Reviewers
- Aaron Hughes (10)
- Adam Winkel (97)
- Alex Leonardini (8)
- Alex Schroeder (149)
- Alex Pross (593)
- Alexandre Tweedie (7)
- Amy Monroe (1)
- Andrew Nunes (1)
- Andrew Kitz (1)
- Andrew Whiteley (125)
- Cindy Westby (60)
- Clyde Beffa Jr. (808)
- David Othenin-Girard (335)
- Dejah Overby (147)
- Diana Turk (125)
- Dulcinea Gonzalez (115)
- Gary Lai (56)
- Gary Norton (103)
- Gary Westby (540)
- Greg St. Clair (389)
- Illya Haase (147)
- Jacques Moreira (704)
- Jason Marwedel (73)
- Jeffrey Jones (372)
- Joel Nicholas (29)
- John Flanigan (1)
- John Downing (80)
- John Majeski (296)
- Julio Santos (1)
- Kate Soto (11)
- Keith Mabry (432)
- Kirk Walker (276)
- Lilia McIntosh (44)
- Mandana Tourani (13)
- Michael Benoit (7)
- Michael Pires (14)
- Miles Philippe (7)
- Neal Fischer (33)
- Ralph Sands (222)
- Ryan Kewin (4)
- Ryan Moses (384)
- Ryan Woodhouse (891)
- Sal Rodriguez (34)
- Scott Beckerley (307)
- Shaun Green (82)
- Thomas Smith (357)
- Tom Martinez (1)
- Trey Beffa (183)
- Will Blakely (26)
- Zaitouna Kusto (3)
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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
2022 Ordaz Family Wines "Uboldi Vineyard" Sonoma Valley Sauvignon Blanc
By: Scott Beckerley | Review Date: 9/26/2023 | Send Email
By: Scott Beckerley | Review Date: 9/26/2023 | Send Email
This wonderfully bright and citrus driven Sauvignon Blanc is one of my favorites. A refreshing palate of pink grapefruit, key lime and juicy orange. This is a family estate winery that has very precise attention to detail, so the quality is definitely there. Extremely affordable, as well!
Top Value!
Price:
$19.95
2022 Domaine Cherrier Frères Sancerre
By: Scott Beckerley | Review Date: 9/26/2023 | Send Email
By: Scott Beckerley | Review Date: 9/26/2023 | Send Email
This generously fruit-forward Sancerre continues to prove its mettle and even rise about more expensive white Sancerre. The great 2022 vintage is alive with lemon curd, lemon salt, key lime and juicy, fresh cut orange. Lovely acidity that isn't overwhelming or too much. That makes this release perfect for anything from fresh oysters to a creamy spaghetti alla limone.
Top Value!
Price:
$19.99
2022 Domaine Gérard Tremblay Petit Chablis
By: Scott Beckerley | Review Date: 9/26/2023 | Send Email
By: Scott Beckerley | Review Date: 9/26/2023 | Send Email
This great bargain is probably our most affordable Chablis at the moment. Don't let the "Petit" designation fool you. Many Petit Chablis can often outperform Chablis, quality wise. even more of a reason not to overlook this one. Like Chablis, there is a clean nose of lemon zest, sea salt and just a tiny bit lemon meringue. On the palate, also clean but, a richness then appears on the palate with a very light sea salt component. Though citrus fruit dominant, lemons, pink grapefruit, the additional mid-palate softness keeps this wine from being overbearing. So affordable that you can have it every day!
Top Value!
Price:
$19.99
2021 Vinos del Viento "Aventura"
By: Scott Beckerley | Review Date: 9/26/2023 | Send Email
By: Scott Beckerley | Review Date: 9/26/2023 | Send Email
A bright and brambly baby with a nose of bright strawberries and boysenberry. In the mouth, a bit bigger with darker (and riper) strawberries, black plum and light baking spices. Aged in concrete, so what you get is the pure, unadulterated expression of the fruits. Light to medium tannin (tending more toward the light) rounds out the relatively lingering finish. Yet another one of these wonderful bargain red wines that we currently see arriving from Spain.
Top Value!
2019 Mas Codina Vinya Ferrer Cabernet Sauvignon Penedes
By: Scott Beckerley | Review Date: 9/26/2023 | Send Email
By: Scott Beckerley | Review Date: 9/26/2023 | Send Email
I have to admit that my obsession with Tempranillo and Rioja has caused me to vastly overlook Cabernet Sauvignon from Spain. Huh? What's that?! So today, I had the pleasure of trying an extremely tasty one. Excellent cherry and currant fruit with a little boysenberry, as well. Lightly chalky, with an overall easy to drink character that is both pleasing and fun. Great for everyday drinking or for a group gathering. I don't know why but this one says "camping trip" to me. Fall in Yosemite!
Top Value!
