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Staff Favorites - Gary Westby
Gary Westby
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I started at K&L in February of 2000, after 4 years of working down the street for another retailer, and although I take care of the Champagne buying here at K&L, I love to drink wine from all over the world. I prize authenticity in wine, and love representative examples of many different styles, whether it is a spicy dry creek zinfandel or a mineral driven Manzanilla. I almost always drink my wine with food, and am drawn to food wines rather than the softer styles that are good for drinking on their own. My wife Cinnamon and I cook a lot of Italian & French food at home, and my list of wines reflects those food choices. I also love value, at every price point, and can't stand "prestige" labels that under deliver in the bottle. I love honest wines for the table. If you love good wine to go with your good cooking too, I think that by joining my personal Sommelier list you will be treated to a wide variety of wines that represent a strong value for money at what ever price range you feel comfortable with. Give it a try!
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Reviews
Venus Spirits Aquavit Blend #1 (750ml)
Review Date: 02-11-2016
Cinnamon and I tasted through the entire line of products at Venus last week and the biggest surprise was the fabulous Aquavit. I have never had a spirit with such a strong anise component that stayed in such lovely elegant balance before. The high quality black licorice aromas and flavors were a real revelation.
Price:
$32.99
Venus Spirits Batch #1 Gin (750ml)
Review Date: 02-11-2016
The Blend No. 1 gin inspired Cinnamon and I to travel to Santa Cruz to meet the distillers and tour the facility. When I first tasted it in August of 2014 I wrote the following review: “This one is coming home with me! I love it when a local, small production product delivers not just quality, but also excellent value. The wonderful, creamy texture of this gin is balanced by high toned citrus and grounded by clean juniper. I can't wait to get some fever tree tonic, lime and obnoxiously large ice cubes into this... It will be hard just to have one.” This is in the top echelon of gins world wide, and I would put it in on the table next to anything. At the price, it is peerless. If you love gin and haven’t tried it, you are cheating yourself!
Top Value!
Price:
$29.99
2009 Capbern Gasqueton, St-Estèphe
Review Date: 01-12-2016
If you don't think Bordeaux offers a good value, this Capbern Gasqueton is ready to prove you wrong! This 2009 is showing super well right now, and seems to have all of the pieces in place to keep for quite a while should you so choose. It has excellent dark cassis fruit and mocha like aromas on its quite complex nose as well as lovely texture and a medium to full body. This fantastic wine has a lot of fruit, but no heaviness or residual sugar... The hardest thing for me will be keeping my hands off of it now so I can have some for later!
Drink from 2016 to 2016
Michel Arnould Verzenay "Reserve" Brut Champagne Magnum 1.5L
Review Date: 12-29-2015
This is a blend of 75% Pinot Noir and 25% Chardonnay, entirely from estate vineyards in the Grand Cru of Verzenay. It is a great party Champagne, since it is full of flavor yet refreshing and moreish. The hazelnut Pinot character so unique to the village of Verzenay is pronounced in this wine, and many good tasters have mistaken it for barrel-fermented (it is actually all stainless and enamel fermented) when presented the wine blind. The texture is full and the bead is refined -- a Champagne that you will be proud to serve to your guests, or perhaps not too proud to save for yourself! If you have enjoyed the wines of Lallement, Bollinger and Krug in the past, I think you will very much enjoy Michel Arnould. They are bold, masculine Champagnes with plenty of toasty flavor.
Charles de Cazanove Brut Champagne (375ml)
Review Date: 12-29-2015
This Champagne is composed of 60% Pinot Noir, 30% Meunier and 10% Chardonnay. It has a great, open nose of sweet butter and even a touch of orange peel. On the palate it is clean and refreshing. This is a bright, easygoing Champagne for any party!
Price:
$17.99
Charles de Cazanove Brut Rosé Champagne (375ml)
Review Date: 12-22-2015
This round, rich rosé is a real affordable luxury. Composed of 75% Pinot Noir, 15% Meunier and 10% Chardonnay this tasty rosé gets its color from estate-grown Bouzy Rouge. Although thus far off of the radar of wine critics, I think this is the best wine from de Cazanove with its lovely strawberry color and aromas. Full bodied, but also nicely balanced, this wine will make a great aperitif or pair very well with a charcuterie plate or even an after dinner fruit salad.
