Last Saturday night, after one of our busiest Champagne tastings in the history of K&L, Cinnamon took me out to Left Bank in Menlo Park for some steak frites. I felt like we deserved a treat after such a big day, and Clyde recommended that I try the 2007 Haut-Bailly, Pessac-Léognan, so I brought it along to accompany our skirt steak. It was a spectacular wine.
Read MoreModern Bordeaux seems to be defined by generational shifts that have altered the historic landscape and attempt to upend the classification system. But then there’s Pichon-Lalande – they are on a remarkable run for the past half-decade that’s the equal of other paradigm-shifting properties, but their wines still hold true to their style that’s carried them throughout the years.
Read MoreOne of the biggest perks working at K&L offers is access to Clyde’s fantastic buys on aged, value priced Bordeaux. This Friday, Cinnamon and I enjoyed a bottle of the newly arrived 1999 Lestage Simon, Haut-Médoc ($22.99) with a steak. Saturday morning, I bought myself a case. I think this will become a legendary wine in the same league with the 1997 Potensac, Medoc and the 2001 Malescasse, Haut-Médoc. It is sure to be gone very soon.
Read MoreRecently, I’ve come across a bunch of articles claiming that Bordeaux is poised to make a comeback. I don’t know what all those writers have been drinking, but here at K&L, Bordeaux never went away. Sure we get a lot more requests for, say, skin-contact wines from Slovenia than ever before—and we love that—but Bordeaux has always been a staple for our customers. And perhaps that’s because y’all are extremely savvy people who know that Bordeaux wines are among the most ageable on the planet. But I’d wager there are just as many of you who buy Bordeaux because it can offer spectacular bargains if you know where to look.
Read MoreAfter a long day of tasting at multiple chateaux in Pauillac, St. Julien and Margaux, the crew had their last meeting of the night Wednesday at Chateau Marquis d’Alesme in Margaux, followed by dinner. The mood of the day was instantly transformed from professional analysis to warm hospitality by estate manager Delphine Kolasa and head winemaker Marjolaine Maurice-de-Coninck. I’ve long held the opinion that most wines reflect the characters of their makers, and this experience certainly held true to the theory. First, a little background on the property.
Read MoreWhen tasting through properties in Bordeaux, we are fortunate enough to be greeted and hosted by some of the greatest producers and personalities in the region. Many are long time friends of Clyde, so they take it with a grin and a grain of salt when, in the middle of recalling their past year of cultivating, toiling, and crafting the wine before us, he drops the question… “So…what is the price?”
Read MoreIt is day three of en primeur week in Bordeaux, and your K&L Bordeaux team has been working hard, moving from château to negociant to château, trying to find the exceptional wines of the powerful 2018 vintage. Today, we knocked out three first growths, among several others, and these are some of the highlights …
Read MoreThe week is far from over, but we have had the fortune to taste through a large proportion of the Left and Right Bank after today’s marathon tastings took us to the northern-most regions of the Medoc and back through the heart of Pauillac and Saint-Julien. Here are our initial thoughts on a very compelling vintage.
Read MoreOne common thread in Bordeaux over the past decade is seeing how the qualitative landscape changes while the terroir stays the same. Sometimes it is hard to keep track of what properties are experiencing their next renaissance, but the best ones seem to find a way to take every step to amplify what is so unique and special about the land they are caretaking.
Read MoreSometimes folks travel for the luxury and the scenery. We, on the other hand, are here on business to discover firsthand what a potentially great vintage has to offer. Regardless of how you plan it, it is often that the unexpected captures the magic of a place. I find that some of the most indelible events occur when you experience something authentic—which is exactly what we found on our first day in Bordeaux.
Read MoreThe last ten years have seen more radical change in Bordeaux than anybody could have anticipated. As the 2018 En Primeur campaign approaches and the vintage is looking very positive, we take a minute to reflect on the past decade in Bordeaux before hopping on a plane to taste the wines for ourselves.
Read MoreNothing more fun than picking the brain of a tried-and-true wine geek. For part 3, we talk wine with Clyde!
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