Price:
$12.99
2019 Celler de l'Encastell "Marge" Priorat
By: Scott Beckerley | Review Date: 9/26/2023 | Send Email
By: Scott Beckerley | Review Date: 9/26/2023 | Send Email
Marge to Homer, "give this one a try". Ok, bad joke. The wine, however, is not Deep dark red and black fruits, with red cassis, black cherry, menthol, and a bit of licorice. Although it is on the "big" side, there is enough tannin to balance and lengthen the palate. Plus, how much quality Priorat can you find at this price? Not much.
Top Value!
Price:
$19.99
2017 Cal Besso "la Prunera" Montsant
By: Scott Beckerley | Review Date: 9/26/2023 | Send Email
By: Scott Beckerley | Review Date: 9/26/2023 | Send Email
A fine companion wine to the "Lo Cirerer", the "La Prunera" has a black fruited nose with dark plum, dried prune and toasted oak. On the palate, more of an "old school" style with earth, oak, tobacco and rich dark fruits. More plum and prune. Yes, I know that what it's called but, these actually are the scents and flavors. Prune in a good way. Not pruney or raisiny. More of a figgy type of prune, if that makes any sense at all. Well, there it is. I've done my best.
Top Value!
Price:
$19.99
2019 Voyager Estate Sauvignon Blanc/Semillon Margaret River Western Australia
By: Scott Beckerley | Review Date: 9/26/2023 | Send Email
By: Scott Beckerley | Review Date: 9/26/2023 | Send Email
This totally fun Bordeaux-style white blend has an appealing nose of pear compote, creamy lemon and edamame. On the palate, it is initially zippy with lemon zest and light saltiness. As it warmed slightly in the glass, the flavors expanded and became more yellow and white fruity with notes of lemon verbena and creamy pear. Very nice bright and lingering finish. Probably a bit too easy to drink!
Top Value!
2017 Voyager Estate "Girt by Sea" Cabernet Merlot Margaret River Western Australia
By: Scott Beckerley | Review Date: 9/26/2023 | Send Email
By: Scott Beckerley | Review Date: 9/26/2023 | Send Email
This dandy little Bordeaux red blend is such a great value. A nose of chocolate black cherry, minerals and cedar. In the mouth, roasted coffee bean, currants, blackberry and light herbal notes. A perfect amount of oak and tannin on the very long finish, which is quite clean with a hint of chalk. Planning for the holidays? Stock up on this one before it is all gone! So rare to find a wine that isn't just a huge fruit bomb at this price.
Top Value!
2019 Voyager Estate Sauvignon Blanc/Semillon Margaret River Western Australia
By: Thomas Smith | Review Date: 9/26/2023 | Send Email
By: Thomas Smith | Review Date: 9/26/2023 | Send Email
Another incredible deal from Margaret River’s Voyager Estate. While the Voyager Girt by Sea is inspired by the wines of Bordeaux’s Left Bank, their Estate Sauv/Sem is a love letter to the Bordeaux Blanc. A barrel aged blend of 68% Sauvignon Blanc with 32% Semillon, this is another great example of an old-world style wine with new-world fruit expression. The nose of this wine kicks off a bright complex nose of, crackling citrus zest, hints of yogurt, marzipan and almond butter. The palate was more weighted than I had expected, with beautiful notes of poached pears, and riper citrus tones. A good crack of citrus on the palate counters the weight, giving a nice overall balance to the wine before a long saline finish. There’s plenty of bold fruit expression throughout, but with the elegance and poise that lends a sophistication nowhere near this price point. A phenomenal wine at its price that makes this an easy case-buy for your new house white.
2017 Voyager Estate "Girt by Sea" Cabernet Merlot Margaret River Western Australia
By: Thomas Smith | Review Date: 9/26/2023 | Send Email
By: Thomas Smith | Review Date: 9/26/2023 | Send Email
Buckle up everybody, because this is the best deal I’ve come across in my career. Voyager Estate is a top-five producer in Margaret River and has been since the earliest days of wine production in the region. Founded in 1978, they are one of the Pioneers of “Australia’s Napa” a growing region so similar in climate to the Napa Valley that Robert Mondavi was an early investor and catalyst for its wines. These days, Margaret River is center-stage for Australian fine wine, earning 30% of the country’s awards while making up less than 2% of the country’s production. The Voyager “Girt by the Sea” is a serious, substantial blend of 62% Cabernet, 35% Merlot and a splash of 3% Petite Verdot, all aged in French Oak. Right off the bat the aromatics call to mind Bordeaux, but with an all-around riper and brighter fruit profile provided by Margaret River’s warmer climate. Cassis and graphite dominate the nose while the palate is brims with sweet, black cherry fruit, cola notes, and soft touches of vanilla. Leaning toward the medium side of full body, the tannin here is soft and gentle while a great line of acidity lights up the palate. A few years ago I bought ten or so cases of this exact wine which we retailed for $25. So why the massive discount? Unfortunately after an importer went out of business a massive parcel of this wine was left stuck in New Jersey with no one to sell it. With K&L’s knowledge of the producer and their excellent wines we happily agreed to pick it up at fire-sale prices and pass those along to our customers. This is a stone-cold $25 wine worth every penny. And at $9.99, this one of the best deals of the year.
