ATTENTION ANGELENOS: Don't miss your last two chances this year to meet winemaker Marco Ricasoli-Firidolfi of Rocca di Montegrosi:

Tonight: October 25th, from 5:00-7:00pm @ K&L Hollywood
(1400 Vine Street, just south of Sunset) $10 Tasting

and

Saturday, October 27th, from 2:00-5:00pm @ K&L Hollywood
(1400 Vine Street, just south of Sunset) $20* Tasting
*(includes at least 10 wines total)

In the meantime, whet your palate for the 2007 vintage with Marco's letter to K&L's Italian Wine Buyer, Greg St.Clair:

Dear Greg,


I would like to give you a brief report on the harvest, which has just ended.

We will definitely remember the 2007 harvest for a long time.
I am happy to be able to say with confidence that it is one of the best harvests ever, both in terms of average quality and in absolute terms.

The quality of the ‘regular’ Chianti Classico is so good, that it is almost ‘ embarrassing ‘.

The San Marcellino is plentiful and exceptional – even better than the 1999 San Marcellino!

As for the Geremia, which is also excellent, the fact that we waited until few days ago to gather the Cabernet grapes allowed us to produce a mellow and intense wine without the pronounced vegetable notes that would have been easy to find in vintages like this one.

We’ve produced a record quantity of Vin Santo, and the quality of the grapes has set a record as well. They are drying out well and exceptionally healthy! Eighty percent have already been attacked by noble mold (Botrytis Cinerea).
What a pity that we have to wait 7 years to drink this 2007 Vin Santo; it is sure to be a ‘superstar’ like the other 2007 wines.

Lastly, the bizarre 2007 weather did not damage the grapes, and the nice, fresh nights of September and October allowed us to wait until the grapes in each of our vineyards were completely ripe before harvesting.

The total quantity produced increased by 25% compared to harvests from 2005 and previous years, meaning that there will be much more Rocca di Montegrossi wine to sell very soon……

I wish you all the best in your job, and I hope to see you soon so we can taste those FUTURE CHAMPIONS together.

Marco Ricasoli Firidolfi

P.S. In 2007 we will begin producing a rosé wine, the quality of which appears to be ‘outstanding’. It will be available in March 2008.

Posted by Leah Greenstein at 10:39 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

This month, in honor of our French Connection wine tasting event here in San Francisco,
I would like to feature to delicious wines from importer extraordinaire Charles Neal.
In addition to being one of the foremost authorities (yes, in the world!) on Armagnac, Charles represents a fantastic range of French wines from some pretty off-the-beaten-track locales. This month, a tasty little white from the Savoie region of France tops my list. Got Savoie? In addition, the varietal du jour, malbec finds it home in the southwest region of France known as Cahors. Got charcuterie?

2006 Roussette de Savoie Domaine Edmund Jacquin “Marestel” ($14.99) Looking for something special today? Try this unique and delightful wine from Domaine Edmund Jacquin. Made from sustainably farmed altesse, a little-known varietal from the little known Roussette de Savoie appellation, the wine expresses the grape’s high natural acidity. A little residual sugar and a lot that completed malolactic fermentation, give this wine a nicely rounded, medium-bodied palate. Aromas of quince, flowers, apricot and a touch of honey remind you a fresh, spring day. This cuvée pairs well with lighter fare, like chicken, fish and crisp salads.

2003 Cahors Château la Coustarelle “Grande Cuvée Prestige” ($14.99) Château la Coustarelle is owned by Michel and Nadine Cassot and located in the village of Prayssac, next to the renowned Clos de Gamot. Their 30 year old vines are planted on slopes that give yields of between 45-50 hl/ha. This Grand Cuvée Prestige sees a 20 day fermentation period, after which aging takes place in oak barrels, a fifth of which is new each year. The 3,000 case production is bottled unfiltered. This blend of 90% malbec and 10% tannat shows a deep purple color. Lots of vanilla on the nose buttresses substantial dark fruit. Medium to full-bodied with plenty of ripe blackberry fruit on the palate, along with a hint of licorice. Fine tannins are extremely well-integrated on the finish.

