The 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 MoreI have a dear friend Julie who hails from Bordeaux and is an excellent cook. She loves the challenge of matching her food to whatever wine I pick out for our dinners together. So, when I told her I’d picked up the 2017 Haut Charmes from Sauternes and the 2010 Lestage from Listrac-Médoc on the Left Bank, she said we’d have to have a traditional Bordeaux dinner like she did with her family growing up. She tout suite dispatched an order to D’Artagnan, her favorite purveyor of meats and other French products. Foie gras and duck were on the menu, and we timed the event for Easter weekend.
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 MoreWhile many others have made resolutions to exercise more and diet this January, I have decided to set my sights firmly on routine. I am not going to be skipping my steak and claret on Fridays. It is a big commitment—but I think I am up to the task.
Read MoreK&L's Bordeaux Guru Clyde Beffa introduces us to a bunch of new-old wines on our shelves (some are new-new, as in young). You don't have to be a longtime collector or invest a lot of money to try mature Bordeaux! Check out why it's one of the longest-lived, most complex wines in the world.
Read MoreWe’re beginning the new year by taking a look at new arrivals from one of our favorite categories: Bordeaux! Co-owner/Bordeaux Buyer Clyde Beffa introduces us to the wines—some with age, some still babies—that will soon be landing on our shelves. Whether you’re looking to collect bottles from celebrated vintages, like the 100-point 2009 Pontet-Canet; looking for great values from older vintages that are hitting their sweet spot now, like the 1996 du Val d’Or from St-Emilion; or just looking for an excellent to bottle for dinner tonight, like the 2016 Bellegrave du Poujeau—we’ve got something for you in these pages. After 45 years in the biz, Clyde never steers us wrong, and this new batch definitely won’t disappoint!
Read MoreThis past Friday night my wife, Cinnamon, treated me to a lovely steak and claret dinner at home. She prepared a prime top sirloin in the cast iron pan, her excellent empress rice, and also served some wok-fried green beans. I decanted the 1998 Haut-Franquet Moulis to go with it. I woke up inspired to write about it—it was a great experience…
Read MoreWhether you’ll be spinning a dreidel, rockin’ around the Christmas tree, lighting the Kwanzaa candles, or simply enjoying Winter Solstice, we have something that can make your celebration special, and, though the times were strange in 2020, the wines were superb.
Read MoreCarbonnieux is an estate with Medieval origins in Bordeaux, and 20th-century origins at K&L. We’ve been stocking them for a long time, and that’s because we’re epic fans. And we’re not the only ones—even noted oenophile Thomas Jefferson once made a visit to their cellars. They also continually provide Clyde with excellent Bordeaux Blanc, and this installment of Clyde’s corner is all about a few of his faves.
Read MoreThe barometer has dropped a few notches, and we’re inching toward the holiday season—it’s the perfect time of year to reach for the exquisite wines of our beloved Bordeaux! While we can’t be in the wine aisle with you chatting up our favorite wines of the year, our Bordeaux experts are very excited to share some of the treasures we have on our shelves. From new arrivals to perennial fan favorites, Clyde and crew have Bordeaux picks to get you through the rest of 2020.
Read MoreBordeaux 2019 is a campaign for the history books, with en primeur happening mid-quarantine in the comfort of everyone’s own home instead of in Bordeaux. Luckily, the wines are very good and the prices are even better. The only downside, according to Clyde, is that we don’t have enough of it!
Read MoreSometimes the parts are better than the sum… 2002 is not a favorite vintage for Clyde, with little faith in the Cabernet that came from the cooler/uneven temperatures that year. But in the 2002 Coufran, a Merlot-dominant blend, he’s found a diamond in the rough.
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