Laberinto’s Highly Rated Sauvignon Blanc Is Just the Tip of the Iceberg

For the last five to six years the dollar-per-dollar highest-reviewed Sauvignon Blanc in the world has been Chile’s Laberinto Sauvignon Blanc (check out the current vintage we have in stock: (2023 Laberinto "Cenizas de Laberinto" Sauvignon Blanc Maule Valley $19.99 96TA 95DS 93JS). The competition is not even close. Its closest competitor comes from New Zealand, and, at this price point I think we would have to go back decades to find a wine with similar reviews from France! I love that this overachieving wine comes from an appellation that is off the grid, far away from where, on paper, you would expect to find crisp, mineral-driven wines.

Chilean Winemakers Breathes New Life into Carménère

The Colchagua Valley, it turns out, is a fantastic place for Carménère, with the combination of the right soils and the long growing season that make this unique variety shine. Now that Chile is about 30 years into its journey with this Carménère, there is much to celebrate and champion. Chile has found its niche with wines that stand alone in the marketplace as showcases for what this grape can do.

Holiday Buying Guide: Kirk's Spain and Chile Picks

Kirk Walker is our Spain, Portugal, and South America Buyer—if it has a Latin flair, Kirk likely brought it to our shelves. He loves research, and he’s a great person to talk to if you want to know how, for instance, the Andes’ rain shadow affects the vines in Chile. He’s also a good person to talk to in order to understand what’s going on with sparkling wine in Spain, the new wave of dry wines in Portugal, and for all your Rioja needs (I think it’s safe to say we all have Rioja needs). If you want to talk about the context of a wine region while drinking great wine, Kirk’s your man!

South America's Greatest Collectibles, Cult Producers, and Values

South American Wine Buyer Kirk Walker has assembled a line up of wines from Chile and Argentina that will make you rethink what you know about this winegrowing region! Collectibles, cult producers, value wines—maybe even the world's best value Pinots?

Value, Complexity, Terroir: Argentina and Chile Shine

South America’s wine industry is not new, but there’s plenty of new energy flowing through it right now. With high altitudes, vineyards that span a thousand miles, and rediscovered viticultural areas, Chile and Argentina have a ton to offer wine lovers. In this week’s newsletter, South American Buyer Kirk Walker assembles a lineup of favorites from up and down the continent, from desert to foothill to former dinosaur stomping grounds.

Ripe, Complex, Silky Wines from Chile's Clos de Luz

We are excited to welcome Clos de Luz to our shelves, a producer from Chile that is new to our Direct Import program, but definitely not new to the game. Their family has owned their estate south of Santiago since 1892, and their vines are among the oldest Carménère in the world, from a valley known as the birthplace of Carménère in Chile. These bona fides help them create vibrantly rich reds with depth of flavor that operate on a tightrope of acidity.

K&L Wine Merchants

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