St. Clair vs. Suckling - K&L Takes the Suckling Wine Challenge Round 2: Italy

K&L Wine Challenge Round 2: Italy!

St. Clair vs. Suckling: K&L Takes the Suckling Retail Challenge

Challenge #2: Italy

When noted wine critic James Suckling challenged K&L to his retail challenge, our Italian buyer Greg St. Clair was on the first flight to LA to meet him at our Hollywood store to take him up on it.

In this edition of the Wine Challenge, Greg chose three wines from Italy for James to taste blind. All three must meet the price requirement of being $30 or less.

What wines did Greg choose? How did they show? Click the picture above to watch the video from Challenge #2 and find out what wines succeeded and how they scored. 

(We've also posted a cheat sheet of the results with links learn more about each wine below.)

K&L Challenge #2: Italy - Suckling's Scores and Reviews

Click the links to learn more about these wines currently in stock at K&L:

Wine #1

91 pts   2008 Cantine Ascheri Barolo ($29.99)  A wine with really lovely fruit and a citrus and berry character. Full body, with firm tannins and a juicy finish. Long and delicious. So pretty, balanced. Drink now. So right now.

Wine #2

93 pts   2010 Anna Maria Abbona "Maioli" Dolcetto di Dogliani ($20.99) This is crazy with a subtle berry and juicy character. Full and very balanced with fine tannins and complex flavors. Turns firm and gorgeous.

Wine #3

93 pts   2010 Riecine Chianti Classico ($23.99) A wine with fresh fruit and chocolate, berry and juicy character. Lovely undertones of sliced orange. Long. Intense.

Links to Past Challenge Videos

K&L v. Suckling Challenge #1

Stay tuned for more Suckling Wine Challenge videos and related posts on Uncorked...

K&L Italian buyer Greg St. Clair and James Suckling in the K&L Hollywood store.

K&L Blind Tasting Challenge: Bordeaux Blends,The Results!

Last weekend we hosted the latest in our Blind Tasting Challenge series. This time we took a lineup of traditional Bordeaux Blends from around the world and pitted them against one another. The voting was very tight this time around but eventually a winner emerged: (drum roll please) The De Toren "Z" Stellenbosch, South Africa, $31.99! 

This wine is crafted to be softer and more approachable in it's youth than De Toren's Fusion V bottling that is a more structured cellaring candidate. I think the "Z" charmed our tasters with its rich fruit, depth, concentration and silky tannin structure. The wine also only displays subtle smoky characteristics that so often define South African reds. There is real quality here and a long tradition focused on producing world class Bordeaux style reds. For those of you that have drunk wine from Stellenbosch before, it should come as no surprise that this wine bested the rest of the field and is considerably less expensive than some of its competitors.

Here is the complete lineup:

1: 2009 La Fleur Calon, Montagne St Emilion, Bordeaux, France, $14.99

2:2010 Kathryn Kennedy Lateral, Napa Valley, California, $34.99

3: 2010 Viña Von Siebenthal "Parcela #7" Gran Reserva, Aconcagua Valley, Chile, $16.99

4: 2009Te Mata Estate “Coleraine” Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand, $49.99

5 2010 De Torien “Z” Stellenbosch, South Africa, $31.99

6:2010 Sapaio "Volpolo" Bolgheri, Italy, $34.99

7: 2009 Ch. Poujeaux, Moulis en Medoc, Bordeaux, France, $44.99

8: 2008 L'Ecole No. 41 "Perigee" Seven Hills Vineyard, Walla Walla Valley, Washington $44.99

9: 2010 Amelia Park Cabernet-Merlot, Margaret River, Western Australia $19.99

10: 2009 Sacred Hill "Helmsman" Cabernet-Merlot, Gimblett Gravels, Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand, $39.99

Until next time,

Cheers

Ryan

St. Clair vs. Suckling: K&L Takes the James Suckling Retail Challenge!

St. Clair vs. Suckling: K&L Takes the Suckling Retail Challenge!

Challenge #1

When noted wine critic James Suckling challenged K&L to his retail challenge, our Italian buyer Greg St. Clair was on the first flight to LA to meet him at our Hollywood store to take him up on it.

What wines did Greg choose? How did they show? Click the image above to watch the video from Challenge #1 (out of 8) and find out how which wines succeeded.

The results for each challenge will be posted on Uncorked in the upcoming weeks. Stay tuned for more Suckling Retail Challenge videos and related posts! 

 

K&L Italian buyer Greg St. Clair and James Suckling in the K&L Hollywood store.

Cram session: James Suckling prepares for the Challenge.