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Staff Favorites - Jeff Garneau
Jeff Garneau
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Jeff has been a member of the sales staff in our Redwood City store for the past four years. His first introduction to wine was as a waiter in an upscale Italian restaurant in Hanover, NH more years ago than he likes to admit. He slowly made his way west to wine country, working his way across the US as a graduate student in geography, a public sector researcher in regional economic development, and briefly, in the wake of the Anderson-Enron scandal, a records management coordinator for one of the remaining Big Five accounting firms. Finally, surrendering to the inevitable, he accepted a position in the wine business here at K&L. His goals for the next four years include drinking more wines from Italy and France and trying to limit the number of open bottles on the dinner table on any given night to fewer than six.
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Reviews
2004 Malescasse, Haut-Médoc
Review Date: 11-17-2017
An historic property ideally situated on gravel soils close to the Gironde River just north of Margaux. The 2004 Chateau Malescasse, Haut-Medoc has continued to mature since I last reviewed it two years ago. Still youthful, yet with a more savory character emerging on the nose and palate. There is admirable weight here, and a rich texture that, combined with the ripe, sweet fruit makes a very favorable impression indeed. There is the barest hint of brett on the finish, a light seasoning that will no doubt please lovers of “classic” claret. Terrific value.
Price:
$24.99
2009 Coufran, Haut-Médoc
Review Date: 08-18-2017
Chateau Coufran lies just north of St-Estèphe in the village of Saint-Seurin-de-Cadourne. There are 76 hectares of vineyards planted entirely on gravel soils close beside the Gironde River. Atypically for a Left Bank property, the grape varieties planted are almost entirely Merlot (85%), earning Coufran the nickname “the Pomerol of the Médoc”. I had the good fortune to taste a barrel sample of the 2009 Coufran at the chateau in 2010. The owner, Eric Miailhe, confided at that time that he considered it the finest wine he had ever made. Now, five years after bottling, the wine truly shows the strength of the outstanding ’09 vintage – very fresh with lively acidity and very fine, but still firm tannins. There is plenty of sweet fruit here with notes of fresh picked blackberry and damson plum. A terrific value from one of the great vintages of the decade.
2016 Léoville-Barton, St-Julien
Review Date: 06-06-2017
Year on year, Leoville Barton continues to deliver wines that are firm, structured, and uncompromisingly tannic in their youth. The 2016 is very much on point with substantial, though very fine, tannins. What is particularly striking is the sheer intensity of the color, from palate-staining purple to nearly inky black. Loads of black fruit here as well. Superbly ripe with notes of fresh blackberry and hints of richer cassis. Like many of the Left Bank wines in 2016, Cabernet Sauvignon very much takes the lead here. Patience will be required but this ought to age magnificently.
2016 Margaux, Margaux
Review Date: 06-06-2017
Commenting on the extreme weather conditions of 2016 – from the heavy spring rains to the late summer drought – the good folks at First Growth Chateau Margaux characterized the year in typically understated fashion as “a singular vintage”. If it was a vintage to test the mettle of vineyard manager and cellar master alike, then Margaux passed with flying colors. This 2016 Margaux, Margaux is very much a wine of the vintage. Notable acidity, very fresh and lively, with a mere 13% alc. Hugely tannic but so very fine it was easy to taste even out of barrel. At 94% of the blend this is a vintage for Cabernet lovers. While yields were slightly up here in 2016, the selection for the Grand Vin was quite strict, a mere 28% of total production, down from 35% the year before. Where 2015 was opulent, the 2016 is precise. This is a sleek greyhound of a wine, a marvel of focused intensity and restrained power, a wine of great finesse and elegance.
2016 Pape Clément, Pessac-Léognan
Review Date: 05-15-2017
One of the great properties in Pessac-Léognan, historic, renowned, a near neighbor of Chateau Haut-Brion. In recent years, the estate has been moving towards a more terroir-driven style, taking full advantage of its exceptional position in the northernmost part of the appellation. The 2016 Pape Clément is a nuanced effort, complex and layered with good concentration and length. Deeply colored, intense. Lovely weight with perfectly ripe, sweet fruit and fine tannins. Deftly seasoned with spicy oak that enhances rather than overwhelms the wine. Very well done.
2016 Montrose, St-Estèphe
Review Date: 05-15-2017
The 2016 Montrose is a marvel—intense, concentrated and brooding. Inky, dark, palate-staining color. Wildly aromatic nose with notes of lavender and oolong tea. A big, powerful wine with perfectly ripe, sweet fruit. Solid, structured, with vibrant acidity and ultra-fine tannins. This is Montrose as it is meant to be, at its very best, a wine of precision and refinement rather than blunt force. Unequivocal quality here. Not to be missed.
