Open Cellar: What’s New for August

Eight exciting new wines will be open and available to taste for the month of August, including the likes of the world’s most epic sweet wine producer, red wine from one of Burgundy’s top Grand Crus, and one of our newest batch of Anonymous wines to taste before you buy. Check out the full line-up at somm.klwines.com or read on for the new list of world-class wines and what will be leaving at the end of July.

2013 Brokenwood "Oakey Creek" Sémillon Hunter Valley New South Wales $29.99 95JH 92JS 92WA There are few wines that excite me more than well-aged Hunter Valley Sémillon. Wild statement, I know, but there is something inherently exciting about taking a grape that no one thinks of as particularly age-worthy, picking it early to ensure acid is high and will build a wine for the long-term, and then cellaring it away for over a decade to let it develop all the textural richness and nutty complexity unique to Sémillon grown in this particular place. I find it utterly compelling. Add to that double 95-point scores, and it makes strong argument to be tasted at $1.25/oz. If I can turn even one person on to this inimitable wine, it will have been worth it.

2020 Louis Roederer Camille "Volibarts" Coteaux Champenois Blanc $179.99 95JS If you’ve shopped at K&L, well, ever, then you’ll know that we love Champagne. Pop into any of our stores, and you’ll find staff willing and eager to delve deep into the lore of small Direct Import growers and big houses alike. It is misfortunate, then, that we cannot offer tastes of Champagne through Open Cellar. Until now, that is—we have gotten our hands on Louis Roederer’s very rare still Champagne or, more precisely, Coteaux Champenois. 100% Chardonnay from a tiny 1.36-acre plot in Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, the wine is aged on lees for 16 months in a mixture of new French oak (28%), stainless steel (28%), and sandstone eggs (44%). If you’ve ever wondered what Champagne would taste like if it was never put through secondary fermentation, this is your chance to find out!

2019 Livio Sassetti "Pertimali" Brunello di Montalcino $77.99 95JS 95VN 95WS One of the most asked-about regions in Italy is Tuscany’s Brunello di Montalcino, and for good reason. The wines offer depth and complexity with potential for graceful aging. And price tags that frequently fall into the sub-$100 range, these wines are perfect for gifting and even better for cellaring. The hold up is that many of these wines require quite a bit of time in bottle before they really hit their stride, making the prospect of recommending a Brunello to be had with braised short rib or roast lamb over the weekend a touch tricky. Not everyone has the time to decant their wine for three hours, and, as such, the search for ready-to-drink Brunello can be an ongoing one. Aged examples can be tough to come by and expensive, which is why we jumped for joy after trying this terrific 2019 release from Livio Sassetti. Soft and savory, with lots of spice, fresh herbs, crushed flowers, and dark fruit, this is one for drinking or cellaring. Don’t believe us? Come taste.

2003 Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape $119.99 95WE Few wineries in the Rhône carry the weighty reputation of Château de Beaucastel. Dating back to 1594, Beaucastel has built a reputation on quality and history alike, and the opportunity to see for yourself what that reputation is all about through a taste of a 22-year-old bottle of their Châteauneuf-du-Pape is a rare experience indeed. We only have a few bottles of this well aged beauty, so try it before it’s gone!

2019 La Réserve de Léoville-Barton, St-Julien $34.99 92DC 92JA I’ve been beating the drum for the quality of this second wine from the famed Château Leoville-Barton for years now, and I will continue to do so for as long as these wines continue to absolutely blow me away. Second wine it may be, but the La Réserve de Léoville outperforms just about any Bordeaux blend from anywhere in the world at a similar price point. Mostly Cabernet Sauvignon with nearly a quarter Merlot and a touch of Cab Franc, this wine is crafted from vines too young to go into the first wine but will all the care and winemaking expertise as the famous Second Growth’s first wine.

2023 Anonymous Wine Collective "Hillside Block 92" Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon $49.95 Anonymous is back! There isn’t much I can say about this wine that hasn’t already been said in an email blast, blog post, or in my colleagues’ reviews except that I, too, am incredibly excited by this second batch of Anonymous wines. Many of our customers have come through the doors to buy a bottle to taste before they decide how much more to buy, and so we wanted to make your lives a bit easier by making it available to taste in each location. Come see what all the hype is about. We’re sure you’ll leave as excited as we are.

2020 Vincent Girardin Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru $329.99 Charmes-Chambertin is one of my absolute favorite Grand Cru Burgundy appellations, which is a statement I never expected to be able to make. I certainly wouldn’t have had I not found my way to K&L, where I’ve had the opportunity to try so many world-class wines and decide which of Burgundy’s absolute best vineyards is my personal favorite. It rubs me the wrong way that these wines have become so cost-prohibitive that increasingly few people can make a statement such as this. So, grab your notebook, ready your palate, and come on in to decide for yourself.

2003 Château d'Yquem, Sauternes $359.99 98JS 97WS 96TWI Perhaps the most famous sweet wine producer in the world, Château d'Yquem is unparalleled in quality and a wine that truly needs to be tried to be believed. The only Premier Cru Supérieur in the 1855 classification, d’Yquem is built on centuries of meticulous craftsmanship and selective harvesting of botrytized grapes, grape by grape, often in up to 13 passes. The result? A wine that’s the pinnacle of balance between lush sweetness and vibrant acidity, and at 22 years of age has developed stunning depth and a finish that feels never-ending. This chance does not come around often.

Last chance on wines leaving at the end of July: