Today’s 2023 Bordeaux Releases Are Powerhouse Collectible Bargains

Today brings the highly anticipated release of the potential wine-of-the-vintage Château Canon as well as my personal favorite, Pavie Macquin, along with critics’ darlings Les Carmes Haut-Brion and Rauzan-Ségla. The clear throughline here is that all four wines fall squarely into the collectible bargain category—presenting an incredibly impressive performance with a price that comes in a range of bargain to sweet-spot pricing. All these properties dropped their pricing between 25% to 30% over that of 2022—well done! I’ve included a note on each offering below for further insight as to why each and every one of these releases is worthy of cellar consideration.

Bordeaux, France, Wine NewsletterTracey RoseJune 5, 2024K&L Wine Merchantsklwines, bordeaux 2023 vintage, bordeaux, bordeaux vintage report, 2023 bordeaux, tracey rose, klwines on the trail, chateau canon, pavie macquin, rauzan segla, les carmes haut brion

Celebrate National Wine Day!

The official date for National Wine Day is always the 25th of May. Luckily, this year, that date is on a Saturday! So, we can celebrate today without having to worry about the consequences of a work weekday! The Pisoni family fits in perfectly with the idea of National Wine Day, so I felt like to day was a perfect day to celebrate them, too.

Wine NewsletterScott BeckerleyMay 25, 2024K&L Wine Merchantsklwines, national wine day, scott beckerley, klwines on the trail, pisoni vineyard, jeff pisoni, gary pisoni, lucy wines

Portuguese Wine 101: Douro Valley

In addition to being one of the most eclectic wine regions, the Douro Valley is one of the most scenic in the world. It is amazing. There is the Douro River and its tributaries that have carved these valleys into granite and schist. This is a region that speaks to time in a way that mountains speak to time. There are winding terraced slopes that, in some bends and turns, the forests have reclaimed. This is a place where the expression “a photo is worth a thousand words” fails—no images truly capture the magic of this place.

Wine Newsletter, PortugalKirk WalkerMay 17, 2024K&L Wine Merchantsklwines, portugal, portuguese wine, wine buying guide, portuguese wine buying guide, douro valley, klwines on the trail, klwines wine blog

Let Kirk Be Your Guide to the Exciting World of Portuguese Wine

So many exciting things are happening in the Portuguese wine world. Over the last 30 years the wine industry has changed so much… in the span of just one generation, Portuguese wine is ready for international success. Winemakers and viticulturalists have so much knowledge now, it is no surprise how good these wines are now. And the best part about it is that we are along for the ride to watch and taste what is happening.

Wine Newsletter, PortugalKirk WalkerMay 15, 2024K&L Wine Merchantsklwines, wine, portuguese wine, kirk walker, portugal, portugal wine buying guide, klwines blog, klwines on the trail

The White Pearl of Champagne: Petiau

In the part of Champagne known most for Pinot Noir, there is a magical place called La Perle Blanche de la Montagne de Reims, the east-facing slope of this small but prominent hill. The first village of this sub-region is the Premier Cru of Trépail, where the Petiau family tends to a small but exceptional vineyard... Because we buy the bottles directly from the family, the value is also outstanding.

France, Wine Newsletter, ChampagneGary WestbyMay 2, 2024K&L Wine Merchantsklwines, petiau, gary westby, champagne, champagne buying guide, champagne review, wine newsletter, klwines on the trail, klwines wine blog

Long-Aged Grower Champagne from Fallet-Dart in the Marne

All of the big houses say that this part of the Marne is just for Meunier and only good for the shortest-aged blends. Fallet-Dart proves them wrong. They grow great quality Chardonnay and Pinot Noir here as well as fantastic Meunier and offer the longest-aged current release Champagne that we stock at 19 years old. Everything that they make is grown on their own estate. I should not have been surprised by how well the wines showed given how long we have worked together, but wow, these are world class, and the value from top to bottom is simply amazing.