Billecart-Salmon "Brut Reserve" Champagne (1.5L)
Review Date: 11-19-2015
Champagne is always best out of magnum! Of all the grand marques, no one offers a cleaner, purer example of Champagne fruit and refreshment than Billecart-Salmon. The Billecart family pick earlier than most, and run the coldest, longest fermentations in all of Champagne to deliver their inimitable, graceful house style. If you are looking for the ultimate in balance aperitif Champagne, you have found it!
Krug Brut Rosé Champagne (375ml)
Review Date: 11-19-2015
This blend of great vintages is perhaps the most consistently great pink wine in the world. Effortless, subtle and elegant, this is not a bottle of wine that is ever flashy or showy. Every time I have had it seems to just vanish without refilling the flutes. The refined strawberry notes and haunting Pinot Noir fruit always seem to take a back seat to the company and the conversation when I have drunk it, but the memory of each experience is as vivid as yesterday. Every lover of the good things in life should try this masterpiece at least once. It is the ultimate rosé!
A.D. Coutelas "Cuvée 1809" Brut Champagne
Review Date: 11-05-2015
This stunning all barrel fermented blend of 80% Chardonnay and 20% Pinot Noir has the length and finesse to compete with the finest Champagne in the store. Angelique Coutelas ties the top of every one of the 3000 bottles they produce of this with twine- a rewind to the methods of 200 years ago in Champagne. She is one of only three of four people left in the region that knows the technique and has one of the ancient machines for this process! The Champagne is subtle, compelling and loaded with long mineral driven drive!
A.D. Coutelas Brut Rosé Champagne
Review Date: 11-05-2015
If you like dark, nearly red, full powered roses, you have to try the Amaury Coutelas "Elixr" Brut Rosé Champagne. This is composed of 67% Pinot Noir and 33% Chardonnay but assembled in a completely unique way. Half of the Pinot Noir, sourced from very old vines is macerated into red wine, giving this Champagne strong vinous power and a tremendous amount of savory black cherry fruit. This is a great choice for game birds or turkey. A real powerhouse!
Price:
$34.99
2007 Louis Roederer "Cristal" Brut Champagne
Review Date: 11-04-2015
The 2007 Louis Roederer "Cristal" Brut Champagne is the most electric vintage of this great wine since the 1996. It is composed of 58% Pinot Noir and 42% Chardonnay with 15% fermented in large wood foudres. The 2007 vintage was marked by an almost unprecedented early budding of the vines, and although the rest of the growing season wasn’t particularly hot, the grapes were mature in August! 2007 is the only high acid August harvest in the history of Champagne, but given the march of climate change, certainly not the last. I found this Cristal crackling, vibrant and concentrated, and think it will prove great after another five or so years in the cellar. This is a wine that is all about chalk and precision right now, so if you open one soon, have the oysters ready!
Laurent Perrier "Harmony" Demi-Sec Champagne (375ml)
Review Date: 09-12-2015
This non-vintage Champagne is composed of 45% Chardonnay, 40% Pinot Noir and 15% Meunier and is exactly the same wine as the LP Brut, except for a big increase in dosage. Dosage is the sugar that is added after the yeast left over from the natural secondary fermentation in the bottle is removed. The Brut has about 12 grams per liter, while the demi-sec has 45 grams. This is perfect Champagne to have with dessert and an elegant way to treat a sweet tooth! It is a very toasty style that is sweet without being heavy.
Price:
$29.99
Ragnaud-Sabourin "Fontvieille #35" K&L Exclusive Cognac (750ml)
Review Date: 09-01-2015
Tasting the Fontevieille 35 Cognac from Ragnaud Sabourin made me wish for a big fire, a big chair and a big snifter. This mature, old fashioned Cognac has plenty of the rancio character that the big houses reserve for their blends in fancy bottles at 10x the price. Tasting it today reminded me of many of the dusty old Louis XIII's and Triomphe's that I have been treated to over the years. I found this expansive, deep and complex Cognac worthy of reflection at the end of the evening. It is a very fine value in top class Cognac!