Posted by Leah Greenstein at 8:42 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Wow. Can you believe it’s October already? The holidays seem to be approaching at the speed of light. As much as I am loathe to think of Champagne as being a seasonal product, our largest sales do occur during this time of the year, and October marks the real beginning of the season. In any case, this gives me the opportunity to promote one of my favorite producers, Ariston. Located on the steep slopes of Brouillet, Ariston champagne has a distinct terrior— with less chalk and more fossils in the vineyard’s soils. The NV Carte Blanche ($22.99) is one of our most popular champagnes and a definite bargain at the price. A blend of 40% chardonnay, 30% pinot noir and 30% pinot meunier, it is a powerful yet clean style of wine with bread dough and caramel aspects. The long, clean, slightly mineral driven finish comes as quite a surprise. Wine number deux is the Aspasie Blanc de Blanc ($29.99) a rather rich and creamy style wine unlike “classic” blanc de blanc, which is generally higher in acid. The Aspasie comes off in a more genteel fashion with crème fraiche, a hint of butterscotch and a bit of toast. Wine trois is the Aspasie Brut Prestige ($34.99), which is composed entirely of 1998 fruit with an average vine age of 60 years. It is a blend of 50% chardonnay, 25% pinot noir and 25% pinot meunier. The meunier is evident in the black cherry aspect of this wine with a dry, almost tart character on the back of the tongue. There’s also a delightful light spice on the finish. Next, we have the 2000 vintage Brut ($32.99), which is a wonderful follow-up to the now renowned 1996 vintage. A blend of 1/3 each of chardonnay, pinot noir and pinot meunier; the average vine age for this cuvée is 25 years. Like the Brut Prestige, there is an amazing black cherry character, but the vintage Brut is more doughy and toasty. An elegant style wine, this will age extremely well in the cellar for the next five years or longer. Sigh. My last wine is the truly spectacular NV Brut Rosé ($28.99). I sigh about this wine because it is always one of my very favorite rosé champagnes and also one that flies out of here at what seems like a bottle per minute. A hefty dose of pinot meunier (12%) gives it a beautiful, dark salmon color. Red cherry fruit and fresh strawberries make the mix, so it comes off both as rich and tart at the same time. Marzipan on the palate adds even more to the complexity, finishing dry and lingering with a lovely hint of minerality. DO NOT WAIT to buy this one. It doesn’t last very long in ANY of the stores!

Posted by Leah Greenstein at 1:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux (UGC) is coming to San Francisco for one day only and teaming up with K&L for a special retail tasting. More than 50 different chateaux owners/representatives will be presenting the 2005 vintage, "The vintage that everyone has been waiting for," and this is your chance to taste. This event will be held at the Federal Reserve Building in San Francisco on Saturday, January 19th from 3 to 6 p.m. Light appetizers to be provided. $85 per person (includes tax). Click here to purchase tickets.

Participating chateaux include: Léoville-Barton, Langoa-Barton, Haut-Bailly, Branaire Ducru, Beychevelle, Gruaud-Larose, Talbot, Lagrange, Haut-Bages Liberal, Pontet-Canet, Léoville-Poyferré, Angludet, Cantemerle, Pavie Macquin, Figeac, Gazin, La Conseillante, Larcis Ducasse, Canon-La Gaffelière, Domaine de Chevalier, Malartic Lagraviere, Troplong Mondot, Poujeaux, Phélan-Ségur, Lascombes, Giscours, Ferriiere, du Tertre, La Tour Blanche, Coutet, Lafaurie-Peyraguey, and others! Click here for a complete list of confirmed participants.

We hope to see you there!

—The K&L Crew

Posted by Leah Greenstein at 1:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

When you have two estates that date from the 16th and 18th centuries, respectively, and that were classified in 1855 as third and fifth growths, it’s hard to think of them as rising stars. But in today’s ever-changing Bordeaux landscape I can tell you, unequivocally, that the meteoric rise in popularity of Ch. Maléscot-St-Exupéry (Margaux) and Ch. Pontet-Canet (Pauillac) is richly deserved and absolutely no fluke.

Jean-Luc Zuger is the man in charge at Ch. Maléscot-St-Exupéry today and he is fully aware of the historically great terrior of his vineyard and its royal beginnings. The motto “Blue blood will always tell” was instituted in the 16th century by the Esousse royal family and carried on by Simon Maléscot in 1697, who lent the vineyard his name until Count Jean-Baptiste de Saint-Exupéry bought it in 1827. When Jean-Luc’s father Roger bought the estate in 1955 he added “Simper Ad Altum” meaning “even higher,” to the label. Jean-Luc was more than ready when he took over, immediately becoming very selective with his fruit and investing in 80% new oak. Maléscot’s style features old vine fruit, is always masculine and well-defined when evaluated young; rounding out just beautifully and gaining richness in the mid palate over time. A classic Margaux wine with fantastic aromas of ripe grapes, leather, minerals and earth.

1997 ($39.99) Drinking well right now with an hour of decanting, showing elegant crisp, firm fruit. It went superbly with Tri-Tip!

