Palate Shockers

In the thousands of wines we taste at K&L each year, it is often the most strange, wildly different wines that are the most talked about... Regardless of whether you think the wine tastes good or not, they are so radically different that they always tend to inspire heated discussions and end up stealing the spotlight. So I reached out to our buying staff to compile a list of wines that will shake up your palate. If you find yourself in need of a bottle to change up your wine routine, argue over, or just explore somewhere new, check out this list.

A Perennial Favorite: Aspasie Blanc de Blancs Brut Champagne

I have drunk countless bottles, magnums and even a few halves of the Ariston Aspasie Blanc de Blancs. I am confident that it is the Champagne that I have consumed more of than any other over the course of my life, and I wouldn’t put back a single drop.

Benvenuto to Our Excellent Stash of Brunello

Today’s newsletter is an ode to a region that lies in the heart of Italy, a place that earned our Italian buyer Greg St. Clair the unofficial title of Mayor of Montalcino: Tuscany. Home of Dante, villas on rolling hills, and Greg’s favorite grape (Sangiovese!), it is also home to one of the world’s most undeniably special wines, Brunello di Montalcino, which, in a superior vintage like 2015, reaches the greatest heights Sangiovese can offer.

Ata Rangi: Grand Cru of New Zealand Now Exclusively at K&L

We have big news for fans of New Zealand Pinot Noir: K&L is now the exclusive importer of Ata Rangi, one of the most well-renowned producers of Pinot in the country. For over 40 years, Clive Paton and his family have been making exceptional wines, earning official status as Grand Cru of New Zealand. We are proud that they’ve chosen us to be their exclusive retailer in the U.S., and we can’t wait to share these beautiful wines with you.

Under-the-Radar Tête de Cuvée from Drappier

Cinnamon and I try to make every Sunday special as it is our one day off together, and this week she treated us to a special Dungeness crab dip for our aperitif. To go with it, I opened perhaps the most “under the radar” of all the great houses’ tête de cuvée bottlings, the 2010 Drappier "Grande Sendrée" Brut Champagne. It was a great reminder of the incredible depth and pleasure that this single-vineyard Champagne has to offer and went fabulously with the crab dip.

The Depth and Diversity of Spanish Wine

In this week’s newsletter, our Iberian Buyer Kirk Walker wants to encourage you to consider the “B-sides” to Spanish greatest hit wines; let’s talk focused, high-acid Alvarinho from neighboring Portugal; let’s talk Monastrell that thrives in the chalky soils of Spain’s southeastern Murcia region; and let’s talk texturally-aromatic beauties made from Garnacha Blanca in Catalonia. There’s such a wealth of wonderful wines from the Iberian Peninsula that we have a feeling you’ll be playing many of these on repeat.

Krug x Onions

Every year, Champagne Krug selects an ingredient to pair with their wines. This year the ingredient is the onion—and I have to admit to already being a convert to this combination—it is a great partner to Krug! Mentioning the word Krug to my wife works magic, and she did not hesitate to volunteer. She made a gorgeous tarte à l'oignon that included leeks and shallot as well as a little Beurre Bordier butter from Brittany. I am a lucky man—all I had to do was open a bottle of Krug "Grande Cuvée" 168 ème Édition Brut Champagne and enjoy!

Wonderful West Coast Wines in Our Domestic Newsletter

As we look to the state of Domestic wines for today’s newsletter, grace is the word on the tips of our tongues. From the vibrant, focused Cabernets coming out of Napa’s excellent 2018 vintage to the seductively aromatic Pinots from Oregon’s Arterberry Maresh, these pages showcase wines that achieve a seamless blend of elegance and self-possession that can only be encapsulated by the word grace. Take a stroll through the wine country of our own backyard and see what these amazing folks have been up to!

2018 St-Julien Sneak Peak

K&L's Team Bordeaux has sampled the 2018 vintage in bottle and their first reports are glowing. In today's blog, they've provided their notes on the exceptional wines from St-Julien, one of the standouts of the vintage. Many of these bottles are available on pre-arrival.

The Best and Brightest from Our Champagne Aisle

So many of the wonderful bottles on our shelves are made by wonderful people, and our relationships are the cornerstone of our business. At this time each year, we normally send our Champagne crew out to visit the cellars and taste vin clair in Champagne, gathering intel and great deals to bring to our customers. Alas, times are different, and we are thinking fondly of those folks (whom we also missed seeing at our annual tent event last year). Next best thing: photos and tasting notes and stories about some of our fave Champagne producers.

Staff-Favorite Launois Special Club Back in Stock with 2013 Vintage

Each time we get a new shipment of Launois it is a cause for a little bit of celebration at K&L—and a lot of employee purchases! This is especially true each time we get a new vintage of their spectacular Special Club bottling, which is always one of the top Champagne cuvées that we have at any price. Last week, our first shipment of the year arrived, and we got our first look at the 2013 Launois “Special Club” Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs Brut. It exceeded our high expectations.

Keeping It Old School with Classic Claret and Steak

While many others have made resolutions to exercise more and diet this January, I have decided to set my sights firmly on routine. I am not going to be skipping my steak and claret on Fridays. It is a big commitment—but I think I am up to the task.

K&L Wine Merchants

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