Price:
$169.99
2004 Malescasse, Haut-Médoc
Review Date: 08-05-2015
Why pay $50 for a California Cabernet that has been "engineered" to drink well young when you can spend less than half that for a Bordeaux that has the age it needs to drink now? I just bought a case of this 2004 Malescasse and will start enjoying it right now! This is medium to full bodied, dark cassis fruit driven, richer Cab based Bordeaux that is a perfect partner for your next steak dinner!
Drink from 2015 to 2015
Price:
$24.99
Pascal Lallement "Brut Reserve" Champagne
Review Date: 08-04-2015
This tasty, Pinot Noir driven, grower Champagne comes from the not-often-imported Petite Mountain of Reims. It is an excellent aperitif!
Price:
$39.99
Taittinger "La Française" Brut Champagne
Review Date: 06-23-2015
Taittinger has always been known for the creamy refreshment that the La Francaise has delivered so consistently through the years. If you like a little bit of toast balanced by some citric zing, this high Chardonnay blend is for you!
Veuve Clicquot Brut Champagne (375ml)
Review Date: 06-23-2015
The best-selling Champagne in the USA in a cute little half is a great entry into the wonderful variety of Champagne.
Billecart-Salmon Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru Brut Champagne
Review Date: 06-23-2015
If you like your Champagne clean and refreshing, this is the best bottle that we have for you. Antoine Billecart insists on fermentations that are slow and cold, and the family has developed its own strain of yeast that can work in super low temperatures, resulting in a Champagne that is light as feather and arcs with electric excitement. This wine delivers all of this without any harsh grain, since it has been aged for over sixty months on the lees... A fabulous treat!
Baron-Fuenté "Esprit" Brut Champagne
Review Date: 06-23-2015
The Baron Fuente Esprit gets an amazing five years of ageing on the lees. Not many Champagne houses make a non-vintage wine like this, with such a suave texture from long aging, and none at such a low price. This is elegant Champagne for sure; not at all austere, yet in no way sweet, a balanced and fine aperitif. If you want to find out what expensive tasting Champagne is all about, this is a great bottle to try... And it isn't expensive!
Top Value!
Billecart-Salmon "Brut Réserve" Champagne
Review Date: 06-10-2015
Of all the grand marques, no one offers a cleaner, purer example of Champagne fruit and refreshment than Billecart-Salmon. The Billecart family pick earlier than most, and run the coldest, longest fermentations in all of Champagne to deliver their inimitable, graceful house style. If you are looking for the ultimate in balance aperitif Champagne, you have found it!
Billecart-Salmon "Sous Bois" Brut Champagne
Review Date: 06-02-2015
The current batch of the Sous Bois from Billecart Salmon is based on the spectacular 2008 vintage, and the combination of richness from the all barrel vinification and the extraordinary acidity of the vintage makes for one of the most impressive bottles in their line. If you haven't tried this newest addition to the great line from Billecart, don't miss out, the 2008 based wine is very special!
Château de Bligny "Grand Reserve" Brut Champagne
Review Date: 05-13-2015
This is composed of half each Chardonnay and Pinot Noir and fermented in stainless steel at the Chateau. It is very clean, but not at all austere; in fact it is quite broad and rich ... A real signature Aube characteristic! It has great texture and body focused with very nice Burgundian style minerality. This will make a great aperitif, but also go well with charcuterie or even a cheese course. The Chateau de Bligny is a big property, one of the largest growers in all of Champagne at 75 acres. They also have one of the few Clos Champenois, a walled vineyard of just 2 acres which they bottle separately.
Chateau de Bligny Blanc de Blancs Brut Champagne
Review Date: 04-07-2015
Pure Chardonnay bottlings from the Aube are quite rare. Champagne has a very continental climate, and this is even more pronounced in the Aube making growing the early budding Chardonnay quite difficult. The problem isn’t quality, the limestone and Kimmeridgian soil here give this variety excellent minerality and a ton of character. The problem is survival: late spring frost routinely destroys the harvest in this sub-region as Chardonnay is the first of the region's grape varieties to bud out. Luckily, Bligny has enough to make this excellent blanc de blancs, which has grand cru Chablis scale and very clean earth on the back end. A star wine that I can’t wait to pair with Dungeness crab!
Château de Bligny "Grand Réserve" Brut Rosé Champagne
Review Date: 04-07-2015
This all estate-grown rose is composed of 50% Chardonnay, 35% Pinot Noir that is vinified white and 15% Pinot Noir vinified as red wine or Coteaux Champenois rouge. I love the rose from the Aube department, and if you have been a fan of bottlings from Fleury, Fluteau and the like, you should definitely try this out. This balances wild Pinot Noir red fruit with dry precision and manages to have plenty of personality without losing easy-drinking charm.
Drappier Brut Rosé Champagne
Review Date: 03-06-2015
This all Pinot Noir Champagne is made with a three day long maceration, rather than more common method of adding red wine for color and flavor. It is vinified in only stainless steel vats and moved by gravity to avoid oxygen and preserve freshness, and dosed at a fairly low 7g/l. This Champagne has a wild nose with plenty of black cherry Pinot authority and savor. In the mouth it is spicy, extroverted and fresh.
Thienot Brut Champagne
Review Date: 03-03-2015
I was lucky enough to be invited by Garance Thienot to the Plumed Horse in Saratoga for an incredible Champagne dinner. I hadn't been to this restaurant in more than a decade and the story about it being the biggest fine dining remodel in all of Silicon Valley must be true- it was amazing inside. We started the dinner off with this rich, full bodied, toasty Champagne that still had the snap to make a great aperitif. What a tasty wine!
2000 Krug Brut Champagne (direct from Krug 2023)
Review Date: 03-03-2015
I enjoyed this great vintage Champagne with a very traditional Champagne pairing: pigeon! One of the best local dishes of the Champagne region is pigeon en croute. The rare Paine Farm squab at Quattro restaurant was perfect with this refined powerhouse of a wine. Although the 2000 vintage returned to a Pinot Noir dominated blend, the relative youth of the wine and the fresh character of the vintage brought the Chardonnay to the front. This was the favorite vintage of the group of diners that I enjoyed it with, with electric acidity and chalky length. There is power in this bottle, but it does not have to show it off. The 2000 will evolve for a generation in the cellar, and I can’t wait to revisit it in 2030. A rich game bird needs a lively wine, and why not 2000 Krug!
Drink from 2013 to 2013
Krug "Grande Cuvée" Brut Champagne 375ml
Review Date: 03-03-2015
What indulgence is more romantic than a half bottle of Krug? I can't think of one. This little bottle is assembled from a generation of harvests and has the complexity of great old Champagne while keeping the freshness of a current release. It is the perfect size to enjoy with someone special before (or after!) a nice meal! My favorite memory with a half bottle of Krug Grand Cuvee was with Cinnamon on the train to dinner in the city. Even the conductor was jealous!
Price:
$149.99
Franck Bonville Brut Rosé Champagne
Review Date: 03-03-2015
This elegant, driven Champagne is my top rose for serving as the aperitif. A colleague of mine once bought a case of this for his wife, and half of it was consumed the first night at a quite small dinner party... The Franck Bonville Brut Rose is a little bit too easy to drink! If you want some of the intrigue of Pinot Noir but with the structure of a dry Blanc de Blancs, you have found it!
Price:
$59.99
Bollinger Brut Rosé Champagne
Review Date: 03-03-2015
This spectacular bottle delivers the vinous power that
one would expect from Bollinger, but with elegant
panache. It is one of the best rosés available
at any price.
2000 Cantemerle, Haut-Médoc
Review Date: 02-26-2015
A very nice contribution from Jeff Garneau at our 2000 Bordeaux wine dinner, this wine was more “Margaux” than the Margaux that we drank! It is composed of approximately 60% Cabernet Sauvignon 30% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc and 4% Petite Verdot. It was a beautiful charmer, generously aromatic, strikingly pure and effortlessly natural. This wine had no hard edges at 15 years old, and was very long and lively. Given how well the 1966 showed recently, it should also have a very long life!