2016 Cantemerle, Haut-Médoc
Review Date: 05-11-2017
Chateau Cantemerle was classified a Cinquième Cru in 1855, one of only five chateaus designated “Haut-Médoc” to be awarded cru classé status. With nearly 100 hectares of vineyards it is one of the largest estates on the Left Bank, and all I can say is, thank goodness. Even with yields slightly above average, I worry there won’t be enough of the 2016 vintage to go around. 2016 is a remarkable vintage in many respects, but one of its most compelling features is the tendency to bring out in the very best wines something quintessential, a perfect expression of terroir. I think the 2016 Cantemerle is one such. It brings together all of the best aspects of the vintage – an extraordinary intensity of color, wildly expressive aromatics, lively acidity and very fine tannins. And the fruit? As a child, I used to spend the summers in Maine, and I used to go blackberry picking with my grandmother. She preferred to go early in the morning before it got too hot. The berries would still be cool with a bit of the morning dew still upon them. Even under my grandmother’s watchful eye, not every berry made its way into my pail. I still remember quickly popping them into my mouth and that astonishing all at once burst of tartness and sweetness. Tasting “fresh-picked blackberry” in this wine made me smile with the memory it evoked. And I have no doubt that 2016 will be remembered as one of the great vintages for Cantemerle. 52% Cabernet Sauvignon, 39% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc, 4% Petit Verdot. Tasted twice with consistent notes.
Cappelletti "Sfumato Rabarbaro" Amaro (750ml)
Review Date: 05-03-2017
This wonderful Amaro from Cappelletti is smoky and earthy, sweet and classically bitter. Try it on its own as a digestivo to end a hearty meal or get creative with some of your favorite cocktails. Personally, I am a huge Negroni fan. I have been looking for some time for an Amaro I could pair with Mezcal. As soon as I tasted the Sfumato Rabarbaro Amaro I knew I had found the secret ingredient for my Negroni Sfumato (I thought “Smoke & Mirrors” would be a fun title as well but the rest of the staff seem set on "Smoky Negron"). Try equal parts Sfumato Rabarbaro Amaro from Cappelletti, Cocchi Vermouth di Torino, and your favorite mezcal. I used the Mezcalero "Los Nahuales" Special Edition Sierrudo-Cuishe Mezcal from Los Danzantes. Amazing!
Price:
$21.99
2016 Cos d'Estournel, St-Estèphe
Review Date: 04-25-2017
I have wonderful memories of the great vintages of Cos d’Estournel from the 1980’s. These were some of the wines that shaped my earliest impressions of Bordeaux. Yet, sadly, I feel as though sometime in the past decade or so we sort of lost touch with each other. I remember tasting the 2009 and finding it much riper than I expected, much bigger and grander in style. I thought, well, things change. I silently wished the property well and thought, at least I still have my memories of a shared past, a simpler time. Imagine my joy, then upon tasting the 2016 vintage en primeur. Mon vieux! The unique conditions in 2016 yielded a wine that will rival the great vintages of decades past. This is a wine heavily dominated by Cabernet Sauvignon, which makes up 76% of the blend. It is a miracle of the dry conditions and the very warm days and cool nights of July and August. The wine is deeply colored and intensely aromatic with great presence and persistence. A marvel of perfect ripeness, lively acidity, and very fine tannins, and all with a mere 13% alcohol. Structured, yet refined. Exquisitely balanced. A more definitive expression of terroir I have rarely seen. Classic. A triumph.
Michel Arnould "Réserve" Grand Cru Verzenay Brut Champagne
Review Date: 02-28-2017
One of the remarkable things about our direct import program in Champagne and the many small grower producers with whom we work is the opportunity to taste wines from a specific region of Champagne, wines that reflect the particular terroir of one village or another. Upon first sip, I absolutely fell in love with the wines of Michel Arnould. In places like Verzenay and Bouzy in the Montaigne de Reims, Pinot Noir is king. These are big, bold, black fruited Champagnes that really deserve to be drunk out of a Burgundy glass and paired with a meal. The Michel Arnould Verzenay Reserve Brut Cham[pagne is a great introduction to the region, and a steal at this price.
Price:
$34.99
Luxardo Bianco Bitter Liqueur (750ml)
Review Date: 01-06-2017
Like many cocktail aficionados and lovers of all things Italian, our staff members here at K&L just can’t get enough of the amazing selection of Amaros that David Driscoll has been stocking our shelves with. One of the most exciting recent arrivals is this Bitter Bianco from Luxardo. This is the perfect Campari substitute for making a Negroni Bianco. We have been playing around with different recipes, but my current favorite is equal parts Luxardo Bitter Bianco, Bordiga White Vermouth, and Berry Bros & Rudd "No. 3" London Dry Gin. Shake with ice and serve up in a martini glass with a twist of orange.
