it a benchmark expression of Napa Valley Chardonnay. This wine opens with an expressive and elegant nose, showcasing floral aromas intertwined with notes of apricot and white peach. On the palate, it delivers vibrant layers of ripe citrus and crips green apple, balanced by subtle nuances of warm baking spice, toasted oak, and a hint of nuttiness.
Price:
$69.95
2020 Léoville-Poyferré, St-Julien
Review Date: 05-26-2025
As a devoted Bordeaux lover, I typically enjoy letting great vintages mature over time—but the 2020 Château Léoville Poyferré is a reminder that some wines can deliver immense pleasure even in their youth. This vintage is bold and expressive right out of the glass, with rich aromas of blackberry, black plum, and a touch of dark chocolate, wrapped in savory layers of tobacco leaf and cigar box. The wine is full-bodied, with excellent structure and a beautiful sense of balance—ripe fruit framed by polished tannins and just the right amount of acidity.
It’s generous and powerful, yet nothing feels overdone. There’s an earthy depth and a touch of spice that adds complexity as it opens up in the glass. While it’s drinking impressively well now with a bit of air, it clearly has the structure and concentration to evolve for another 10 to 15 years in the cellar. This is exactly the kind of wine that reminds me why I love the Left Bank—classic, confident, and full of character.