Try Before You Buy: Thanksgiving Hits in Our Open Cellar Machines
November Open Cellar at K&L
Eight new wines are hitting the Open Cellar machines, and they couldn’t be better timed for the season. Think textural whites for crisp evenings, generous reds for hearty meals, and a few aged treasures ready to steal the show at your Thanksgiving table. Come taste them at any of our stores and find your next favorite bottle for fall.
2021 Domaine de Chevalier Blanc, Pessac-Léognan - $114.99 | $6.75/oz 98JS 96TWI 96VN 95DC 94JD 94WA Domaine de Chevalier is one of the few estates classified as Crus Classé for both red and white wines since 1953. The vineyard for the Blanc is planted on gravel and sand-gravel soils with very high vine density and biodynamic practices. The 2021 vintage is a blend of 75% Sauvignon Blanc and 25% Semillon matured in barrel (about 18 months, ~35% new oak) and reflects the estate’s commitment to balance, precision and ageing potential. Expect citrus oil, white flowers, wet stone minerality and a satiny texture that invites you to explore the depth of this rare white Bordeaux. This is a benchmark white from a top estate, yours to taste.
2023 Pierre‑Yves Colin‑Morey Hautes-Côtes de Beaune Blanc ‘Bout de Monde’ - $59.99 | $4/oz Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey launched his own domaine after years of experience in his family’s winery, and today he is one of Burgundy’s most respected white wine producers. His vineyards lie in Chassagne-Montrachet and the surrounding communes. The “Bout de Monde” bottling comes from a single vineyard in the Hautes-Côtes de Beaune at 400-450 m elevation on a steeper southwest-facing limestone-clay hillside. The wine is fermented and aged in 350 L barrels (only about 10% new), with long vineyard hang-time and minimal intervention to let site expression shine. Zippy green apple and lime zest lift the palate while delicate white flowers add aromatic complexity, and a roasted hazelnut richness adds depth and complexity before the wine wraps up in a long, profoundly mineral finish. PYCM is one of the most collectible and highly sought after modern producers, and the wines never stay on the shelf for long. This is your chance to see what all the hype is about.
2020 Bodegas Muga “Torre Muga” Rioja - $124.99 | $6.75/oz 98TA 97JD 96JS 95WA Founded in 1932 in Haro, Bodegas Muga remains family-owned and controls nearly all aspects of production, including making its own barrels, a rarity even among top Rioja houses. “Torre Muga” is their flagship modern expression: grapes from high-altitude plots (500-550m) in Villalba de Rioja, hand-harvested, fermented in wood vats with indigenous yeast, and aged for up to 24 months in French oak before bottling. Ripe blackberry and strawberry, toasted oak, subtle smoke and spice, the wine is firmly structured yet beautifully elegant. A truly top-tier Spanish red that marries tradition and clarity, this is perfect for those looking to deepen their Rioja knowledge.
2021 Cobb Wines “Doc’s Ranch Vineyard” Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir - $69.95 | $3/oz (Elsewhere $90) 97DC 96JD 95WE Ross Cobb is part of a generation redefining coastal California Pinot Noir. The Doc’s Ranch Vineyard sits above the Pacific near Occidental in the West Sonoma Coast AVA and is characterized by fog influence, volcanic/marine soils, and a cool climate. The estate uses low yields, native fermentations, minimal new oak and emphasizes vineyard expression and texture over extraction. Wild red fruit, savory earth, and bright acidity are textbook notes for any of Cobb’s terrific wines, but the Doc’s Ranch absolutely soars with crushed red flowers, white pepper, and forest floor. This is a deeply site-specific wine that rivals the top Pinot Noir wines from anywhere in the world.
2009 Prunotto “Bussia Vigna Colonnello” Barolo Riserva - $89.99 | $4.50/oz Prunotto dates back to 1904 and is now under the care of the Antinori family. Located in Monforte d’Alba, the Bussia cru is one of Barolo’s most renowned sites with a mix of Tortonian and Serravallian soils, offering both structure and finesse. “Vigna Colonnello” is a single-vineyard Riserva that underwent extended aging before release. This is beautiful and mature Nebbiolo showing rose petal, tar, leather and silky tannins. It is a truly rare treat to explore what time does with Barolo, especially one as expertly crafted as this.
2022 Domaine Courbis “La Sabarotte” Cornas - $89.99 | $4.75/oz 95-97JD The Courbis family has cultivated vineyards in Cornas for centuries. Their “La Sabarotte” parcel is planted on steep, south-east facing granite terraces with old vines (some planted in 1947). The vinification features extended barrel aging and 100% new oak to reflect the site’s intensity. Dense black fruit, smoked meat, cracked black pepper, crushed violets and layered tannins, this is classic, expressive Syrah with all the refinement and complexity of expected from Cornas.
Château Latour “Les Forts de Latour” Pauillac
Few names in Bordeaux carry the weight of Château Latour. As one of the five First Growths of the Médoc, the estate has set a global benchmark for Cabernet-based wines of depth, longevity, and precision. “Les Forts de Latour,” first released in 1966, draws from vineyard parcels within and just outside the Grand Enclos and is produced with the same rigor as the Grand Vin itself, with a slightly higher percentage (25-30%) of Merlot.
The 2009 and 2010 vintages are considered two of the finest back-to-back harvests in modern Bordeaux history. The 2009 vintage, shaped by a warm and generous season, produced wines of opulence and approachability, rich in cassis and cocoa with velvet-soft tannins. The 2010, cooler and more structured, yielded wines of incredible balance and depth—classic Pauillac with graphite, cedar, and firm backbone for the long haul.
This month, both vintages are featured across locations so guests can explore the contrast firsthand:
2009 Les Forts de Latour – available in Redwood City and Culver City - $274.99 | $16/oz 96JS 96VN 95WA 95WE
2010 Les Forts de Latour – available in San Francisco and Hollywood - $259.99 | $15/oz 97WA 95VN 95WA 94-95JS
It’s a rare chance to taste two benchmark vintages from one of Bordeaux’s most revered producers and a chance to experience how subtle shifts in weather and time can define greatness in the glass.
1975 Domaine Cazes Rivesaltes Ambré - $265 | $15/oz Founded in 1895, Domaine Cazes focuses on the traditional fortified wines of southern France. Their Ambré style uses Grenache Blanc and Grenache Gris, aged oxidatively in cask for decades, to produce a wine that embodies time. Deep amber color, layered with orange peel, ginger, toasted nuts, honeyed spice, and a long, intense finish, this historical fortified wine, tucked away from the mainstream, is a rare delicacy perfectly fit for the season.