2017 Voyager Estate "Girt by Sea" Cabernet Merlot Margaret River Western Australia
By: Aaron Hughes | Review Date: 9/26/2023 | Send Email
By: Aaron Hughes | Review Date: 9/26/2023 | Send Email
The 2017 Voyager Estate "Girt By Sea" Cabernet/Merlot blend is an absolute knockout, ESPECIALLY at this pricing. There's everything you want from a Cabernet Sauvignon focused blend: It's a beautiful deep, garnet color in the glass, with just a touch of age starting to show at the edges. The nose exhibits a generous bouquet of fresh black and red fruits intermingled with trademark Margaret River earthiness, hinting at what is to follow. On tasting, the wine unfolds in layers, with bright pomegranate immediately giving way to dried cherries and stewed blackberries. The deep fruit finishes with elegant notes of earth and oak, adding complexity and backbone. What sets this blend apart is its soft, velvety tannins – they yield a gentleness that makes for a wine that is hard-to-resist, especially at this pricing.
2017 Voyager Estate "Girt by Sea" Cabernet Merlot Margaret River Western Australia
By: Alexandre Tweedie | Review Date: 9/26/2023 | Send Email
By: Alexandre Tweedie | Review Date: 9/26/2023 | Send Email
A terrific bottle of easy evening red - Gentle plum compote, sweet cigar wrap, and a meaningful core of graphite minerality all pull this blend together and elevate it far above its price point. Perfect for steak & claret, backyard burgers, or anything that calls for a little red !
2019 Voyager Estate Sauvignon Blanc/Semillon Margaret River Western Australia
By: Michael Benoit | Review Date: 9/26/2023 | Send Email
By: Michael Benoit | Review Date: 9/26/2023 | Send Email
Beautiful ripe apricot and lemon aromas burst from the glass of this delicious Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon blend. The wine's crisp acidity is balanced by a wonderfully round mouthfeel. This is a delicious, easy-drinking white, perfect to pair with seafood dishes or for leisurely sipping on the porch during the last warm days of the year. With our fantastic pricing, grab a case today and make it your new house white!
Top Value!
2018 Ragtag Wine Co. Paso Robles Cabernet Sauvignon
By: Ryan Woodhouse | Review Date: 9/26/2023 | Send Email
By: Ryan Woodhouse | Review Date: 9/26/2023 | Send Email
Wow! This is one serious bottle of Cabernet! From a single vineyard in El Pomar District of Paso Robles. The vines here at Dos Robles Vineyard were planted back in 1994 on a steep, rocky hillside. It's a powerful Cabernet with plenty of pure fruit and structure. Bright notes of crème de cassis, elderberry, huckleberry, smoky spices, hints of cigar box. Really pure and refined on the palate. Powerful and dense but with excellent balance and definition. I taste a LOT of Cabernet as part of my job, most of them much more expensive than this...but I actually sat down and drank this one with my family at dinner. The wine is polished enough to enjoy right now, but I think it will also age beautifully for 8-10 years. Very impressive wine from a small producer that bottled just 250cs of this Cab. Our winery-direct deal brings it to you for a price that is way lower than the quality of the wine would suggest. The big luxurious bottle, beautiful label design, and waxed cork make this a great gift bottle too.
Top Value!
Price:
Hidden
2022 Domaine de Fondrèche Ventoux Rosé
By: John Majeski | Review Date: 9/25/2023 | Send Email
By: John Majeski | Review Date: 9/25/2023 | Send Email
Conspicuous for its tendency to vanish from our shelves during the dog days of summer, the Fondrèche Ventoux Rosé, made from a blend of 50% Cinsault, 30% Syrah, and 20% Grenache, is a pristine, pale evocation of fleshy orchard fruits, macerated and aged on the lees for a bit more weight and depth of flavor, without losing any of its impeccable spark and charm. Want some advice? Buy a case, it’s that delicious.
2020 Domaine de Fondrèche "Divergente" Ventoux Rouge
By: John Majeski | Review Date: 9/25/2023 | Send Email
By: John Majeski | Review Date: 9/25/2023 | Send Email
Approaching the apogee of bottlings from this remarkable Ventoux property, the "Divergente" is crafted from 100% Syrah planted in 1955! This wine reveals both amplitude and breadth in its pliant, seductively polished black fruits and mesmerizing aromas of smoked meat, wildflowers, thyme and black olive, embellished by silky tannins and a lingering spicy finish. Savory and utterly emblematic of this choice property, it can be laid down for several years if desired.
