Travelling to the 2021 En Primeur tastings is a study in contrasts—while the vintage we’re about to taste (2021) is largely defined by its multitude of challenges, the past half-decade is full of brilliant wines that speak to the precision and refinement of modern Bordeaux. So, before we even delve into the 2021s, it is worth looking back and putting this run in perspective.
Read MoreI have a friend named Julie who loves to cook and treats me with divine meals at the drop of a hat. Last week she invited me over for pre-Easter lamb, so I wanted to bring a special bottle. Hollywood staffer/Bordeaux specialist Jacques and I conferred, and we decided I should go with the 2010 Haut-Bergey from Pessac-Léognan. Julie is from Bordeaux, so I knew she’d appreciate this classic pairing of Pessac-Léognan and lamb. Plus, the 2010 vintage was an absolute blockbuster, so I was excited to try it with 12 years of age—especially at the $44.99 price tag!
Read MoreToday's Newsletter returns us to one of our very favorite regions in the world for both incomparable value stunners and blue-chip collector's trophies alike. Rhône buyer Keith Mabry recently made his first trip back to the region in three years, and he's returned with fresh insight and ton of renewed energy and excitement for the category.
Read MoreThis Friday night, Cinnamon and I shared a bottle of the greatest young vintage I have ever tasted from the legendary house of Krug, their monumental 2008. Expectations were high for this bottle, given that it was the most anticipated release in my 22 years of doing the Champagne buying at K&L. Those expectations were exceeded. This wine will be a legend like 1945 Mouton, 1978 Hermitage La Chapelle, or 1921 Salon. They nailed it.
Read MoreThis Friday, Cinnamon and I had our traditional steak and claret night with some lovely shaved and roasted Brussels sprouts and jacket potatoes to pair with a new wine arrival to K&L: the 2007 Château Potensac. I must say that K&L’s Bordeaux Buyer Clyde has done it again—this is a spectacular drink for under $30, and showing both lovely clean fruit and resolved tannin at 15 years of age. Before publishing this blog piece, I will buy a case for our cellar!
Read MoreFor St. Patrick’s Day, I knew my friend was bringing Corned Beef (here’s the recipe she used), so my wine pairing was the 2018 Ferraton Père et Fils "La Matinière" Crozes-Hermitage. I adore Northern Rhône wines—and a Crozes-Hermitage for $19.99 was an immediate draw! Not only is the pricing off the hook, its pedigree is, too: it’s organically and biodynamically farmed thanks to major investment in this estate by Rhône giant Michel Chapoutier. Critics reap praise and scores on this estate. I had to try it.
Read MoreI have been waiting for the release of the 25th iteration of Laurent-Perrier’s Grand Siècle for years, and, now that it is here, I am happy to say it has delivered on all my expectations.
Read MoreLast week, I had an exceptional opportunity to drink the rare and tightly allocated 2016 Bollinger “La Cote aux Enfants” at home with dinner. This is a wine that I have only ever had thimble pours of in tastings in the past and I am not sure when I will have another opportunity to drink it freely again. This special red wine is normally saved for Michelin-starred restaurants—it was quite a thrill to have it with homemade chicken pot pie chez Westby!
Read MoreWe have been working with Vivien Lamoureux from Champagne Jean Jacques Lamoureux for seven years now, and their wines have always been not only a great representation of the terroir of their village, Les Riceys, but also a great value. Now, with the world inflating around us, and especially the prices of Champagne shooting up, these wines are a real steal… Especially Vivien’s $36.99 tête de cuvée bottling, the Jean-Jacques Lamoureux "Trilogie" Brut.
Read MoreToday's Newsletter brings us many of the greatest white wines in the world, all from undisputed masters of their craft. To make matters even more compelling, they also represent some of the greatest values in long-term, cellar-worthy wine you'll find anywhere.
Read MoreIf Champagne has a lot of one thing in the pipeline for us Champagne lovers, it is hot vintages. The 2015 vintage unseated 1852 as the hottest vintage ever, only to be unseated itself by 2018. There was no shortage of sun in 2019 or 2020 either. While the power and roundness of ripe vintages like these are widely appreciated, I think that in the fullness of time, there is a lot to be said for a cool vintage as well. The 2011 Deutz "Amour de Deutz" Blanc de Blancs Champagne that I just had is a great example of the sleek elegance that strict selections can yield in a cold year like this.
Read MoreOn Monday, for Valentine’s Day, Cinnamon and I opened the best bottle of wine I have drunk in quite a while. It was the Krug Grande Cuvée 165ème edition, which had been in my cellar for just over four years. Just last week, Krug announced their ingredient of the year—rice—as part of their wonderful single-ingredient program. Each year they choose a “humble” ingredient to inspire everyone from top chefs to Krug-loving home cooks to come up with great pairings. Cinnamon and I had been talking about which rice dish to cook ever since. I settled on crab risotto, a dish we used to make every Dungeness crab season, but due to poor supply of the crustaceans over the last few years, have not made in quite a while.
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