A Regal Showing from Taittinger: 2008 Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs
Last night, Cinnamon and I drank one of the most long-awaited prestige cuvée releases, the 2008 Taittinger "Comtes de Champagne" Brut Blanc de Blancs Champagne. I can’t remember fielding quite as many calls and emails for a Champagne since the 2002 Krug was released, and for good reason—this is a prestige cuvée that delivers on all of its promise. I had already been extremely impressed with another preview bottle on Saturday with the team at work, but, at home, with time and food, I was blown away.
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Luxury Cuvées to Everyday Values: Our Champagne Newsletter
It’s no secret that we absolutely love Champagne at K&L. The reasons why are too many to count, but if we had to pick one, it could very well be the breathtaking diversity of this world-famous region. As such, our Champagne buyer, Gary Westby, makes the area’s impressive range of styles a central theme in this month’s newsletter. Gary and the team take us on a tour that winds its way to such locales as Tours-sur-Marne, Mareuil-sur-Aÿ, and Drachy—some of Champagne’s most revered and celebrated sites. Along the way they delve into many of the region’s biggest names, including Laurent-Perrier and Billecart-Salmon as well as lesser known producers such as Fallet-Dart. Represented in these pages is everything from luxury cuvées to outstanding values.
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A Vintage Côte des Blancs Stunner at Half the Price
Love vintage Blanc de Blancs Champagne? Love an incredible value? Our Champagne Buyer, Gary Westby, has found both and there’s plenty to share. The 2013 Ayala Blanc de Blancs Brut is an incredible find no Champagne enthusiast will want to miss.
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Something Extra: The Blanc de Blancs and Blanc de Noirs from Brochet
Last night, Cinnamon and I had the opportunity to compare two of the top cuvées from Louis Brochet, his Extra Noir and Extra Blanc. Both of these are made in small quantities from the oldest vines on the property, and given long aging on the lees, both over five years. It was fascinating to enjoy a pure Chardonnay and a pure Pinot Noir Champagne like these next to each other…
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The 2014 Roederer Rosé Reveals the Charm of Its Vintage
The 2014 vintage in Champagne is one that all Champagne lovers should take note of. For me, it is only the second time since 1988 (the other harvest being 2004) that the region has produced wines of such streamlined and relaxed elegance…
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Bollinger’s PNVZ15 Blanc de Noirs
Gary doesn’t often buy a wine before tasting it, but he knew he couldn’t go wrong with Bollinger. So when he opened up Bollinger’s newly released PNVZ15 for the first time, his instincts were pleasantly validated by the sumptuous deliciousness of this wine. We just received a tiny amount of this tiny-production wine, so it is not a purchase to ruminate on… it’s one to buy while we have it!
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The Fountain of Youth: 1972 by Xavier Vignon
The 1972 is a very special Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Though it has nearly 50 years of age, it was only put into bottle in 2019! This wine was stored in its original concrete foudre for decades at the domaine, until oenologist Xavier Vignon discovered it. What you get in the bottle is a wine with elegance and some maturity, but still a lively freshness and youthful acidity. A profound experience.
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Tonic for the Jaded Palate
Last night, Cinnamon and I were at a loss for words over the greatness of the 2019 Domaines Ott "Château de Selle" Côtes de Provence Rosé. This morning I woke up still thinking about it, wondering what it was that made it so special, and ran to my notebook to reflect and write…
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From Châteauneuf to Condrieu, the Rhône Is a Bounty of Riches
There’s so much to love coming out of the Rhône Valley these days. After a string of phenomenal vintages, the Rhône is one of the best places to look if you want wines that consistently overdeliver bang for your buck. Buyer Keith Mabry leads the charge of the other K&L Rhônephiles with a list of current favorite bottles and producers in today’s newsletter.
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2013 Surprise from Launois
The 2013 Blanc de Blancs from Launois is an electric, mineral-driven style on the dry side of most bruts, and it pairs beautifully with take-out sushi.
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Our Summer Burgundy Newsletter
Some wine drinkers consider Burgundy the most inscrutible of regions, but really all you need is an Alex Pross. In our newsletter, K&L Burgundy Buyer tells you his latest favorites and has some tremendous tips for finding Burgundy values (not an oxymoron). Whether you’re a collector or a daily drinker, there is much to love from this famed region!
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Profound Blanc de Noir from Gosset
You may have noticed that our Champagne Buyer Gary Westby drinks a lot of really good Champagne. So when one makes him stop and take notice, you can bet it’s exceptional. He had just such a moment over a bottle of Gosset’s NV Blanc de Noir. Paired with salmon mousse, the experience was nothing short of profound.
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