France, Wine Newsletter, ChampagneGary WestbyMay 1, 2024K&L Wine Merchantsklwines, champagne, grower champagne, fallet dart, gary westby, wine travel, wine buying guide, champagne buying guide, wine newsletter, klwines wine blog, klwines on the trail

Bordeaux 2023 Vintage: Highs and Lows

After returning from my fifth visit to Bordeaux to taste the new vintage (where’s my 5-timer robe??), I can say with confidence there is a lot to like about the 2023 vintage. This is a vintage like no other, where the best wines are exciting, vibrant, and emotionally thrilling, capturing the best of warm-vintage depth-of-fruit and the alluring qualities of cool-vintage freshness and minerality.

Bordeaux, FranceTracey RoseApril 29, 2024K&L Wine Merchantsklwines, bordeaux 2023 vintage, bordeaux vintage report, bordeaux vintage guide, tracey rose, canon, chateau margaux, pontet canet, haut bailly, la conseillante, klwines on the trail

A Bordeaux Rollercoaster: The 2023 Vintage

Being one of the most elastic markets in the world of fine wine, Bordeaux can be a bit of a rollercoaster from year to year. But as opposed to waiting in line for the thrill ride, the U.S. consumer has recently had the luxury of getting on the ride whenever they want. The question now is whether Bordeaux has an experience that’s exciting enough for folks to line up for, if they can capture the attention of new thrill seekers, or if the ride itself is outdated and needs to be replaced.

Bordeaux, FranceRyan MosesApril 22, 2024K&L Wine Merchantsklwines, bordeaux 2023 vintage, bordeaux en primeur, ryan moses, bordeaux, klwines on the trail

Introducing the Stunning Sparkling Wines of BxT

I first tasted a bottle of BxT sparkling wine during a fantastic wine dinner at Heitz Cellars last Fall… I was immediately intrigued by the quality of the wine and the fact that I had never seen nor heard of the wines before. Then came the revelation that BxT is actually a small passion project from Tom Sherwood, who just so happens to be the husband of immensely talented Heitz winemaker Brittany Sherwood.

California Wine, Wine NewsletterRyan WoodhouseApril 17, 2024K&L Wine Merchantsklwines, california sparkling wine, on the trail, klwines on the trail, california wine, bxt, ryan woodhouse, tom sherwood, wine newsletter, wine buying guide

The Best for Last: 2012 Billecart Cuvée Louis Salmon

Today is the worldwide release for one of the best of the great 2012 vintage in Champagne, and we are lucky to have an allocation. We had a preview of the 2012 Billecart-Salmon "Cuvée Louis" Brut Blanc de Blancs Champagne before today’s release, and. after tasting it in the morning with Clément from Billecart, I knew that I had to make something special to have with it at dinner. This is a Blanc de Blancs that has it all—and promises to develop well for at least a generation.

France, ChampagneGary WestbyApril 3, 2024K&L Wine Merchantsklwines, onthetrail, billecart-salmon, klwines on the trail, gary westby, food and wine pairing, champagne and sushi

Long-Time Brunello Favorite Sesta di Sopra Back in Stock

I was mostly interested in the 2002 vintage because I knew it was an extremely difficult year in Montalcino (they never say bad), and I knew if their 2002 was solid then everything else would take care of itself. I was amazed at the freshness, purity, and supple weight of the wine! The other vintages, too, were unbelievably good. I said, OK I’ll be your importer.

Wine NewsletterGreg St. ClairMarch 15, 2024K&L Wine Merchantsklwines, klwines on the trail, sesta di sopra, brunello di montalcino, greg st. clair, italian wine, collectible wine, rosso di montalcino, sangiovese, K&L direct import

Top Italian Wine Picks from Our Veteran Italy Expert

This month’s newsletter, amazingly enough, coincided with the arrival of our Direct Import container. Wines that all have a special place in my heart, some of these friendships I’ve curated over the last 25 years while importing their wines. Italy, for me, is a treasure trove, constantly brimming with new wines, varieties, and styles that, even after a lifetime of trying to learn everything new, come to the surface every week.

Wine Newsletter, ItalyGreg St. ClairMarch 14, 2024K&L Wine Merchantsklwines, italian wine, greg st. clair, nebbiolo, super tuscan, soave classico, le battistelle, la massa, fratelli barale, barale fratelli, italian wine buying guide, wine buying guide, klwines on the trail

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