The wines of Jean-Louis Chave hold a special place atop the Rhône wine hierarchy. With an unbroken winegrowing lineage that dates back to 1481, not many other producers in the region (or even the world) can claim the heritage, the history, or the track record of superb craftsmanship that the Chave brand has evoked for centuries.
Read MoreEarlier this week, the K&L Champagne team kicked off our annual staff summit with a dinner hosted by Billecart-Salmon. It has become a welcome tradition to start off our yearly survey of all the grande marque producers with a sushi dinner at my place featuring the wines of this great house. Christian Esser, who just returned from a visit to Billecart, and Eric Lecours presented the wines and treated Scott Beckerley, Michael Benoit, Philip Roufail, Will Langhi, Cinnamon and me to a great spread from Kanpai sushi in Palo Alto.
Read MoreK&L Auctions is one of the most user-friendly and dynamic places to sell, reshape, and add to your collection. We offer market-low fees, up-to-the-minute online inventory, motivated customers from around the world, and a team of passionate experts to assist you in achieving maximum success. While we have our teams at the ready to talk you through current trends ([email protected]), we also wanted to share a snapshot of where the auction market stands this summer.
Read MoreFew wineries have a history as long and as storied as Domaine Weinbach, which can trace its origins back to vines that were planted on the property in the 9th century. It was eventually established as a winery in 1612 by the Capuchin friars. Named after a stream that runs through the property, it was purchased in 1898 by the Faller Family, which still runs it today. Since 2016 Catherine Faller has run the estate with the help of her two sons Eddy and Theo, employing both organic and biodynamic farming practices. The wines of Domaine Weinbach are wonderful representations of Alsace with a focus on purity, balance, and elegance. Weinbach consistently ranks among the top two to three producers in all of Alsace.
Read MoreIt is truly a shame that Alsace gets overlooked when discussing the best white wine values in the world. Alsace may not beat their chest and scream from the mountain tops that they are the epicenter of white wine values, but there truly are some great wines that are priced incredibly well. Charles Baur is easily one of my favorite producers just based on the breadth of great white wines he produces across the aromatic spectrum. With a string of strong vintages, Charles Baur has stacked one great wine value after another. Regardless of vintage we have the right wine at the right price for you to explore the wonders of Alsace.
Read MoreThis past May I had the chance to drive all the way up to the very top of Champagne to the village of Cormicy. I was there to visit Christophe Boulard at Champagne Boulard-Baquaire, and it had been too long since I had seen him and visited the winery. Now, his wines have just come back in stock, and I would like to share their story with you.
Read MoreThis Wednesday I was invited to dinner at Selby’s by Louise Bryden, head of research and development and part of the winemaking team at Champagne Ruinart. She is touring the West Coast for the release of the Ruinart Blanc Singulier Brut Nature, the first new cuvée to be released by Ruinart since the non-vintage blanc de blancs over 20 years ago. It was a fantastic evening, and we were even served by the Ruinart Challenge winner—Lindsey Young from Selby’s—who had taken the prize that very morning in San Francisco!
Read MoreI have the great fortune of belonging to a Champagne tasting group that meets quarterly. Since August 2019, we have been having our get-togethers. Everyone in this group is an absolute Champagne fiend. Luckily, we have never had to suffer through an even slightly mediocre tasting. Yes, a couple of bottles have been corked here and there, but, amazingly it’s only been very, very, few—especially considering that we taste 15-plus bottles per meeting. This last one, a week ago, was another stunner.
Read MoreWe’re pleased to welcome a new Key Accounts Specialist, Chelsea Herholdt, to our team. Chelsea, located in San Francisco, comes to us with years of experience in the biz, and can help guide you through the process of building your collection. If you’re curious about where to start with a collection, drop her a line.
Read MoreVigneron Sophie Guiraudon established Clos de l’Anhel in the appellation of Corbières just over two decades ago. She proudly states that she is a first-generation winemaker. Beginning her career at another winery in the region, she felt like she could do the same thing they were doing but better and organic—so why not strike out on her own?
Read MoreJura has always been one of my passion projects. Early on in my tenure as the French Regional Buyer for K&L, I quickly became engaged by the unique flavor profiles of the wines from the region. The reds are light and crunchy with more structure than you might expect, which contributes to a myriad of food-pairing possibilities. The whites are, of course, epic, and the reason why most people are drawn to this category.
Read MoreWell over a decade ago, we were introduced to an outlier producer in Limoux called Domaine Bégude whose focus was on pure varietal still wines, all farmed organically. Vigneron James Kinglake was and his wife Catherine established this small estate in 2003 when they fled London’s financial industry and decided to take on the “low-key” world of winemaking in the south of France. Of course, the dream never starts easily, but, now on their 20th vintage, they have grown the winery, received organic certification, raised a daughter, and created one of our favorite brands from the south of France!
Read More
