I never imagined that we would direct import a producer whose entire production comes from one of the blessed Clos of Champagne. This past March, on my spring trip to the region, I had the chance to go to the other side of the wall of the Clos Boursault to visit Charlotte Le Gallais and her father. After months of waiting, the wines have finally arrived at K&L.
Read MoreIt tickles me a little to write that Damien Hugot is our new producer from the Grand Crus of the Côtes de Blancs. His family has been growing grapes in Champagne since at least 1660, and probably before that. He has an incredible collection of vineyards, almost entirely in the Grand Crus of Chouilly and Cramant, the two northernmost villages of the Côtes de Blancs.
Read MoreI am extremely fortunate that our Champagne tastings attract a really fun and diverse group of people. All ages (you were born in 1998, what?!) and incomes, as well as localities. (“We came in from the wilds of Walnut Creek.”) I’ll be seeing a couple of hundred of you on October 20th at the Champagne Tent Event. (Remember to hydrate!)
Read MoreA farewell to a true friend, a great winemaker, and a champion of Champagne.
Read MoreLaurent-Perrier’s Grand Siècle is in a class of its own. A true tête de cuvée, it makes up a tiny proportion of Laurent-Perriers total production. The tank room for Grand Siècle, which I have been lucky enough to visit on many occasions, is less than half the size of our sales floor in Redwood City. It has always been composed of three years, all of which that have been selected to make vintage Champagne at Laurent Perrier. This process allows them not only to produce tête de cuvée of remarkably consistent high quality but also of remarkable maturity, given the abundance of reserve wines inside.
Read MoreLast night, we were treated to an incredible after-hours staff seminar on the Champagne of Krug. Mr. Roberto Loppi, the new Krug ambassador for the US, presented the history, the savoir-faire and the wines of this top Champagne house to our Redwood City crew. We packed the tasting bar with our team and learned a lot about what I consider to be one of the greatest producers of wine in the entire world.
Read MoreLast night, we drank a bottle of the fantastic 2007 Thiénot "Black Ball" Blanc de Blancs Brut Champagne and I have to say that I was very, very impressed with it. This Champagne, which is sourced entirely from Thiènots' own estate in the Grand Cru's of the Cotes de Blancs, is fermented all in stainless steel at their ultra-modern facility just outside of Reims in Taissy. I had tasted this several times before, but this Champagne is for drinking, and sure enough, the 2nd glass was better than the first.
Read MoreIt is a rare thing for us to have three vintages of the same great Champagne in stock. I am proud to say that we have a little vertical available now of the exceptional Pol Roger Brut Blanc de Blancs Champagne and they are all special in their own way. The export director of Champagne Pol Roger, Mr. Pierre-Samuel Reyne came and visited me in Redwood City recently and shared a wealth of information on the wines, and last Friday we did an instore tasting with Pol Roger that broke the record for Champagne Fridays with 77 tasters.
Read MoreOther than customer tastings, one of my favorite projects here at K&L is conducting themed staff tastings. It can be a challenge to come up with a theme that is interesting and informative and...fun—the last tasting I held was based around one of our small estate producers, Launois, that was inspired solely by the questions posed to me by a newer employee who had not tasted any of their Champagnes. So, actually, credit belongs to Andrew Tobin for giving me the idea.
Read MoreOver the last few years, one of the biggest trends that I have witnessed in Champagne has been the drive toward extra brut by the Champenois. This is because of three main factors: climate change, the French fine dining scene, and a strange perception of diet.
Read MoreIt takes a lot longer than I would like to get Champagne from France, across the Atlantic and back up the Pacific coast. I think that the Champagnes from Nicolas Maillart have been well worth the wait. Those of you who are in the Champagne Club may have already tried his fantastic Extra Brut, but there is a lot to say about these- our latest addition to our direct import Champagne portfolio.
Read MoreOne of the most exciting wines that I tasted on my last trip to Champagne was from Les Riceys, just three miles from the boarder that separates Champagne from Burgundy. I was with Vivien Lamoureux and his adorable dog, Noughat, in the families 17th century cellar underneath their home. He told me he had an exciting surprise for me and pulled out his first release of his Jean-Jacques Lamoureux Pinot Blanc Champagne. Now it has arrived in California.
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