It's Champagne season! Whether you're looking for a wine to add some sparkle to your office holiday party, to liven up a festive dinner or for that perfect gift, K&L has a bubbly that suits your needs.

LeClerc Briant
The highlight of my fall was easily September’s trip to Champagne with Gary and Cindy Westby. It was my first trip to the region and after 10 days of cool, rainy weather (before we arrived) it was all sun and temperatures in the high 70s. This turned an otherwise mediocre harvest into quite a good one, though yields were less than normal. Toward the end of my trip, we visited LeClerc Briant, who ended their harvest on September 15. I was also able to meet the lovely Amelie, Pascal LeClerc’s biodynamic consultant whose true passion is working to produce the finest biodynamic Champagne. The tour of the cellar was amazing; all of the riddling is done by hand in chalk caves far beneath the surface of Epernay. A cellar specialist can riddle up to 60,000 bottles per day, which makes my wrists ache just thinking about it. Later in the day, we toured the chalky (and rocky) hillside vineyards of Les Crayes and Les Chevres Pierreuses. A dinner at Pascal’s house later that night, with recipes from LeClerc Briant, rounded off the day with great food and (of course) LeClerc Briant Champagne. We tried the 2002 LeClerc Briant Divine ($39.99), which is my featured wine for November. The wine had a very pretty, very open nose with notes of tropical fruits, mandarin oranges, bananas and a slight hint of coconut and brioche. On the palate the flavors were rich: poached pears, cashews and cream. A blend of 50% chardonnay and 50% pinot noir, this is a very viscous champagne with a big mouthful of flavors, crisp on the mid-palate with a very fine finish. An excellent cellar candidate. We recently stocked the 1990 and it tasted exquisite after 17 years. To obtain maximum enjoyment of Pascal’s latest release I suggest trying the 2002 on its own. The tropical notes and luscious palate really stand out. If you prefer to enjoy this wine with food, try it with creamier cheeses or light chicken dishes!
—Scott Beckerly