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 MoreOne of my favorite Champagne occasions of the year is la fête de mères, Mother’s Day. Who else in the world is more deserving of being celebrated than mom? Nothing matches this day of flowers better than rosé Champagne, and no rosé Champagne is as iconic as the Laurent-Perrier. I think it is the perfect wine for a perfect day.
Read MoreLet’s be honest, being a mother is a lot of work—it takes your soul, your body, and your mind to do it well. Don’t get me wrong, it’s incredibly rewarding, but let’s just say that when Mother’s Day rolls around, I really lean into this holiday. And for me, that means bubbles, bubbles, bubbles.
Read MoreThe Henriot Cuvée Hemera is not a household name when it comes to tête de cuvée Champagne, but this is a wine that deserves to be much better known by Champagne lovers than it is. Unlike the most famous tête de cuvée offerings, this is a small-production Champagne with an extraordinarily strict selection and a very, very long ageing time on the lees. Some producers even offer “late disgorged” Champagne that is younger than the current release of the Hemera.
Read MoreWhen Rhône Buyer Keith Mabry and I first tasted the wines of Mas de Libian, we were so struck with their absolute vibrancy and aromatic beauty that we knew they should be part of K&L’s portfolio. They are biodynamically farmed, low-intervention, naturally made wines, but very clean and extremely well made. The complex aromas leap out of the glass, and the wines dance on the palate—these wines are the ballet dancers of the Rhône Valley.
Read MoreLast week, my wife, Cinnamon, found ramps, a rare onion that has a very short season and usually must be foraged at our local market, Sigona’s. As I wrote about earlier this year, Krug features an ingredient every year to pair with their Champagne, and this year it is Krug x Onions. Clearly, this was a Krug occasion, and I didn’t hesitate—we had to try these rare onions with some Krug Rosé.
Read MoreRhône Buyer Keith Mabry declares this “the era of the Rhone,” and in this week’s newsletter, he explores why. A string of excellent vintages, exciting new Direct Import producers, and best-in-France values—our Rhone aisle is the destination for fans of soulful wines at every price point.
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 MoreI have drunk countless bottles, magnums and even a few halves of the Ariston Aspasie Blanc de Blancs. I am confident that it is the Champagne that I have consumed more of than any other over the course of my life, and I wouldn’t put back a single drop.
Read MoreCinnamon and I try to make every Sunday special as it is our one day off together, and this week she treated us to a special Dungeness crab dip for our aperitif. To go with it, I opened perhaps the most “under the radar” of all the great houses’ tête de cuvée bottlings, the 2010 Drappier "Grande Sendrée" Brut Champagne. It was a great reminder of the incredible depth and pleasure that this single-vineyard Champagne has to offer and went fabulously with the crab dip.
Read MoreEvery year, Champagne Krug selects an ingredient to pair with their wines. This year the ingredient is the onion—and I have to admit to already being a convert to this combination—it is a great partner to Krug! Mentioning the word Krug to my wife works magic, and she did not hesitate to volunteer. She made a gorgeous tarte à l'oignon that included leeks and shallot as well as a little Beurre Bordier butter from Brittany. I am a lucky man—all I had to do was open a bottle of Krug "Grande Cuvée" 168 ème Édition Brut Champagne and enjoy!
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.
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