2020 Domaine de Fondrèche "Ile Etait une Fois" Ventoux Rouge
By: John Majeski | Review Date: 9/25/2023 | Send Email
By: John Majeski | Review Date: 9/25/2023 | Send Email
Looking forward and beyond, Sebastien Vincenti produces a few limited wines that pay tribute to the natural exposure and ancient alluvial soils of the plateau. The "Ile Etait une Fois" which in homage to ancient fables and tales means “Once Upon a Time,” elaborates upon the theme of opulence and effusive power while still achieving a sense of balance and freshness so emblematic of this great estate. Structured and beautifully layered fruit flavors, most notably from venerable Grenache vines dating from 1936, lend this wine a minerality and sinewy elegance that unravels and evolves in the glass.
2021 Domaine de Fondrèche "Natural" Ventoux Rouge (No Sulfites Added)
By: John Majeski | Review Date: 9/25/2023 | Send Email
By: John Majeski | Review Date: 9/25/2023 | Send Email
Highlighting the low to zero interventionist philosophy of Domaine de Fondrèche, this all-natural, well-priced beauty will please those who seek crystalline purity of fruit and unabashed freshness in a balanced blend of Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre, and Cinsault.
Price:
Hidden
2020 Domaine de Fondrèche "Persia" Ventoux Rouge
By: John Majeski | Review Date: 9/25/2023 | Send Email
By: John Majeski | Review Date: 9/25/2023 | Send Email
Cooler nocturnal temperatures are ideal for cultivating Syrah, allowing for the soulful presence of savory, more exotic flavors in the wine. Add the reductive, feral nature of old-vine Mourvèdre to the mix and you have something special, full of ripe black cherry, cocoa, thyme, and wild strawberry notes. Aged for 12 months in new oak barrels. A step above the Fondreche rouge in its finessed fruit and more polished character.
2020 Domaine de Fondrèche Ventoux Rouge
By: John Majeski | Review Date: 9/25/2023 | Send Email
By: John Majeski | Review Date: 9/25/2023 | Send Email
This is the estate’s benchmark red, with fruit grown on the complex limestone alluvial soils. It is fermented and aged in foudres and containers—including an ovoid concrete egg that resembles a Wallace and Grommet spaceship. An array of ripe red and black fruits with a hint of garrigue and minerality are underlined by acidity to balance the attractive forward elements in this fruitful wine. Crafted from 45-year-old Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvèdre vines. Perfect with a Wednesday night burger smothered in swiss cheese and onions.
2022 Domaine de Fondrèche Ventoux Blanc
By: John Majeski | Review Date: 9/25/2023 | Send Email
By: John Majeski | Review Date: 9/25/2023 | Send Email
This luscious white Rhone was sourced from parcels planted in lighter, sandier soils and vinified entirely without sulfites. Pleasantly balanced in its aromatic yellow pear, apricot, and melon flavors with a touch of salinity that gives the wine a vibrant freshness. A blend of one-third each Grenache Blanc, Clairette, and Roussanne, with 10% Rolle (Vermentino) to enhance the acidity.
Price:
$16.99
2017 Voyager Estate "Girt by Sea" Cabernet Merlot Margaret River Western Australia
By: Ryan Woodhouse | Review Date: 9/25/2023 | Send Email
By: Ryan Woodhouse | Review Date: 9/25/2023 | Send Email
I simply can't believe the value here. Don't be alarmed by the VERY low price, this wine is GOOD! Years ago when I bought the Aussie wines for K&L, I really enjoyed the wines from Voyager estate. I carried this exact same wine from a prior vintage. But now, somehow Thomas has negotiated a deal to get it on the shelf for half the price I sold it for 7-8 years ago! Yes, in this age of historic inflation, this wine is less expensive than almost a decade ago with this ridiculous Insider's Advantage deal. But as I said, this drinks well above its price. The nose has lots of leafy, tobacco notes, juicy red fruits, loganberry, bay leaf, a subtle French oak spice. Medium bodied with lots of freshness and energy to give lift to the fruit. 30 mins in the decanter brings out some darker fruit and more softness on the palate. What a wine for the money...just incredible.
Top Value!
2019 Voyager Estate Sauvignon Blanc/Semillon Margaret River Western Australia
By: Ryan Woodhouse | Review Date: 9/25/2023 | Send Email
By: Ryan Woodhouse | Review Date: 9/25/2023 | Send Email
A stunning value in everyday drinking Sauv Blanc! Thomas our Aussie buyer just landed an incredible deal on some wines from Voyager Estate in Margaret River. This is a very special part of the world to grow grapes. The ancient soils, combine with the powerful Australian sun, but also the tempering breezes from the cold Southern Ocean. This wine from Voyager captures the intense coastal energy and freshness you get from this place. Lots of zesty citrus elements, lime leaf, lemongrass, snow pea. Then the significant portion of Semillon weighs in and gives great texture and density to the snappy Sauvignon Blanc fruit. I actually really enjoyed letting this wine warm up and open up in the glass, don't drink it ice cold, you will get more flavor and texture if you let it sit in the glass for a while. Fantastic value for money!