Drink from 2015 to 2015
2000 Latour-Martillac, Pessac-Léognan
Review Date: 02-26-2015
From our 2000 Bordeaux dinner. Composed of about 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot and 5% Petite Verdot. I love wines that are easy to drink like this! This graves open and generous and had the virtues of both dark fruit depth and red fruit freshness. The tannins were very nicely evolved and silky, giving the wine a special, supple texture. The finish did not lack for classic Graves minerality and had plenty of clean earth and lengthening acidity. This is great for now, but isn't ticking… It should last very well.
Drink from 2015 to 2015
Veuve Clicquot Brut Champagne
Review Date: 02-24-2015
This is the best selling Champagne in the USA.
Armand de Brignac "Ace of Spades" Brut Champagne
Review Date: 02-24-2015
This Champagne is a sensation in clubs all around the world, and is now owned by Jay Z.
Price:
Hidden
Faultline Blended Scotch Whisky (750ml)
Review Date: 02-20-2015
I usually only like blended Scotch that costs more than the single malts I drink, so this was a revelation. I don't know if it is the hint of high quality peat, the extra concentration and kick from the higher proof, or the lovely sweet malty character of this blend that make it so satisfying. My father has often said that he "likes to drink expensive booze like it was cheap"- if you do too, this is a great scotch for you. It is not expensive- it just tastes like it is! For me it is the best value in Scotch in the store.
Top Value!
Price:
$24.99
Piper-Heidsieck Brut Champagne
Review Date: 02-18-2015
If I were to pick one Grand Marque Champagne house as most improved over the last 10 years, it would certainly be Piper Heidsieck. This clean, refreshing Champagne is sourced from 100 different villages in Champagne and aged for two years on the lees.
Alexandre Le Brun "Passion" Brut Champagne
Review Date: 01-03-2015
Although labeled as non-vintage, this is in fact all 2005, and has been given eight years of ageing time o the lees. This Champagne is composed of half and half Chardonnay and Pinot Noir and tastes much more expensive that it is. If you like creamy, toasty Champagne with depth and richness, this is one of the best that we carry.
Price:
$49.99
Lot 40 Copper Pot Still Canadian Rye Whisky (750ml)
Review Date: 01-15-2014
Great rye whiskey is not easy to come by at any price and great Canadian rye is even harder to find. This Lot 40 is clearly the best rye in the store and one of the best that I have tasted in a decade. With a wonderful bouquet of Christmas spice and a complex array of flavors, this Canadian will please the pickiest of whiskey fans. The fact that it still comes across as easy going and moreish even with the wild rye flavor and layers of complexity made a big impression on me. I will make room in my cabinet!
Michel Arnould Verzenay Extra Brut Champagne
Review Date: 11-09-2013
Last night, Cinnamon and I had such a great experinece with our sushi and Chamapgne that I had to write about it. The Arnould started off on the austere side before the first bite of food, but with the sushi it was magic. It did particularly well with the ultra rich Akasaka roll, providing a clean foil to the deep fried tempura shrimp, eel and avocado bonanza. The fish brought out the hazelnut character that makes Champagne from this north facing cru so special and the completely dry finish refreshed the palate with every sip. This is going to be a repeat bottle with sushi for sure!
Russell's Reserve "Small Batch" 10 Year Old Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey (750ml)
Review Date: 10-29-2013
My Bourbon of choice for sipping after dinner, the 10 Year Old Small Batch from Jimmy Russell is one of the great values in our extensive collection. The high toned savory rye flavors balance the sweetness of the corn to make this one of the most grown up, focused Bourbon's that we have at any price. I am never without a bottle in my liquor cabinet!
Top Value!
Russell's Reserve Single Barrel Kentucky Bourbon (750ml)
Review Date: 10-29-2013
Wow! This cask strength masterpiece has everything I could want in Bourbon. Jimmy Russell has done it again, producing a spirit of balance and complexity without losing the wildness that makes these drinks so exciting. This is packed, concentrated stuff with plenty of sweet corn and savory rye flavors and a finish that goes on forever. What great Bourbon!
Wild Turkey "Kentucky Spirit" Single Barrel Bourbon Whiskey
Review Date: 10-29-2013
The Cognac of Bourbon, this round, mellow, rich Wild Turkey is full of class and elegance. A fabulous sipping whiskey, I found this single barrel to be seamless in every way. If you are looking for a showy, high octane drink this is not it, but if you want something gentlemanly and complex, you have found it!
