I’ve worked in the wine trade for over 45 years and have tasted well over 100,000 wines. But last year I drove to the train station, took the hour ride into San Francisco, and grabbed an Uber to our store, and then back home—all to taste just two wines. That’s a lot of travel and a long day, but Mr. Lorenzo Pasquini was in San Francisco, and for the chance to taste the young wines of Château d'Yquem with its director, I would have walked!
Read MoreJean-Michel Cazes was a genuine, kind, and sincere individual whose infectious energy took over the room wherever he went. He blazed a trail that many of us dream about and did so with an integrity and quality that is rarely seen. The wine world has lost a titan, and K&L (like many others) has lost a great friend. It will be hard to pick the perfect bottle of Lynch-Bages as the right tribute, as there are so many meaningful vintages that are delicious, engaging, and dynamic. But that in itself speaks volumes to the unforgettable force of Jean-Michel Cazes.
Read MoreToday'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.
Read MoreAs we wrap up the end of this year’s En Primeur week, we’ve got a look back at years past. These are photos from Clyde’s archives, with his captions below each. Enjoy!
Read MoreWe have such a wonderful abundance of Bordeaux on our shelves, as our fearless Bordeaux Buyer Clyde Beffa explains in this week’s newsletter. Just in time for the weather to turn toward fall (in California, we’re still waiting…), we have favorite collectibles, everyday values, and perfectly aged gems for every palate. Bordeaux may be known for its regal Classified Growths, and we do adore those—but Clyde’s keen eye and long history in the region mean that we also can bring you amazing value wines, many of which are perfectly aged. Whether you like a mature claret, a bright and modern burger wine, or a longterm cellar-worthy classic, our Bordeaux shelves are the place to look!
Read MoreLast summer, Ralph Sands, K&L Bordeaux specialist, checked an item off his bucket list with an in-depth visit to famed Calera winery, located on Mt. Harlan in San Benito County. We are ecstatic at K&L to be able to offer a library of 40+ years of vintages in an acquisition of a lifetime. Now is a perfect time to line your cellar with these incomparable testaments to California vinous history.
Read MoreToday's Newsletter spans the length and breadth of the world's greatest wine region (and the foundation of K&L's business) with a stellar run of hand-picked favorites from our intrepid Bordeaux team, followed by recaps of the back-to-back outstanding 2019 and 2020 vintages.
Read MoreThe 2020 Bordeaux campaign is off and running with the release of Ch. Cheval Blanc from St-Emilion taking the lead. Unable to travel to taste the new vintage for the second year in a row, some estates overnighted their wines for us to taste; so, it’s still exciting. But it’s also bittersweet as, for the first time in 30 years, Mark Levin will not be a part of this campaign, as we lost him to COVID-19 on December 27th.
Read MoreK&L's Team Bordeaux has sampled the 2018 vintage in bottle and their first reports are glowing. In today's blog, they've provided their notes on the exceptional wines from St-Julien, one of the standouts of the vintage. Many of these bottles are available on pre-arrival.
Read MoreAll the chips were stacked against Bordeaux being able to pull off an En Primeur campaign. If prices were less than astounding,there would have been no chance to even get off the starting block. Then Pontet-Canet got a potential 100-point review from Wine Advocate, dropped their price by 30%…
Read MoreMichael Broadbent was an influential wine writer whose work was deeply important to the early days of K&L. Upon his recent passing, one of our longest-tenured staffers, Ralph Sands, looks back at the man, the myth, the legend.
Read MoreWe’re thrilled to welcome our Bordeaux guru Ralph Sands to the blog, where he revisits vintages past and looks with excitement toward the future.
Read More
