Worth the Wait: the Champagne of Louis Brochet
The Brochet family has 32 acres of vines, almost all in the village of Écueil on the Mountain of Reims. They have been growers since 1882, at least, and have the distinction of possessing their own special selection of Pinot Noir, Pinot d’Écueil, which is an old massal selection passed down for generations in their family. Louis Brochet, the current winemaker, is qualified with a diploma of enology, a masters-level education in winemaking. With his learned skill, their special selection of Pinot, and the great terroir of the 1er cru of Écueil, the family is turning out fantastic wines. Since we have been buying direct from them for years, the prices are still super reasonable.
Read More
Beautiful Burgundy at Great Prices: Domaine Bart
Cinnamon and I just got back from a lovely vacation in Burgundy, and one of the highlights for me was visiting Domaine Bart in Marsannay. Located at the very top of the Côte de Nuits, just south of the city of Dijon and just north of Gevrey-Chambertin, this property was part of the historic Clair-Daü estate that was split between Bruno Clair, Louis Jadot, and, of course, Bart. They have an impressive 54-acre estate at Domaine Bart, and Pierre Bart was kind enough to lead us through his extensive range of wines with the help of his extremely cute dog Lemon.
Read More
Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre, Oh My: The Wonderful Rhône
In this week’s newsletter we celebrate the darling of southern France, the Rhône Valley. Complex, collectible, and kissed with sunshine, the wines of the Rhône will draw you in again and again. And, thanks to our robust Direct Import program, we can offer them at friendly prices to keep you well stocked. Buyer Keith Mabry takes us through some of the greatest hits of the region, from the serious Syrahs of Northern Rhône to the playful Grenache-based blends to the south.
Read More
Great Burgundy Wines Are More Affordable Than Ever
This week’s newsletter is devoted to Burgundy, and, as K&L Burgundy Buyer Alex Pross puts it, “We have never had this many great, affordable Burgundy wines to sell you.” Tariffs have finally been removed, value-driven regions such as the Mâcon are over-producing in quality-to-price ratio, and our Direct Import winemakers continue to produce insanely good wines way under market price.
Read More
Duménil Special Club: Special Champagne, Special Price
We just received an allocation of 300 bottles of the 2013 Duménil “Special Club” 1er Cru Brut Champagne at a nearly unheard-of price for a wine in the club trésors, $49.99. This group of 28 growers, which includes super stars like Paul Bara, Gaston-Chiquet, and Pierre Gimonnet all agree to put their top wine in the Special Club bottle, but only after it passes a blind tasting jury of members and oenologists. For grower Champagne, I can think of few better guarantees of quality than the Special Club.
Read More
Roederer “Collection 242” Replaces Brut Premier
In the next few months, Champagne Louis Roederer will be replacing their Brut Premier, which has been pleasing palates since 1986, with the Collection 242, a numbered multi-vintage blend. This new cuvée is one of the most revolutionary moves—if not the most revolutionary move that I have seen from a grand marque producer in my 21-year career as Champagne Buyer here at K&L. I can’t wait for all my Champagne-loving customers and friends to try it when it arrives.
Read More
Lynch-Bages 2020: First Year in New Cellar
On the last day of our trip to Bordeaux, while Clyde was nursing a sore leg, Trey and I met up with Jean-Charles Cazes, fourth generation of the Cazes family, to tour their new cellar. With a new cellar and a ton of momentum in the market, it feels like an exciting moment for this château.
Read More
BDX 2020: Classic Wines, Atypical Year
When France opened its borders in early June, our team was on the second plane out of California. And indeed, we were among the very first Americans that many of the French had seen, and we were certainly among the only to taste the 2020 vintage at the châteaux. We were able to learn from the winemakers, taste wines fresh from barrels, and get a perspective on this vintage not afforded to those who didn’t leave terra firma in the U.S. In this week’s newsletter, you’ll find our direct-from-Bordeaux 2020 vintage preview.
Read More
The Party—en Magnum!
Last week, for Bastille Day, a group of us from K&L Redwood City went to Left Bank restaurant in Menlo Park to celebrate the French national holiday. It was a great excuse to eat steak frites and drink some good, aged Bordeaux in the middle of the week. Whenever we have a group together (more than 2?) there are usually magnums involved, and this great evening was no exception.
Read More
A Whole New World: Virtual Champagne Tasting
Thanks to technology, today we were able to convene and do a virtual tasting, led by our Champagne Guru, Gary Westby. I’m thrilled to be able to taste again as a staff, and Gary’s presentation reminded me how much I love his Champagne program. If you haven’t been down the Champagne aisle in awhile, it’s a great time to take a stroll there—no celebration needed! Any of these bottles would make a day special.
Read More
New Cellars and Old Friends at Haut-Bailly
Château Haut-Bailly is near and dear to K&L’s heart. In addition to making stunningly elegant wines, CEO Veronique Sanders is a dear friend of our co-owner Clyde Beffa. To celebrate their long friendship and our first visit since the pandemic, Clyde brought a bottle of 1952 Haut-Bailly to dinner. It was particularly special to try the brand new baby wine from the 2020 vintage on the same evening as wines that have been in the cellar for decades.
Read More
A Walk in the Vineyard with Chantal Gonet
In the middle of last month, I was on the second plane into France for vaccinated Americans with Kate Soto, Clyde and Trey Beffa. It was great to be back on the job in the cellars and tasting rooms of Champagne, but the highlight of the trip, under the June sun, was the time I got to spend in the vineyard. On the last day of the trip, Chantal Gonet of Champagne Philippe Gonet and Champagne Pierre Mineral took me for a visit to the crown jewel of their estate: Les Hauts Jardins.
Read More