Price:
$27.99
2009 Capbern Gasqueton, St-Estèphe
Review Date: 08-17-2016
The 2009 Capbern Gasqueton, St-Estèphe is a veritable showcase for everything that is right about the ’09 vintage – wonderfully fresh and lively with loads of sweet, dark fruit and positively silky, ultrafine tannins. Add to that a hauntingly floral nose with deft touches of toasty, spicy oak that is just damn sexy. No other word for it. What a pleasure to be able to revisit this wine now four years after release! An outstanding value. Delicious to drink now or to cellar for a few years more.
Alexandre Le Brun "Tradition" Brut Champagne
Review Date: 12-31-2015
From one of our newest grower-producers. On the drier side, but with remarkable richness and weight. A light toast complemented by ripe pear and apple notes and a hint of cinnamon spice. A terrific introduction to the wines of this exciting young winemaker.
Price:
$34.99
San Venanzio Fortunato Brut Prosecco di Valdobbiadene Superiore
Review Date: 11-10-2015
While the classic Italian Prosecco is "Extra Dry", with just a touch of sweetness on the finish, this charming sparkling wine from San Venanzio is made in a "Brut" style more familiar to American palates. At a mere 11.5% alcohol and at the very attractive, direct import price of $12.99, it's easy on both your palate and your wallet. Crisp, bone dry, refreshing. Low in alchohol. Low in price. An ideal aperitif you can enjoy every day.
Price:
$15.99
Tozai "Typhoon" Futsu Sake 720ml
Review Date: 12-31-2014
Our best value futsu-shu. Soft, round and fruity. Delicious either chilled or gently warmed.
Price:
$9.99
Ariston Aspasie Blanc de Blancs Brut Champagne
Review Date: 12-31-2014
The current disgorgement of the Ariston Aspasie Blanc de Blancs Brut Champagne is perhaps a little firmer, a little less open knit than previous bottlings. But the tradeoff is more focus, more purity, and more length. Quite dry, but with remarkable sweetness of fruit and a light toast that adds depth and character. The ideal New Year's Eve companion - complex enough to be interesting but not so serious as to dominate the conversation.
Price:
$39.99
Ariston Aspasie Brut Rosé Champagne
Review Date: 11-29-2014
Always my favorite rosé champagne here at K&L. Drank it with Thanksgiving dinner this year. Quite dry with a pronounced red fruit character - crisp red apple and tart cherry. For die hard Pinot fans - 50/50 Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier.
Price:
$39.99
Ariston Aspasie "Réserve" Brut Champagne
Review Date: 09-02-2014
I think the Ariston Aspasie Carte Blanche Brut was one of the first grower-producer Champagnes I ever purchased from K&L. It remains to this day our best value in Champagne, and a superb introduction to the grower producer (RM) Champagnes. If your usual Champagne experience is Veuve Clicquot or Moet & Chandon, you owe it to yourself to try the Carte Blanche from Paul-Vincent Ariston. With roughly equal parts of the three classic Champagne grapes, and a retail price comfortably south of $30, this is a no-brainer. Open a bottle for no reason in the middle of the week. You'll feel like royalty.
Price:
$34.99
2009 Clos du Marquis, St-Julien
Review Date: 10-15-2013
Elegant and intriguing. 2009 is the 'vintage of the second wine.' This is easily one of the best.
2009 Haut-Brion, Pessac-Léognan
Review Date: 09-11-2013
Exceptional concentration and length. Rich, dark fruit, sweet and ripe. Very fine tannins.
2010 Haut-Bailly, Pessac-Léognan
Review Date: 02-04-2013
A veritable maestro of a wine, deftly bringing together all of the powerful, disparate elements of the vintage in perfect harmony to produce a great red. Classic minerality. Ripe, sweet red fruits. Very bright and fresh in character. Terrific length and concentration. A supremely polished effort, and my pick for one of the wines of the vintage.
2010 Smith-Haut-Lafitte Rouge, Pessac-Léognan (1.5L)
Review Date: 02-04-2013
One of the standouts of 2009 with its rich, dark fruit and silky texture. In 2010, it's more, more, more. More ripeness, more richly texture, with more obvious acidity and tannin. Big boned, structured, bright, fresh and very firm.