Top Value!
2018 Porterhouse Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
By: Ryan Woodhouse | Review Date: 9/25/2023 | Send Email
By: Ryan Woodhouse | Review Date: 9/25/2023 | Send Email
As you all know, we search high and low for great deals in Napa Valley Cabernet and those deals have become harder and harder to find. So how about this beauty!? Sourced from a single vineyard (that must remain nameless) that sits just a few feet below the Howell Mountain AVA boundary. This is a powerful, mountain-grown Cabernet with briary redcurrant, blackberry, graphite, leather, smoky oak spices and cocoa nibs. The rich fruit envelops the robust tannins and the exotic oak spice smooths everything out very nicely. This wine was made mostly as a restaurant wine for high-end steakhouses. However, our inside connection to the winemaker means we got a sweet deal on this that is almost unheard of these days for quality Napa Cabernet, let alone basically single vineyard Howell Mtn! So, throw a Porterhouse steak on your grill, pour some Porterhouse Cab in your glass, and enjoy!
Top Value!
Price:
Hidden
Gosset "Grand Rosé" Brut Rosé Champagne
By: Scott Beckerley | Review Date: 9/22/2023 | Send Email
By: Scott Beckerley | Review Date: 9/22/2023 | Send Email
This bright and refreshing Brut Rose has a nose of raspberry, peach and juicy orange. On the palate, super interesting with flavors of strawberry, raspberry, blood orange and persimmon. A classic 50/50 blend with 8% still red and a lower dosage of 8g/l. Do not overlook this one. It is delicious and out of the ordinary. I can only think of one other Brut Rose that I've had in the last three months that I enjoyed more. It was also $40.00 more expensive!
Jean-Jacques Lamoureux "Réserve" Brut Champagne
By: Keith Mabry | Review Date: 9/22/2023 | Send Email
By: Keith Mabry | Review Date: 9/22/2023 | Send Email
What a revelation! I'm a huge fan our DIs but this new arrival may be one of the best yet. Layers of fruit erupt from the glass including notes of apple, pear, peach and blood orange. A hint of the exotic as well including some starfruit, kiwi and a bit of ginger. On the palate the mousse is creamy with flavors that are generous and keep unfolding. Bravo!
Price:
$29.99
Jean-Jacques Lamoureux "Réserve" Brut Champagne
By: Gary Westby | Review Date: 9/22/2023 | Send Email
By: Gary Westby | Review Date: 9/22/2023 | Send Email
This all Pinot Noir blanc de noirs is one of our very best values in the category, and has clean baguette style toast married to quite impressive Pinot savor on the nose, as well as great texture and a compact, pretty bead of bubbles. This champagne comes from Les Riceys, the most famous village in the Aube department of Champagne, located on the border with Burgundy. With a dry, but in no way austere finish, it is a fabulous bottle to start your next weekend with, and affordable enough to pour for a party!
Price:
$29.99
2018 Vivo Carneros Chardonnay
By: Ryan Woodhouse | Review Date: 9/21/2023 | Send Email
By: Ryan Woodhouse | Review Date: 9/21/2023 | Send Email
This is an absolute hidden gem! I had never heard of these wines until very recently when they were presented to me. Talk about pedigree! This wine (though not listed on the bottle for contractual reasons) is entirely from the legendary Hyde Vineyard. The winemaker behind the project is none other than Stephane Vivier, who for many years was the head winemaker at Hyde De Villaine (HdV) a collaborative project between Napa pioneer Larry Hyde, and Aubert de Villaine of Domaine de la Romanée Conti (DRC). Stephane's depth of experience with Hyde fruit is clear to see here. This is a Chardonnay very much for white burgundy drinkers. The cool climate of Carneros and the moderate growing season of 2018 resulted in a focused, racy, mineral driven style with beautiful lees elements building texture and savory intensity. It's a crystalline wine showing golden apple, firm white peach, chopped pine nuts, salty marcona almond hints. A fascinating wine with flinty, saline minerals in spades. It's fresh with wonderfully vibrant acids and I think will continue to age beautifully. Built for the long haul if you can keep your hands off it now. Fans of Meursault, Puligny, Chablis...check this out. We have a very finite amount of this wine, so act fast if this is for you! A deep Insider's Advantage discount and huge score from the Wine Advocate are sure to make this a winner.
