Inspiring Pre-Arrivals: Bordeaux at Its Best

This curated set highlights some brilliant wines from recent vintages that clearly demonstrate the remarkable collectible value of Bordeaux’s finest. Leading the way is Bellefont-Belcier, recently acquired by the Kwok team and quickly becoming one of the must-visit estates in the region. Occupying enviable terroir in the heart of St-Émilion, Bellefont-Belcier hit a home run with their 2020, a wine that competes with its neighbors at multiples of the price. On the Left Bank, Phélan-Ségur and Marquis d’Alesme are producing their best-ever wines at an impressively reasonable price point.

Introducing Our New Bordeaux Buyer: Ryan Moses

It’s a bit of a fool’s errand to try to follow in Clyde’s footsteps. But my years working with him have inspired me to realize that the biggest challenges are often the most worthwhile. I’ve also been fortunate to learn from Clyde how to run a rewarding and compelling Bordeaux program, and my main goal is to continue that legacy, ensuring that the remarkable depth and selection at K&L remain fundamental to our organization’s future.

Big News from a Beacon in the Bordeaux Biz

I don't know where to start, but I will be brief here as I am sure there are a lot of great Bordeaux wines to get to in this newsletter. As some of you already know, I have retired from K&L after starting it with my partner Todd on December 31, 1976!

Bordeaux, France, Wine NewsletterClyde Beffa Jr.October 15, 2024klwines, bordeaux, clyde beffa jr, bordeaux newsletter

Irresistible Rhône: Wines of Character, Depth, and Value

The Rhône Valley embodies so much of what we love about wine. Are you looking for something that is both accessible and delicious? How about a fun and dynamic white wine that consistently overdelivers? Perhaps you seek a special bottle to age gracefully in the cellar, or a wine to build a meal around? The Rhône has an answer for all of the above—and more.

Xavier Vignon's Unique Vision for the Rhône Valley

Xavier Vignon is one of our favorite winemakers in the Rhône. He’s a well-known winemaking consultant who works with other producers around France; but when he sets his skills on his own wine projects, the results are dazzling. He often eschews the norms of the Rhône—for example, he often draws on his experience working in Champagne to employ similar blending techniques to Rhône blends. His are some of the best most intriguing wines on our shelves. Of course, his typical appellation wines are fantastic as well. His Côtes du Rhône, Beaumes-des-Venise, and Lirac wines are always best sellers and offer incredible QPR when they are in-stock.

Mas de Libian's Biodynamic, Chillable Reds from Southern Rhône

Even though they are an historic property, Mas de Libian still falls a little under the radar. For me, though, they check a lot of boxes. They have long practiced organic farming and are now Demeter-certified biodynamic. They make fresh, vibrant wines that are accessible, quaffable, sumptuous, and compelling. It doesn’t hurt that the property’s terroir is a dead ringer for that of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, with its calcareous iron-rich clay soils and galets roulet (the rolled stones) sitting on the surface and radiating warmth back to the vines. With all these pluses, it is hard to believe that not a single one of their delicious wines retails for north of $30!

Domaine des Remiziéres Offers Classic Northern Rhône at Every Day Prices

The Rhône Valley is full of value-driven reds, with my favorites being the Syrah from the north. One standout from our shelves is the lineup from Domaine des Remiziéres, a family winery that has been producing wines and growing grapes for four generations. The estate is now managed by Phillipe Desmeures, his daughter Emilie, and son Christophe. They have expanded to 30 hectares with vineyards in Crozes-Hermitage, St-Joseph, and Hermitage. Emilie now oversees the winemaking with her brother Christophe tending to the vineyards.

An Unprecedented Collection of 1982 First Growths Now at Auction

Today, the last selection from the epic Edgewood Cellar goes live on our action site, and we want to make sure you don’t miss it. For Bordeaux lovers, this is a remarkable opportunity to go deep on the 1982 vintage—the vintage that made Robert Parker famous for his ability to predict runaway successes, in a time when there were far fewer critics and far less information in the field.

Inimitable Wines of Germany, Austria, and Alsace

Endlessly refreshing, complex, and singular, the wines of Germany, Austria, and Alsace are ones that you just want to spend time with. While some fly under the radar, those who follow them almost always become passionate admirers, and the rewarding prices make it all that much easier to find the next gem. Today we're highlighting the dynamic Rieslings of Austria, celebrating two decades of working with Charles Baur, checking in on our favorite Grüners, revisiting the wonderul wines of Max Ferdinand Richer, and even have a few rarities from FX Pichler.

France's Roads Less Traveled

My role at K&L is broad and varied, and while Rhône is my main focus, I'm also your guide along the back roads and byways of France's hidden-gem regions. Today's newsletter features four producers that I've been thrilled to bring into our Direct Import program and introduce to our clientele. Jura, Limoux, and the Roussillon take center stage in a four-stage roadtrip to some of France's most intriguing discoveries.

A Week with Roussillon Winemaker Séverine Bourrier

This past week we had the pleasure of welcoming Séverine Bourrier from Château de l’Ou to all of K&L’s store locations. Château de L’Ou is based in the Roussillon, the French Catalan region that borders Spain on the Mediterranean side of France. Séverine’s wines are singular expressions of Syrah and Grenache that are reference points for this region.

Rich, Luscious Roussillon from Mas Karolina

When I visited Caroline Bonville of Mas Karolina this spring, it had been several years since we’d seen each other. Hers were some of the first wines I brought in when I took over the French Regional category for K&L. They were brought to our attention originally by Olivier Bonville, her cousin and a legendary winemaker in our Direct Import Champagne program. You might know him by his winery’s name—Franck Bonville—one of our longest-running relationships in Champagne. Olivier threw a mixed case of samples on a Champagne pallet headed our way, and, as soon as I tasted them, I reached out to Caroline. It is hard to believe that it has been nearly a decade since I tasted those first wines.

K&L Wine Merchants

www.klwines.com