2010 Smith Haut Lafitte, Pessac-Léognan
Review Date: 02-04-2013
One of the standouts of 2009 with its rich, dark fruit and silky texture. In 2010, it's more, more, more. More ripeness, more richly texture, with more obvious acidity and tannin. Big boned, structured, bright, fresh and very firm.
2010 Domaine de Chevalier Rouge, Pessac-Léognan
Review Date: 02-04-2013
Often overshadowed by the white wine produced here, the red is not to be underestimated. This is serious wine with great potential. Bright red fruits--tart and sweet--ripe, but with lively acidity. Fine weight and length. Firm finish.
2009 Pontet-Canet, Pauillac
Review Date: 03-07-2012
Tart berries and spice. Bright and lively. Superb weight and texture.
2009 Reserve de la Comtesse Lalande, Pauillac
Review Date: 03-05-2012
Very vibrant and fresh. On the nose, red fruits, spice and floral notes. On the palate, sweet red fruits, red currant and cherry. Bright and lively with firm tannins. A version in miniature of the "grand vin", a string quartet to its full orchestra. Delightful.
Launois "Cuvée Réservée" Grand Cru Brut Blanc de Blancs Champagne
Review Date: 12-09-2011
I am embarrassed to admit that before I met Gary Westby, our Champagne buyer, I was not a drinker of Champagne. I probably had had one or two bottles of mediocre, bulk-produced sparkling wine (not Champagne) and dismissed all sparkling wines on that basis. Then Gary introduced me to grower-producer Champagnes like the Launois "Cuvée Reserve" Brut Blanc de Blancs Champagne. The quality--the authenticity--of the wines was a revelation. And the great prices made possible through our direct import program made it impossible not to try as many as I could. If you want to learn about the Côte des Blancs--the home of the finest Chardonnay in Champagne--about Grand Cru sites like Mesnil and Oger, then this is a tutorial in a glass. Fine bead. Clean. Crisp. Wonderfully mineral in its expression, while still rich in texture. Try it on its own as an aperitif or, better yet, with our local Dungeness crab.
Price:
$34.99
2005 Verdignan, Haut-Médoc
Review Date: 10-12-2011
Newly arrived and purchased directly from the chateau. We currently have several vintages of this moderately priced Haut Medoc in stock. This 2005 is one of my favorites. The nose has some lovely floral and spice notes, and a little bit of old school Bordeaux funk no doubt originating from some of the older barrels in the cellar. When first opened some of that character is evident on the palate but quickly dissipates. An hour or so in the decanter brings out the characteristic ’05 fruit – dark, rich and ripe with classic black currant and cassis notes. Great structure here with good acidity and tannins that are initially quite firm. Drinkable now but ought to even better with another 3 to 5 years in the cellar.
Ariston Aspasie "Brut Prestige" Champagne (1.5L)
Review Date: 09-23-2011
One of my favorites among our direct import Champagnes. The ONLY way to enjoy this wine more is to drink it out of magnum. Rich, ripe fruit, classic "toasty" brioche character. I took a bottle this weekend to a large party with many wonderful bottles of wine open for the sampling. My only regret is that I didn't bring TWO magnums; this was one of the first bottles emptied.
Price:
$84.99
Antech Brut Nature Blanquette de Limoux
Review Date: 09-23-2011
The Limoux area of the Languedoc in southern France is the oldest sparkling wine producing region in the world, predating even Champagne. Blanquette is made mostly from the local variety Mauzac, which adds a delightfully crisp, fresh apple quality. The remainder is Chenin Blanc and Chardonnay. Antech's Brut Nature is produced with no added dosage, creating a wine that is super dry, crisp and clean, and bracingly refreshing. Delicious, and a terrific value!
Price:
$14.99
Charles Baur Crémant d'Alsace Brut Rosé
Review Date: 12-31-2010
Gorgeous salmon color! Fresh, ripe strawberry nose. Crisp, dry style. Superb Pinot Noir character. Imported directly from the producer in Alsace, this is one of our best values in sparkling wine under $20.
2003 Potensac, Médoc
Review Date: 02-04-2010
Wow. It took a few minutes in a decanter to settle down and open up, but this is a Bordeaux to please the most hedonistic of palates. It has black fruits, rich cassis, and an incredibly ripe, lush texture, with a light dusting of tannin on the finish. This is textbook 2003 Bordeaux from an historically hot vintage. Unbelievable bargain.
Top Value!
Michel Arnould "La Grande Cuvée" Brut Champagne
Review Date: 10-26-2009
Lovely toast on the nose. Classic pain grille, bright cherry, and hazelnut in the mouth. The ripeness of the fruit is offset by bracing acidity and an intense mineral character. A big, bold wine, this champagne will be the center of attention at any party.
Price:
$39.99