As my colleague Ralph Sands says, right now, this is a vintage with good wines. Whether or not it is a great vintage is still very much up in the air, and tastings will continue to prove it out either way in the coming days. In our first main day of tasting, we visit St-Estephe, the powerhouses of Pauillac, and start into St-Julien.
Read MoreThe 2022 Bordeaux vintage has finally arrived, and the wine world is buzzing with anticipation. This is why we travel to En Primeur - to separate the hype from reality. We’ll report in over the coming weeks and see just how much this is a vintage that will reward the premium prices we expect to see.
Read MoreWhen I heard that K&L Wine Merchant’s co-founder, Clyde Beffa Jr., was hosting a Bordeaux tasting for his birthday at our San Francisco store, I knew it was a can’t-miss opportunity.
Read MoreLast week in the James Barr Tasting Room at K&L in Redwood City, the staff was honored with a visit from Bordeaux, France, from Léa Zuger, fourth-generation owner of one of the top wineries in the Margaux region, Malescot-St-Exupéry. Between the riches of the cellars of Château Malescot and the vast stores of knowledge of K&L owner Clyde Beffa, this was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. The staff tasted ten different vintages of the 3eme Grand Cru Classé château ranging from 2000 to 2019.
Read MoreOn January 27, K&L hosted the Union des Grands Crus of Bordeaux tasting in San Francisco at City View Metreon, whereover 80 châteaux send winemakers, owners, and representatives to pour their current releases and discuss the vintage. We’ve had the honor of being the Bay Area host since the 2005 vintage, and our 15th event brought us the 2020s.
Read MoreValentine’s Day is around the corner, and our San Francisco team has got you covered. They’ve picked their favorite bottles for romancing yoru sweethearts! Whether you’re hitting the town in your finery or cozying up with Netflix, there’s a beverage for you in this list!
Read MoreToday's Newsletter rings in 2023 with our first and best love—Bordeaux. As our team gears up for their annual trip this spring, we're highlighting some of our top performers and personal favorites that came our way in 2022 and looking ahead to what the coming year will bring from the world's most famous wine region.
Read MoreToday's Newsletter is the final installment of 2022, and we're ringing out the year with a bang. Our buyers have all pitched in to compile a wide-ranging selection of holiday winners for every palate, price tier, and festive occasion. Without further ado, we'd like to wish you Happy Holidays and all the best over the next few weeks and into the New Year.
Read MoreToday's Newsletter spans the length and breadth of the world's greatest wine region (and the foundation of K&L's business) with a stellar run of hand-picked favorites from our intrepid Bordeaux team, followed by recaps of the back-to-back outstanding 2019 and 2020 vintages.
Read MoreNow back home, Ryan Moses reflects on the recent en primeur Bordeaux trip and the daunting question… “What was the wine of the trip?”
Read MoreToday was the first major tasting day in Bordeaux for the K&L team, and it provided the kind of perspective that adds so much value to this kind of trip. Although Merlot was a big problem in the Right Bank for the ’21s due to mildew and frost, there is a huge variation in how these calamities affected any given winery… it hardly begins to tell the story.
Read MoreLast week, the wine world lost one of its giants: Anthony Barton had shepherded the estates of Léoville-Barton and Langoa-Barton into legendary status, and was often called the “gentleman of Bordeaux” for his charm and humor. He was well known for being an entertaining racontuer and was a dear friend to K&L. In today’s blog, some of our Bordeaux staff pay tribute to this great man.
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