Here at K&L we've long been huge fans of Ian Brand's wines. Right after I took the reins of the Domestic wine department in 2018, Ian was recognized by the San Francisco Chronicle as their Winemaker of the Year. This award shone a bright light on wines that were already considered “insider” here at K&L. In the years since, Ian has been generous enough to host our sales team on several occasions both at his winery in Salinas and at several vineyards from which he sources fruit.
Read MoreWhile the 2024 Bordeaux vintage had its challenges, we went to taste and are excited to share our annual vintage report. The '24s reflect both the difficulties of the year and today’s complex market, but beyond that, we truly believe it’s a great time to rediscover Bordeaux—or find new favorites. Several recently arrived containers have brought in some of the region’s top values and collectibles, and overall quality has never been more consistent. There’s a wealth of world-class wines under $50, each showing remarkable character and a strong sense of place.
Read MoreIt is an incredibly rare privilege to learn from Frédéric Rouzaud, the seventh generation of the Roederer family to run Champagne Louis Roederer. Yesterday, at Selby’s restaurant—the Michelin one-star restaurant that we share a wall with here in Redwood City—Lilia, Cinnamon, and I were treated to an incredible masterclass led by Mr. Rouzaud in person. The lineup of wines, the pairing with caviar and oysters, and his unique insights into his family’s Champagne made for a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Read MoreThe Kyoto Distillery isn’t just the birthplace of Japanese craft gin—it’s the beating heart of a new spirits movement. Founded by Marcin Miller, David Croll, and Noriko Kakuda Croll, this pioneering distillery blends deep roots in the whisky world with an adventurous spirit and a love for Kyoto’s timeless culture.
Read MoreLet’s be honest—Dad’s going to tell you he doesn’t want anything. What he really means is: “Don’t make me decide.” Forget grill gadgets, novelty socks, or golf lessons. What he actually wants is something that belongs on the top shelf of his bar.
That’s where we come in.
We’ve pulled together a list of the most exciting bottles in the world—many of which are exclusive to us. Whether he’s a bourbon nerd, a mezcal-sipping surfer, or the dad who already has everything, we’ve got the perfect bottle for him at a price that can’t be beat.
Sometimes a Champagne can be just too delicious. It seems crazy, but the 2015 Billecart-Salmon Rosé Champagne $119.99, at first destined to become a Cuvée Elisabeth, the pinnacle of rosé mastery at Champagne Billecart-Salmon, was declassified for just this reason. Mathieu Roland-Billecart, the seventh-generation CEO of this great house, explained that this 2015 will not last two more generations, so he made the difficult decision to sell it as Le Rosé after blending it and bottling it with the original intention of making it an Elisabeth, their top-of-the-line rosé. If you are looking for a profoundly great wine to drink tonight or over the next 10 years, look no further, this is the kind of deal that comes along rarely in the realm of truly top-end luxury cuvées.
Read MoreWe have such an incredibly diverse set of offerings in this auction, but as we were putting it together there were some bottles that stood out–sometimes because of what was in the bottle, and sometimes because what was outside the bottle! Here is our top 10 list, in no particular order (and apologies to the other 300+ bottles that didn’t make this list).
Read MoreThere is a lot to say about this small producer. It is the definition of eclectic and out of the ordinary; the wines are usually hard to find, and, in fact, they are regularly kind of smuggled into the U.S. The winery doesn’t have a ordinary distribution network like the rest of the producers that you see on the shelves in the U.S. Rather, Flavio Roddolo avoids trends and stays isolated in his dedication to vine cultivation in his homeland of Monforte D’Alba. He farms, he ferments, he bottles—he does everything himself. The production is tiny, tiny—they are even hard to find if you ever go in the Langhe. No marketing, no consultants, no shortcuts. His approach involves time along with traditional methods—that is it.
Read MoreDuring the last hundred years the Quintarelli family has established its reputation through their estate located on the eastern slope of the Negrar Valley in the middle of Valpolicella. Silvio Quintarelli established the winery in 1924. It was his son, Giuseppe, also known as Bepi, however, who helped the winery achieve worldwide recognition. The winery has maintained its dedication to traditional methods and patient winemaking since Silvio’s era, but Bepi’s influence is incalculable. His manual label writing became an unmistakable signature for the brand, showing what a labor of love each and every bottle is. Combined with his use of ten-year Slavonian-oak barrel aging, Bepi developed a signature Amarone style that established itself as the reference point for many Italian winemakers.
Read MoreMalescot has been wowing clients and critics alike for decades, and for good reason. To me, it strikes the ideal balance between accessibility and seriousness: it’s all too easy to pull the cork now, but patience is richly rewarded. And while the style leans a bit more flamboyant than some of its Margaux peers, the wines are always integrated, thoughtful, and beautifully made.
Read MoreAlsace, Germany, and Austria continue to be some of the most dynamic and rewarding regions in the world of wine—regions that offer not just pedigree and history, but thrilling new releases year after year. What ties them together is a relentless pursuit of precision and purity, whether it’s the mineral drive of Dönnhoff’s 2023 Grosses Gewächs, the sculpted power of FX Pichler’s latest Wachau bottlings, or the quiet excellence of back-vintage Alsatian whites from Trimbach, Hugel, and Charles Baur. These are wines that don’t just deliver in the glass today—they age gracefully, deepen with time, and offer a glimpse into the soul of each region. This collection reflects the kind of craftsmanship that keeps me coming back vintage after vintage, and I’m excited to share it with you.
Read MoreTo me, Alsatian wines feel like a great novel that has been forgotten on a dusty bookshelf for far too long. The novel itself is timeless and perfectly written, yet it has gone overlooked for no particularly good reason, in favor of newer, trendier books. That in a nutshell is a perfect metaphor for the wines from Alsace. These wines are seriously good—and the current releases are easily the best that have ever been made from this region, especially since most of the producers are farming at least organically if not biodynamically. There are so many great producers fashioning world-class wines. Even better: their prices tend to be a mere fraction of what top producers from other wines regions charge. That fact may lead you to think these are not substantial wines, but this would be a mistake. Many of the world’s greatest Riesling, Gewürztraminer, Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, and Sylvaner come from Alsace.
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