Going Back to the Classics in Italy: Tuscany and Piedmont

Every time I write an introduction for one of these newsletters I feel a great weight, like all of Italy is depending on me to explain their wines, because a lot of the wines do take some explaining! Italy’s bountiful wine culture produces a plethora of styles from hundreds of unique varieties—it’s really complicated. It’s not just grape varieties that contribute to the intricacy of the wine culture; it’s the varied terrain of mountains, valleys, cliffs, plus a myriad of different trellising methods—and then there’s diverse winemaking methods such drying the grapes as well. But this month I’ll be talking about Italy’s bread and butter—or maybe focaccia and olive oil—with a focus on Piedmont and Tuscany, new and old.

Our Comprehensive Guide to Bordeaux's 2022 Vintage

Today's Newsletter is our long-awaited, comprehensive report on all things Bordeaux 2022 En Primeur. After a whirlwind trip to the region in April, our team returned full of enthusiasm and insight for what can only be described as an unprecedented modern vintage. While the growing season was not without its challenges, numerous properties crafted renditions that will rank with their very best, and while prices are undeniably up from 2021, there are still remarkable values to be had when you know where to look. As with any potentially great vintage, the hype and hyperbole must be put into proper context to help our customers make their very best buying decisions—this year's En Primeur newsletter does just that. Please note - these wines are all being offered on a pre-arrival / futures basis.

A Special Party for a Special Wine: 2015 Cristal

This past Sunday, Cinnamon and I were invited to the pre-release party of the 2015 Louis Roederer "Cristal" Brut Champagne by Jean-Baptiste-Lecaillon, the chef de cave of Champagne Louis Roederer. He was there with Johann Merle, his vineyard manager, whom we were lucky enough to sit with, and the rest of his team. The wine is available for pre-sale now, but won’t arrive until the week of the 19th.

New Stars and Epic Favorites from Australia, New Zealand, South Africa

Today’s Wine News takes us on a tour of the most exciting producers in Australia, New Zealand, South Africa. Led by Buyer Thomas Smith, you’ll discover new takes on classic varieties and the winemakers who are making the magic happen.

Billecart-Salmon’s Clos Saint Hilaire and More

Last week I had the chance to visit one of the most hallowed pieces of ground in the Champagne region, the great Clos Saint Hilaire in Mareuil, at the center of the Billecart-Salmon property there. This vineyard, entirely planted to an old massal selection of Pinot Noir in 1964, makes one of the most profound Blanc de Noirs in the whole appellation. Over the last few years, the Billecart family has put in a huge effort to improve the vineyard, by adding hundreds of different plants along the border of wall, creating bird houses, insect hotels, two small ponds for frogs, and even adding beehives. This new biodynamic approach will encourage ladybugs to eat aphids, birds to eat caterpillars, and, in the end, a healthier vineyard. It is an amazing project to see.

The Sweet Fallacy: How To Buy Wine Like A Pro

Wine shopping can sometimes be an overwhelming and complicated endeavor for the uninitiated. There are so many different varietals, regions, and styles of wine, it’s easy to walk into even the most well-organized wine shop and feel totally lost. Knowing how to ask for what you’re looking for is half the battle.

Bordeaux En Primeur: Yielding to Merlot

Yields are down. A common colloquialism among many in the supply side of the wine world. Since wine crops are so measurable, it is not just out there to garner sympathy—it is usually a meaningful component to quality of a vintage and the marketplace for the wine. But low yields are a symptom that can be ascribed to many different issues, good and bad. We take a look at what it means for the 2022 vintage.

2022 Bordeaux En Primeur: Some Very Good Wines, Not Yet a Great Vintage

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.

2022 Bordeaux En Primeur: Rule #1 - Don't Start with Conclusions

This year, we started our visits with the infamous Bill Blatch, a fount of knowledge who tasted us on Sauternes, but is as well-versed in Bordeaux as anybody you’d meet. When asked about the vintage for sweet wines, his answer was very refreshing and grounding. Instead of reaching for superlatives and quotables, he produced a series of charts that showed the weather conditions in the region for every single day. We asked for conclusions. Instead, he gave us information, paired it perfectly with the wines, and set us down our own paths.

A Quick Pre-Primeur Look at the 2022 Bordeaux Vintage

The 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.

Spanish Newsletter: Rediscover This Dynamic Wine Region

Indigenous grapes, old-vine vineyards, organic farming, fresh new talent, and diverse terroir: this is the new Spain. If you haven’t revisited the Spanish wine aisle in awhile, you’ll be amazed at all the fresh energy pouring out of the country in vinous form. Let Spain Wine Buyer Kirk Walker take you on a tour of his favorite spots and producers in today’s newsletter.

Krug x Lemon

Every year, Champagne Krug decides on a single ingredient to inspire top chefs and home cooks a like. This year, that ingredient is the lemon, a fruit that my wife Cinnamon is obsessed with. We decided on a variation of one of my mother’s signature dishes, lemon chicken. But instead of the regular Western presentation with sides, we decided to do it as a Japanese style chicken katsu bowl.

K&L Wine Merchants

www.klwines.com