2002 ($47.99) A big, dark wine with some serious tannins that needs seven to ten more years in the cellar; the breed and class of the vineyard really comes through in this difficult vintage.

2003 ($49.99) Even a classic styled wine like Maléscot can’t escape the heat of 2003! This wine has had layers of rich, soft, opulent fruit from day one and everyone loves it. This wine will not close down.

Alfred Tesseron always pours his beloved Ch. Pontet-Canet from a decanter these days. He wants his wine to show its best and it does. In my opinion Pontet-Canet is by far the brightest rising star in Bordeaux today. Alfred has improved everything at the estate and his new cone-shaped, cement fermentation tanks are the final touch. A masculine, very deep, dark purple wine with great purity and power, the quality today blows away dozens of more famous names like the TGV streaking through the countryside. The wines made recently are awesome and the 2004 ($52.99) is fantastic, and quite frankly the only example you need to try to understand just how great a wine is being made here. In my opinion it is the best overall Bordeaux in our inventory for the money. Decant and try one, even thought it is brutally young, if you love Bordeaux you need to experience this quality while the price remains reasonable. The 1996 ($79.99) is a wine I bought a case of on futures and it is progressing nicely, still vibrant and young but not perfectly ready yet so get out your decanter and air it out for two hours.

We just purchased two other 1996s from St-Estèphe. Phélan-Ségur ($49.99) is just about ready now and features bright, zesty, spicy, very attractive cherry fruit. The 1996 Ch. Potensac ($34.99), from the stable of Léoville-Las Cases, is always classic, stern and firm with dark fruit and grip. Like all the 1996s it needs to visit our friend the decanter for a couple hours.

In our K&L universe we sadly lost a few stars recently. Coach Bill Walsh brought more happiness to the San Francisco Bay Area than anyone could ever have dreamed of. Homer Zugelder, the father of our own Joe Zugelder, just exuded class and was a coach and mentor to hundreds of people that were lucky to have known him. And my old golf and wine buddy Don Kunesh; the undisputed King of the napkin trick! So I raise my glass and toast all these fine men and know that they would want me to say...
GO NINERS!

Cheers, and feel free to contact me anytime with questions on the wines of Bordeaux at x2723 or Ralph@klwines.com

—Ralph Sands

Posted by Leah Greenstein at 4:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Last weekend’s French Connection Tasting in San Francisco was a very memorable event. The sun came out early despite monsoon rains the day before. (An adjacent parking was actually still flooded.) The weather was even better under the two big tents with wines from Mouton-Rothschild, Château d'Yquem, Laurent-Perrier, Dom Perignon and many more, about 60 producers in all. Ralph Sands, Clyde Beffa and Keith Wollenberg came up from Redwood City to man the Bordeaux and Burgundy tables. Mulan Chan from SF (wo)manned the Rhône table. The food wonderful food came from Cheese Please and CoCo 500, with Chef Loretta Keller from CoCo 500 stopping by to see how things were going. All the while the staff from Cheese Please kept things moving right along. Their bleu cheese was perfect complement to the wines that we were pouring from the Loire valley. Check-in went quite smoothly and more than 200 people attended. Kerri Beffa did a great job organizing the event and kept everything moving smoothly. I questioned over two dozen customers and the consensus was that the event was great fun, the wines were great and the food excellent. The weather did make the tents slightly warm but, an afternoon breeze wafted through some of the open tent walls and cooled things off a little. By 4:00 p.m., the tents began to empty out and the San Francisco store became pandemonium. The customers were fantastic and waited in the long lines very patiently. Everyone was in a festive mood, had a good time and will (hopefully) enjoy the wines that they purchased. Special one-day pricing only was an added incentive to purchase wines after the tasting. Many thanks go to the attendees for making these events a lot of fun!

Coming soon…Bubbly tasting in Los Angeles!

Scott Beckerly

Posted by Leah Greenstein at 11:53 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Don't Miss this weekend's French Connection Tasting in San Francisco... In the meantime, whet your palate with few French wine recommendations from Nadia and Keith:

Affordable CDP
We’ve been fortunate to receive a second allocation of the lovely '04 Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Chante Cigale ($29.99), which tastes better than ever.

Domaine Chante Cigale’s 102 acres of land, located between Orange and Avignon within the village of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, has been owned and operated by the Sabon Favier family for several generations. The wines produced by this Domaine are classic, well made, and reasonably priced. Recently, Christian Favier passed the reins to his son Alexandre, who is fast becoming a rising star in the region. Still in his early twenties, he has already been lauded by notable journalists Stephen Tanzer and Jancis Robinson.