Drink from 2020 to 2020
2009 Verdignan, Haut-Médoc
By: Alex Schroeder | Review Date: 9/21/2023 | Send Email
By: Alex Schroeder | Review Date: 9/21/2023 | Send Email
Perfectly aged left-bank claret from a stellar vintage under $30!? What a treat from the Miailhe family, with whom we've done a lot of business over the years! The wines from their two chateaus...Coufran (Merlot dominant) and Verdignan(Cab dominant), always offer hard-to-believe value in the classic-style Bordeaux category. This has a great nose! Ripe blackberry/red currant fruit, violets and a touch of savory scorched earth. It has silky, resolved and satisfying tannins with the acid line to cut through a nice fatty ribeye perfectly. Grab this while it's around, great Bordeaux deals like this tend to dry up quickly.
2009 Verdignan, Haut-Médoc
By: Clyde Beffa Jr. | Review Date: 9/21/2023 | Send Email
By: Clyde Beffa Jr. | Review Date: 9/21/2023 | Send Email
This baby will cellar well til the '30s. The ripe,forward fruit of the 2009 vintage mixes well with the hardness of the wines from Verdignan. Plenty of sweet blackberry aromas and flavors.
Situated near Pauillac, these vineyards are planted to 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, and 5% Cab Franc. On the stone lintel of the door's oldest vat of Verdignan there is ingraved a date: 1720! The 2009 is a great bargain from Bordeaux.
I just tasted this wine in May (2023), and it is better than ever. The sweetness of the 2009 vintage shines through in spades. Sweet and sexy after decanting an hour. Beggs for juicy prime rib or a New York steak dinner. Cellar it 10+ years no problem.
Drink from 2023 to 2023
2022 Mary Taylor Wines "Adrian de Pablo" Tempranillo Castilla
By: Scott Beckerley | Review Date: 9/20/2023 | Send Email
By: Scott Beckerley | Review Date: 9/20/2023 | Send Email
A bright and rather pretty nose of Bing cherries and violets. Bright and bouncy on the palate with fresh minerals, light chalk, dark raspberry and ripe cherry. Fleshes out with some air and expands quickly on the palate to become more mouth filling. Lovely and lightly tannic with just perfect amount of acidity and spice.
Price:
$15.99
2022 Vinos del Viento Garnacha Blanca Campo de Borja
By: Scott Beckerley | Review Date: 9/20/2023 | Send Email
By: Scott Beckerley | Review Date: 9/20/2023 | Send Email
If you are like me, you haven't had a lot of Garnacha Blanca. In fact, I'm pretty sure that I've only tried less than a dozen in as many years. This little bugger is a delight with a nose of lemon and lime, light minerals, and background white flowers (jasmine or lilies, I can't decide). On the palate, a little juicy with peach, pear and pineapple. Too much fun not to drink!
A.D. Coutelas "Cuvée Louis Victor" Brut Champagne
By: Philip Roufail | Review Date: 9/20/2023 | Send Email
By: Philip Roufail | Review Date: 9/20/2023 | Send Email
The new release of the A.D. Coutleas "Cuvee Louis Victor" Brut Champagne, the finest yet, is a triumph of their perpetual blend, started in 2007. What was once the province of a few forward thinking grower-producers, and an even smaller number of big Champagne houses, the solera style perpetual blend is becoming the assemblage of choice for multi-vintage champagne. As the blend adds vintages and matures, it becomes more complex, turning the average multi-vintage champagne above average. The progressive quality of this cuvee is a testament to the veracity (and tastiness) of this method. Coutelas uses a single 6000L oak foudre for the perpetual blend, forgoes malolactic fermentation, and uses a low dosage, 4g/l, to preserve freshness and the zippy acidity. Aged 4 years on the lees, it's aromatic, toasty, layered with citrus, tropical fruit, hazelnuts, saline, and white flowers. They only make 1,500 bottles a year so grab some while you can!
2021 Adegas Valtea "Finca Garabato" Albariño Rias Baixas
By: Scott Beckerley | Review Date: 9/20/2023 | Send Email
By: Scott Beckerley | Review Date: 9/20/2023 | Send Email
Like their 2022 Albarino, this one also errs on the side of clean and crisp. It also has flavors of apricot, lemon mousse and nectarine. The big difference is the mouthfeel. In this case, there is added richness and mouth filling juiciness. This does not translate in any way to fruity or sweet. Just weighty enough to work well with roast chicken or a pork tenderloin. As always, a clean and crisp finish.
Price:
$24.99
2022 Adegas Valtea Albariño Rias Baixas
By: Scott Beckerley | Review Date: 9/20/2023 | Send Email
By: Scott Beckerley | Review Date: 9/20/2023 | Send Email
A nice and bright Albarino that is not only a great value but, a delicious one, as well. Stone fruits, white apricot, lemon and minerals. I can hear the ocean!
