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.

Clyde Beffa: An Icon of the Wine World

It’s simply beyond me to imagine the number of amazing bottles that have found their way onto tables or into cellars because of Clyde Beffa’s passion for wine and the people behind it. But Clyde’s story is only partly about the wines themselves—his leadership, impact on those around him, and the excitement he brings to the world of fine wine are qualities for which we are all grateful.

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.

Rocking New Châteauneuf-du-Pape Releases from Château Gigognan

The 2016 vintage wine was already in bottle by my visit and had been resting at least a year. It was deep, rich, filled with fruit yet maintaining an elegance that really spoke to me. That was the moment that I decided we had to have these wines for our customers. And, several hundred cases later, this wine has become one of K&L’s most successful Châteauneuf-du-Papes to date.

Dynamic Domestic Wines: New Discoveries and Inspiration

The endless diversity and discovery of domestic wine are on full display in today’s buying guide. Leading the way is the vintage that almost wasn’t but has become one of our absolute favorites: 2022 in Oregon. We’ve also consulted our domestic wine experts in each store to share their favorite picks. Next, we highlight STiRM, showcasing stunning expressions of a minimalist approach at remarkable prices. We’re also ready to take non-alcoholic wines seriously, as evidenced by the offerings from Kally. Rounding out the guide is a review of our most exciting Insider's Advantage opportunities, featuring some of the fine wine market's best deals in the domestic category.

Kally: Taking Non Alcoholic “Wines” to the Next Level

Enter Kally—which, up until now, is by far and away the best non-alcoholic, wine-alternative product I have tasted. All of Kally’s “wines” are based around pure verjus made from early-picked, organic grapes. The freshly pressed juice is not fermented, so it never has any alcohol. The straight Verjus Sparkler, the Golden Sparkler and the Rosé Sparkler are all made from a base of organically and biodynamically grown Sonoma County Chardonnay juice. In the Golden Sparkler and the Rosé small amounts of organic botanicals, fruit juices, and decaffeinated green tea is added for flavor, color, and textural elements. The beverage is then force carbonated and packaged in very sophisticated Champagne-like bottles. The “wines” have the perfect combination of juicy, bright acidity, deliciously pure fruits, floral hints, even minerality like you might find in a true wine. They have a very festive, celebratory feel. They taste fantastic and leave your palate super clean and refreshed.

Oregon’s Brilliant 2022 Vintage: The Harvest That Almost Wasn’t!

The wines from the 2022 season are fantastic across the board. The fruit profiles are pure, expressive, rich, and vibrant. There’s plenty of freshness and definition to the wines. The delayed harvest meant, despite the warm weather that persisted into October, the shorter days and longer, cooler nights at that time in the season allowed beautiful acid retention to balance the ripe fruit. The critical acclaim for the vintage bears witness to this; every report published has been bristling with huge scores and glowing praise for the wines. They’re easy to love, supremely accessible, flavorful, and energetic. I’m thrilled to have such a fantastic array of these 2022 wines in stock right now.

K&L Wine Merchants

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