The soils of the vineyard are made up of clay and chalk covered with a layer of this area’s classic large galets (pebbles), which keep yields naturally low. The vines are more than 45 years old and situated near the Plateau de Carbières, close to Château Mont Redon. Harvesting is done by hand, accompanied by a selective sorting . The grapes undergo a traditional long cuvaison (the maceration of the grape skins during red wine fermentation that transfers aroma, color and tannin to the wine) at a high temperature and with extended maceration on the skins. This is followed by aging for 14 to 18 months in foudre (large oak barrels), 10% in new barrels and 30% in concrete vats. This Châteauneuf-du-Pape offers dusty red fruits, earth and meaty notes. Clove and allspice take center stage on the palate, leading into a finely textured, medium-bodied wine. This will reward the patient and will take on weight and depth with a bit of aging.

—Nadia Dmytriw

Delightful Whites
One of our favorite producers is Denis Barraud, who runs the Domaine des Nembrets. He lives in the village of Vergisson, on the slopes of the Roche de Vergisson, a towering monolith in the hills of the Mâcon. It is one of the more complex areas in France geologically, the land has been so folded that adjacent vineyards may have completely different geology, and thus may be classified as St-Veran, Mâcon-Vergisson, or Pouilly-Fuissé. It gets a bit complicated, but the simple thing is that all of these wines are hand harvested, artisanal wines from a talented young vigneron. Denis is a dedicated young grower, who has gotten a very good write-up in the Revue des Vins de France. This is the fifth vintage we have worked with Denis and he has a string of successes that continue with his 2006s. We also have one new wine from Denis this year.
The 2006 Mâcon ($12.99) is crisp, with lots of ripe fruit in the middle and a lovely thread of minerality at the finish. No oak, just classic, clean, focused Mâcon. The 2005 St-Veran ($13.99) offers a richer character and a lovely, round mouthfeel. But Denis’s real pride and joy are his Pouilly-Fuissés. The 2006 Pouilly-Fuissé Chataignieres ($19.99) has lovely minerality and a fine, elegant style, combined with a rich middle. The 2006 Pouilly-Fuissé “Les Folles” ($23.99) comes from a vineyard adjacent to his winery, from some very old vines. It is ripe, floral and lovely, with very pretty character and a lingering finish. I was most impressed. Finally, we have the 2006 Pouilly-Fuissé “La Roche” ($25.99) from the most mineral, rocky slopes of the Roche (thus the name). The high limestone content gives this a racy quality. This sees a bit more new oak and some lees stirring. The result is a wine that can hold its head high in any company, including the famous wines from Puligny or Meursault! Á Sante!

—Keith Wollenberg

Posted by Leah Greenstein at 9:47 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Marco Ricasoli-Firidolfi is the owner of Rocca di Montegrossi situated in the Chianti Classico commune of Gaiole. Marco's roots are at the origin of Chianti. His great Grandfather, Bettino “The Iron Baron” Ricasoli, was the first premier of the fledgling Italian Republic and the inventor of modern Chianti. Marco has crafted Rocca di Montegrossi into one of the shining jewels of Chianti Classico. He produces Chianti Classico, Chianti Classico single vineyard San Marcellino, Geremia (a Super Tuscan Cabernet-Merlot blend), a spectacular Vin Santo and some of the best Extra Virgin Olive Oil in Italy! Not only is Marco a rising star, but a great guy whom we think you will find most enjoyable.

Three opportunities to meet Marco and taste some of his wines.

October 24th, Wednesday Dinner
7:00pm @ Ago Restaurant West Hollywood
A simple dinner with good wine and an opportunity to talk with Marco
(This is not a K&L Dinner but please inquire to greg@klwines.com for details. Very limited seating.)

*******
October 25th, Thursday evening 5:00-7:00pm
Tasting @ K&L Hollywood 1400 Vine St. $10.00

*******

Saturday, October 27th Tasting 2:00-5:00pm
Tasting @ K&L Hollywood 1400 Vine St. $20.00*
*(includes at least 10 wines total)