Price:
$15.99
2019 Cal Besso "lo Cirerer" Montsant
By: Scott Beckerley | Review Date: 9/20/2023 | Send Email
By: Scott Beckerley | Review Date: 9/20/2023 | Send Email
This great little bargain has a red and black fruited nose with dark cherries, smoke, (light) prune and oak scents. On the palate, Bing and black cheery fruit, red plum, roasting spices and lightly toasted oak. Relatively full-bodied without being extracted or over the top. Very nicely balanced. Diverse enough to be paired with too many foods to be listed here. Try it as your everyday go to....especially for those hearty and comforting Autumn meals.
Price:
$15.99
2021 Brewer-Clifton Sta. Rita Hills Chardonnay
By: Carlo Delgado | Review Date: 9/20/2023 | Send Email
By: Carlo Delgado | Review Date: 9/20/2023 | Send Email
Soft notes of quince, honeydew melon, peach, orange zest, ginger, chamomile tea, caramel, and saline. Impeccably balanced, vibrant acidity, and zippy finish. Greg Brewer is one of the most talented, down to earth, interesting winemakers I've met, and this 2021 Chardonnay is a testament to his talent and consistency.
2018 Vivo Carneros Chardonnay
By: Carlo Delgado | Review Date: 9/20/2023 | Send Email
By: Carlo Delgado | Review Date: 9/20/2023 | Send Email
Heavy aroma of ripe yellow apples, bruised apricot, carambola, meyer lemon, orange blossom, and chamomile tea. On the palate, beautiful salinity, sliced almonds, pickled ginger, and bruised yellow pear. The delicious slightly oxidative flavors, and complexity this wine has developed, makes it one of the most enchanting, unique bottle Chardonnay I've had recently.
2017 Tobias Glen Vineyard "Jinsei" Russian River Valley Pinot Noir
By: Carlo Delgado | Review Date: 9/20/2023 | Send Email
By: Carlo Delgado | Review Date: 9/20/2023 | Send Email
Fruits for this Pinot Noir comes from the estate vineyard "Tobias Glen" within Russian River Valley, and was crafted by Stéphane Vivier, a Burgundy native who is behind Vivier Wines. Fresh nose of plums, red cherries, dragonfruit, pomegranate, clove, cinnamon, and hint of cola. Light, airy on the palate, plenty of refreshing acidity, with delicious notes of crunchy red fruits, baking spices, and savory dried herbs on the spicy finish. "Jinsei" meaning "life" in Japanese is a great name for this wine, as it kept it's freshness, and youth even after six years in the bottle.
2018 Bohème "Occidental Hills" Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir
By: Ryan Woodhouse | Review Date: 9/20/2023 | Send Email
By: Ryan Woodhouse | Review Date: 9/20/2023 | Send Email
Kurt Bieler's Bohème winery will celebrate it's 20th harvest next year, and his wines have become some of the most highly regarded in the region. The focus is on Pinot Noir from the far coastal growing region around the town of Occidental. This area represents the very edge of viability for growing grapes. The very cool temperatures and relentless fog means vineyards have to be tended with great care and patience to coax the grapes through the very long growing season. The results however make all that dedication and meticulous farming well worth it! This sub-region is producing the some of the very finest Pinot Noir on the planet. Bohème's Occidental Hills bottling combines select barrels from three estate vineyards in the area: Stuller, English Hill and Taylor Ridge. All are within 10 miles of the ocean, Taylor Ridge only 4 miles from the coast! A mix of clones both Dijon and heritage selections like Calera and Swan, all conspire to make this one fascinating bottle. The nose is alive with coastal forest, rose petal, crushed black raspberry, clove and agar wood. The palate beautifully combines a nice array of dark red fruits, brambly elements, olallieberry, baking spice, woodsy tones, and freshly turned earth. Great fruit concentration but without overpowering some of the more complex savory elements that make Pinot Noir from the region so compelling. With a few years of bottle age this beauty is ready to drink tonight, but with its natural intensity of flavor and vibrant acidity I'm sure it will continue to perform for 5-10 years with ease. A last of vintage deal means we are bringing this wine to you at a truly special price some 50% off the original SRP.
Top Value!
Fallet-Dart Brut Rosé Champagne
By: Alex Schroeder | Review Date: 9/18/2023 | Send Email
By: Alex Schroeder | Review Date: 9/18/2023 | Send Email
This Marne rosé is the rich delicious result of the maceration method, where the skins of Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier are left in contact with the wine for two days, giving it its rich pink color and round texture. The flavor profile is a great combination of bright red fruit with darker herbal elements, toast and minerals for a very complete and satisfying rosé experience.
