Pete took us all around the property. We could see the hills surrounding the vines and their neighbors, Jonata and Beckman vineyards. We could see their plots of new plantings, which are mostly Jura varietals that haven’t been bottled yet. We were able to ask Ruben all the geeky questions of our hearts’ desire about trellising and canopy and the like while getting a good sense of Pete’s vision for the winery. The way that Stolpman approaches their company, with integrity for the people and the vineyards and the vinification—I could see that in every step along the way. And I thoroughly enjoyed the wines.
We recently had the rare treat of having Château de l’Ou’s winemaker/owner Séverine Bourrier here in LA for a whole week. She poured for the staff last Wednesday and for customers on Saturday, then joined us for a staff get together. It was a great chance to really get to know her and her wines, which include some of K&L’s all-time best sellers. It was likewise a chance for our customers to try her wines and get the full story behind each one: vintage, winemaking, you name it. Séverine was so open and friendly that it was easy to spend time with her and learn from her.
Eleonora and her sister, Gloria, represent the fifth generation to take the reins at Barale Fratelli, a Piedmontese winery whose history in the Barolo region runs 150+-years deep. The fact that they are not fratelli at all, but sorelle (sisters), is as important as the fact that they are still making exceptional, traditionally styled Barolo. They uniquely represent the new generation in Barolo: proud women holding leadership roles in what was once a very male-dominated context, but with ties to the past and great respect for tradition. If they are indeed the future of Barolo, then there’s a beautiful symbiosis of past and present in store.
A long grain of rice is about a third of an inch long. To make what is arguably the finest grade of premium sake, daiginjo, you must polish away half of that grain, removing the protein and fats from its outer layer until its starchy core is left. That’s one-sixth of an inch of material left to work with per grain. Needless to say, you need a lot of rice. According to some estimates, it takes about 3.5 pounds to make one liter of sake. This varies wildly, as there are different types of rice and different styles of sake, but at the heart of this Japanese beverage is rice and the act of polishing it. It’s a beverage focused on process.
Under his Alfaro Family Wines label, Alfaro primarily produces estate Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, in addition to small lots of Syrah, Merlot and even a little Grüner Veltliner. His wines are delicate, bright and terroir-expressive; a style Alfaro has developed over time. “We used to do major cold soaks and tried to extract all of these different flavors. Today we tend to go the opposite direction. I’m making better wine by being more gentle with the grapes and trying to let them work on their own,” he explained. The results are pretty astounding. It’s no wonder he has a line out the door of winemakers who want buy his grapes.
There is so much to understand about a glass of wine but learning about the person and story behind it appeals to me as much as what’s in the glass. And winemakers are a passionate, interesting bunch. Their stories are usually full of twists and turns, and, at the very least, a whole lot of heart. Jean Marc Lafage certainly is a winemaker full of heart, though he’s smart and thorough and works as precisely as possible in both the vineyard and the cellar. This week, I had the pleasure of getting to know him.
Quentin Paillard cares about his vines. His family has been growing grapes and making wine in the village of Bouzy since 1799—so it’s fair to say that he’s deeply rooted (pun intended!) in its soil. But upon speaking to him, it’s clear that their soil and their vines are truly the driving force behind the domaine. His passion for the work they do in the vineyards is palpable, and this is indeed the unique advantage of being a grower-producer among Champagne’s many negociants. All their wines are made from this devotedly grown estate fruit, with a heavy emphasis on preserving the character of the vintage, even in their nonvintage offerings. And there’s some alchemy that happens between soil and fruit and year that makes these Pinot-driven wines perennial staff favorites here at K&L.
After travelling to about a dozen palatial estates throughout Napa, the humble and straightforward approach that the brothers apply to their craft was a breath of fresh air to say the least. The 2015 vintage they shared with us was a meticulous expression of their treasured To Kalon parcel - aromatically brilliant, immensely layered and expressive, with each sip seemingly exposing another dimension that was intriguing and compelling. It is a special place, a unique story, and a fantastic wine. It also just happens to be one of modern Napa’s biggest success stories and one of the wines most coveted by collectors these days.
Perhaps this isn’t an obvious comparison to your wine-producing United States of America, but hear me out. As a nation, strong thirst and a stronger currency mean that Switzerland consumes more than twice as much wine as it can produce itself. The vast majority of wine production is consumed domestically, just like in the USA. But with an Old World sensibility, prized terroirs in populated areas of Switzerland mean that if you live in a pricey condo on the sunny bank of Lake Geneva, there might be two rows of Chasselas vines squeezed between you and the bakery next door. So you’re wondering why I taunt you with tales of wines you rarely see back home?
Our Direct Import program is really the backbone of K&L. It’s one of the most significant ways that we are able to bring you wines that we believe in at such great value. Our buyers build relationships with producers all over the wine-growing, wine-loving world. Most of these are small producers whom we only find out about because we have feet on the ground. Our buyers travel and make relationships that connect them to that friend of a friend of a friend who turns out to be making astonishing wine. That’s how we found Jean-Louis Denois 15 years ago.
“Chartreuse, the only liqueur so good they named a color after it.” –Death Proof, script & film by Quentin Tarantino
Conceived 400 years ago as an elixir of long life, I suspect that the mention of Chartreuse in Death Proof is allegorical for the film’s theme of immortality and invulnerability. Having returned to fashion in recent years, this fascinating liqueur drew me on an inconvenient and magnificent side-trip during my recent time in France. In the sub-alpine city of Voiron, the distillery of Chartreuse Diffusion includes the largest liqueur cellar in the world... for now.
K&L is crazy about France any day of the year, but this is a special time. With France doing so well in the World Cup, our love of everything French is reaching a fever pitch. Add on top of that the start of the Tour de France tomorrow and it is almost too much. Luckily, we will be able to let the tricolor fly next Saturday for le quatorze de juillet — Bastille Day. Take a look at some of our favorite French finds from all corners of the country.
