French Regional Buyer Keith Mabry joined me on Instagram Live to discuss new releases from some of his favorite Direct Import producers from the Languedoc-Roussillon. The wines were singing, and, as always, represent exceptional value.
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2020 will be hard year to forget for many tough reasons that no one looks at our blog to be reminded of. Today I am flipping through last year’s wine notebooks and finding the good memories for my annual Champagne retrospective. I hope that you enjoy taking a look at these 10 memorable Champagne’s from 2020 as much as I have enjoyed remembering them!
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We’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!
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Champagne Liaison Scott Beckerley unearthed a treasure recently from his cellar: a bottle from LeClerc Briant, a beloved producer who sold off their exceptional biodynamic vineyards upon the owner’s passing. Luckily, the vineyards were bought by Roederer, and the superb terroir lives on in their wines.
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Champagne Billecart-Salmon has been making Champagne for over 200 years, and change comes slowly and incrementally to this great house. This year has been revolutionary for Billecart, as they have introduced not one, but two new cuvées, first the Les Rendezvous #1, and now the Billecart-Salmon "Brut Nature" Champagne. If you are a fan of truly dry Champagne or of pairing your bubbles with food, the Brut Nature is not to be missed!
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After 20 years of buying the Champagne here at K&L, I have to say that I have never seen a year like this one… The good news is, some very good deals have come out of this bizarre situation, and one of the best deals is the small lot of Canard-Duchêne "Charles VII - Grande Cuvée le Victorieux" Brut Champagne that just arrived. The last time we had this, many years ago, we sold it for $49.99, which was a good value. It is now selling for $60 elsewhere, but we were able to grab the last of it and offer it at $39.99.
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We are thrilled to partner with blogger/author/bon vivant David Lebovitz to bring you the Drinking French pack, an ensemble that features his new guide to all libations French (signed), plus an assortment of bottles that will help you make some of his favorite tipples at home. You may not be able to while away the hours in a Parisian cafe, but you can at least drink like it!
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This 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…
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Very few wines in the world are as rare, special, and profound as Krug's Clos du Mesnil. Any wine lover should count themselves lucky just to have tasted it once in their lifetime. I felt blessed indeed to drink a bottle of it in my front yard with Cinnamon during this year's endless California Indian summer. Given my previous experience with this wine and the high price, my expectations were very, very high. I was not disappointed.
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Whether 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.
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Carbonnieux 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.
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Vintage Henriot and white truffles, oh my. Gary found a very special wine to go with his birthday truffle straight from Alba and handmade pasta. Though he’d intended to drink the 2008 Henriot as an aperitif, it paired so divinely with his meal that it became the star of the show.
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