Price:
$34.99
Laurent-Perrier "Grand Siècle" Iteration #26 Brut Champagne
By: Alex Schroeder | Review Date: 9/18/2023 | Send Email
By: Alex Schroeder | Review Date: 9/18/2023 | Send Email
Being made from some of the best vintages of this millenium (2012, 2008 and 2007), this iteration of Grand Siecle was always destined for greatness. But tasting it, just wow! It has so much depth and complexity, richness and freshness. It is loaded with subtle flavors of stone fruits and citrus, toasty lees, candied ginger and nuts with a hint of matchstick smoke. The longer it's open the more flavors explode out of the glass. On the palate, the richness is buoyed by precision, fine bead from resting on the lees for such a long time, and a nearly eternal finish.
Nicolas Maillart Grand Cru Brut Rosé Champagne
By: Alex Schroeder | Review Date: 9/18/2023 | Send Email
By: Alex Schroeder | Review Date: 9/18/2023 | Send Email
If you enjoyed the great wines of Pierre Paillard in the past, this is a must-have rose from the same village, yet is made with entirely organic, entirely barrel fermented fruit to boot. The quality is unmistakable with really nice red cherry and strawberry fruit, delicate toast and minerals with a touch of spice for added complexity. The profile is powerful and complex but somehow also light and easy to drink with a precise and long finish.
Price:
$49.99
Didier Lapie Blanc de Noirs Brut Champagne
By: Alex Schroeder | Review Date: 9/18/2023 | Send Email
By: Alex Schroeder | Review Date: 9/18/2023 | Send Email
If you are a champagne enthusiast looking for something slightly off the beaten path, you should try this. It is made from 100% Meunier (not from the Marne Valley but the Montagne de Reims!) and is full of beautiful, rich tropical fruits and spice on the nose with a pure clean fruit profile and chalky minerals. The finish is so long! The quality here for under $30 is quite impressive.
Price:
$29.99
Gosset "Grande Réserve" Brut Champagne
By: Alex Schroeder | Review Date: 9/18/2023 | Send Email
By: Alex Schroeder | Review Date: 9/18/2023 | Send Email
This is a Grand Marque that you can count on every time for meticulous quality that has remained steadfast through the years (centuries, actually). It has an expressively rich profile of pear, lychee, golden apple and Meyer lemon with toast from an impressive five years on the lees, yet it remains so bright and easy with silky bead and great minerals and a crisp, acid-driven-yet-balanced finish
Egrot Brut Champagne
By: Alex Schroeder | Review Date: 9/18/2023 | Send Email
By: Alex Schroeder | Review Date: 9/18/2023 | Send Email
Champagne Egrot (prounounced Eh-grow) falls in the same company as Bonville and Launois in terms of value for money. 80% Grand Cru Pinot Noir from Ay, 20% Premier Cru Chardonnay from the Premier Cru of Louvois, aged on the lees well over half a decade. For under $35. Proprietors Elisabeth (Henri Goutorbe’s granddaughter) and Jean-Marie Egrot have a long history in Champagne, and the pedigree shows in the bottle. Precision, richness, freshness, depth, and length are all on full display. A subtle toast quality perfectly underlines rich pear, Bing cherry and apple notes, with vibrant minerals and crisp acidity. Champagne enthusiasts rejoice!
Price:
$34.99
A.D. Coutelas "Cuvée 1809" Brut Champagne
By: Alex Schroeder | Review Date: 9/18/2023 | Send Email
By: Alex Schroeder | Review Date: 9/18/2023 | Send Email
Incredible quality and quite the bargain for a prestige cuvée, Coutelas' "Cuvée 1809" is entirely barrel fermented and aged for an exceptionally long 8 years on its lees. The flavor profile is complex, intriguing and delicious: white flowers, lychee/citrus fruit, honey and almonds with delicate sourdough toast and minerals. The richness is totally balanced by freshness and a long, crisp finish, making this difficult to keep a group from emptying the bottle in quick fashion.
2015 A.D. Coutelas Brut Champagne
By: Alex Schroeder | Review Date: 9/18/2023 | Send Email
By: Alex Schroeder | Review Date: 9/18/2023 | Send Email
This is a vintage champagne from one of our portfolio's best producers (which you know if you've had the "Cuvee Louis Victor") and from a critically lauded vintage. It is half Chardonnay, half Pinot Noir, entirely from estate owned premier cru vineyards. It has a rich profile of citrus, melon, golden apple, honey and almond, lifted by great minerality and an impressively long, acid-driven finish.
Price:
$54.99
A.D. Coutelas "Cuvée Eloge" Blanc de Blancs Brut Champagne
By: Alex Schroeder | Review Date: 9/18/2023 | Send Email
By: Alex Schroeder | Review Date: 9/18/2023 | Send Email
When I tried this the other night, my company and I were genuinely stunned by how good it was. This Premier Cru blanc de blanc pours a deep golden color, has rich fruit with honey, acacia blossom, lemon meringue, and a beautiful leesy toastiness. The texture is velvety and creamy, with fine bubbles and a nearly eternal finish.
Price:
$39.99