Posted by Leah Greenstein at 8:58 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I visited Sicily for three days at the end of April and beginning of May this year and in this miniscule amount of time the essence of Mt. Etna was permanently etched into my soul. Greg's Conversion on the road to Catania, as I refer to it now, was not unlike me stepping out of the desert after 40 days of fasting. I arrived in Sicily having slept only two hours in 36, flown 6,000-plus miles and driven 1,200 kilometers (thanks to a couple of Red Bulls) and, in a state of physical exhaustion, arrived five minutes late for my first appointment (I hate to be late). I was fortunate enough to meet first with Ciro Biondi, who is as gracious an Ambassador as the region could have. I had tasted his wine and been impressed with the depth of character and, while fascinated, I was still trying to understand what the “Etna” grapes were all about. Nerello mascalese and nerello cappuccio are the two dominant red varieties and carricante is the dominant white. Ciro showed me the first of his three vineyards and I was really stunned. It looked like it was a scene from Hawaii, a black sand beach, no terracing, no trellising, just 40-60 year old head trained vines stretching up a 35-degree slope. I was dumbfounded, the steepness is hard to describe. Ciro chuckled and brought me to the next vineyard, the same black sand beach yet with a 50-degree slope....for you skiers that’s a Black Diamond! The 2003 Vini Biondi Etna Rosso “Outis”($32.99) is rich and complex; it feels more like pinot or nebbiolo in the mouth and it’s gorgeous. Ciro’s 2005 Vini Biondi Etna Bianco “Gurna” ($24.99) is predominantly carricante, but from a field blend of 40 year old vines that is lush, exuberant and delicious to drink.

We also met with Andrea Franchetti, the owner of the famed Super Tuscan property Tenuta Trinoro, at his property on the north side of Etna—a new winery called Passopisciaro. His 2005 Passopisciaro Sicilia Rosso IGT ($31.99) is made from 40 year old vineyards; it is heady, supple, passion in a glass and it too really feels more like nebbiolo or pinot than anything else, drinkable and exciting. Andrea’s new project, the 2005 Franchetti Sicilia Rosso IGT ($109.99) is a blend of 60% petit verdot and 40% cesanese d’afile. You might say what the hell is that? A tiny production of 250 cases will make this wine very hard to get. This was WITHOUT A DOUBT the most impressive wine I tasted on my last trip, powerful structure and body from the petit verdot, while the rich, supple texture and heady aromatics come from the Cesanese. Trust me.

I’m running out of space so I’m just going to list what I really think are excellent wines from Etna. First, the 2004 Villagrande "Fiore" Bianco Sicilia IGT ($24.99) is a delicious 100% carricante. The powerful, (really) challenging, mineral-laden 2001 Benanti Etna Bianco Superiore “Pietramarina” ($44.99) is a multiple 3 Glass Gambero Rosso award winner. Yes this is the current vintage.The supple and expressive 2002 Benanti Rosso di Verzella Etna Rosso ($22.99) is drinking beautifully now as is the powerful, barrique-aged 2001 Benanti Rovitello ($46.99). Just outside of Etna, still nerello-based, the Palari wines are not to be missed. The 2003 Palari Rosso Soprano ($26.99) and the 2004 Palari Faro ($64.99) are stunning wines. If you’ve tried Sicilian wines before, but haven’t tasted Etna, you really need to give them a try!

—Greg St.Clair

Posted by Leah Greenstein at 9:24 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Lodi isn’t the first place on peoples’ list of the world’s exciting wine regions, much less in California. But they do one thing inarguably well—zinfandel. Why, you may ask? Well they have the heat the grape revels in and a gaggle of “old vine” zinfandel that produces intense flavors.

A perfect example of this is the 2005 Moss Roxx “Ancient Vines” Lodi Zinfandel ($34.99). Moss Rox is the oldest operating winery in Lodi, founded in 1934, and while the vines for this wine might not date back to the Ice Age, they are between 50 and 100 years old, somewhere in the vicinity of the age of one Mr. Jim Barr. The wine instantly jumps out of the glass with its freshly grated cinnamon and sappy boysenberry fruit. Boisterous and brambly this comes at you like a tidal wave of flavor, drenching your palate in black pepper, blueberry, fennel and homemade pie crust. The even better part is that this will not set your mouth on fire; the usual high octane alcohol levels are perfectly balanced.

Not to be out done is one of the most popular and quickest selling Zinfandels in recent years here at K&L. The 2005 Klinker Brick “Old Ghost” Old Vine Lodi Zinfandel ($35.99) is equally intense but holds itself quite differently. As a selection of the winery’s best fruit, the grapes come from a 90 year old vineyard that is still running strong. Not as aggressive but every bit as flavorful as the Moss Roxx, this shows more cola spice, raspberry, white pepper flavors and has an indestructible frame of bright lip-smacking acid and pliable tannin. This seems to hover on the palate, never showing the anvil-like weight that so many zins have these days. A benevelont ghost, surely, and a ghost that loves mountains of grilled, braised and slow roasted meats. Mmmmm, meat.

—Bryan Brick

Posted by Leah Greenstein at 10:08 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)