Price:
$59.99
Wild Turkey 101 Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey (750ml)
Review Date: 10-29-2013
The best value in Bourbon might be the best value in any spirit! If you haven't had this in a while, you owe it to yourself to pick up a bottle, you will not be disappointed. This spicy whiskey has plenty of sweet corn bread aromatics and flavors and a full rich texture. This is my go-to Bourbon for all of my drinks, and great neat as well. Don't count out the kick'n chicken!
Top Value!
1995 Joël Taluau St-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil Vieilles Vignes
Review Date: 09-27-2013
This is a lovely, mature bottle of wine that still has plenty of vivacious refreshment left in it! Cinnamon and I had it last night with French onion soup, and this light bodied, aromatic red was perfect for the bistro fare. The 1995 Joel Taluau is classic St Nicolas De Bourgueil with plenty of green olive and herbs on the nose and great almost carnation-like earthiness in the mouth. The tannin is completely resolved, and the wine finishes fresh!
Price:
$29.99
Vilmart "Cuvée Grand Cellier" Brut Champagne
Review Date: 09-03-2013
This barrel fermented Champagne always satisfies me when I want Champagne that is rich and complex. I love the grand scale of the Grand Cellier, a trait that Vilmart always delivers. I need to drink more of this!
Laurent-Perrier Ultra Brut Champagne
Review Date: 08-17-2013
The ultimate sushi Champagne! The Laurent Perrier Ultra Brut is quite austere Champagne, even though it was aged for over 10 years on the lees, but it comes alive when paired with raw fish. The precision of this wine will thrill you with everything from toro to unagi. Try it out, you won't be disappointed.
Château de Pellehaut "K&L Exclusive - L'Age de Glace" Ténarèze Armagnac (750ml)
Review Date: 07-30-2013
This brand new bottling from Chateau De Pellehaut is guaranteed to get the creative juices flowing of all of our cocktail loving customers. The l'Age Des Glace is a light bodied, very well balanced brandy that I can't wait to get home and use for a French 75. I found it very enjoyable and laid back without it losing its uniquely Armagnac personality. Now I need to make more room in the liquor cabinet!
Price:
$34.99
2009 Clos du Marquis, St-Julien
Review Date: 04-23-2013
The 2009 Clos Du Marquis has the power and authority of a great vintage of Léoville Las Cases and blew me away in last Saturdays tasting. The only thing this wine is missing is maturity- and it everything is in place for this to develop perfectly for many, many years. With a fabulous, cool Cabernet Sauvignon nose and the purest Bordeaux palate impression I can recall in any 2009, this is one of the greats of the vintage. Get some and bury it at the bottom of a stack in your cellar!
Drink from 2019 to 2019
La Cigarrera Manzanilla Sanlucar de Barrameda (375ml)
Review Date: 03-07-2013
Manzanilla Sherry delivers so much pleasure for so little money... With the La Cigarrera Manzanilla Sanlucar De Barrameda it might be too much! Cinnamon and I cracked this little half bottle last night for the aperitif and enjoyed some Marcona almonds with rosemary with it. Before we knew it, that half bottle was in the recycling bin! This bone dry, electric Manzanilla has a nose of marzipan and sea air that took my mind back to Andalusia. This light, delicate bottle was way too easy to drink!
Top Value!
Price:
$18.99
Gonzalez Byass "Matusalem" Oloroso VORS (375ml)
Review Date: 02-26-2013
Cinnamon and I drank this last night with an English cheese course of Stilton, Cotswold and cheddar, reliving our first trip to London together. On that trip, we had made a pilgrimage to Neal's Yard Dairy in the old city and bought a similar cheese course to pair with the very first bottle of Gonzalez Byass Matusalem that we had ever tried. Since then, we have been lucky enough to drink it on many occasions, but last night was one of the best. This sherry has a dark mahogany color and the perfume of a wine of a great age. The rich figgy flavors are countered by cheddar like piquancy that made the pairing perfect. The finish is very focused and driven, with rancio notes as well as pure chalky minerality. This wine is plenty sweet, but I will never tire of it, it is dangerously refreshing!
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