Willie Carter

8.9

Just take a look at this color. So striking. So sexy. Nice perlage and cream. The nose is so crisp and fresh. Pears and lively red cherries alongside mangoes. Freshly baked bread aromas are very nice here, as well are the grapefruit and strawberry.

Yet another young hotshot champagne maker, Aurelien Gerbais from the Aube. A friend and neighbor of Cédric Bouchard and that’s all you need to know. 50/25/25 PN/CH/Pinot Blanc with an extra brut dosage of 3 g/l. The low dosage avoids the trap of being austere, but rather it’s an inviting and gracious Rosé. The addition of 10% Coteaux Champenois Pinot Noir gives it that beautifully sexy color and viscosity.

Dry with breathtaking acidity, the terroir really speaks here. The palate follows the nose with more summer berries and light yeast. So lovely, so sleek. Good sex in a bottle. If you see these, get them. — 4 years ago

Willie Carter

8.9

Pale gold with minuscule bubbles and lush creaminess. The nose is a bit closed in at first but blossoms over time showcasing delicate white flowers, pears, and really nice apples. After more time passes, the nose begins to evolve with more than of smokiness and pepper. Lemons, limes, and strawberry and it ends with an intoxicating bit of honey. 3/4 Pinot Noir and the rest Chardonnay.

A grower from the Cotes Des Bar with very small production but insanely high quality. The terroir of Aube real speaks here and the low dosage of 4 g/l allows for that expression. Based of the 2017 vintage and disgorged in early 2020. It feels so youthful in the mouth and you just know this has many years to go.

Wonderfully harmonious despite the youthful nature of this champagne, it all comes together in the mouth. Crisp and round, the acidity is pleasingly bracing. More pears and honeyed apples all over this. Citrus fruits steal the show but the chalky minerality and savory notes are showstoppers as well. A beautiful champagne, one you won’t want to stop drinking. Stock up. — 4 years ago

Paul T HB

9.6

Wow, really nice Vodka. One of the best I’ve had,
K&L notes,

I must admit, the idea of terroir in vodka made me laugh - at first. After tasting the Lake Bartezek and Smorgory Forest vodkas from Belvedere, I'm a convert. These vodkas are made with exactly the same process as the regular Belvedere. The only difference is they are grown on single estates from an heirloom Rye variety. The two single estate releases only differ in the location of the farm and the results are shocking. Taste them side by side and compare with a standard bottle of Belvedere and you too will see that vodka is not in fact a "neutral" spirit. — 5 years ago

Ron R

9.3

Screw cap.
For $9 from K&L, this is exceptional. Presents a mineral-driven, steely nose, which transitions to the palate. Love the citrus fruits combining with delicate white flowers. Most memorable is the piercing minerality - mainly limestone. For the price, it’s unbeatable. Below $20 in the white wine class, no country touches France. — 5 years ago

with Anne-marie

Fredybeans

8.9

Pourpre
Nez de sang fruit noire et poudre noire
Bouche acidité apportant un certain équilibre
Belle densité et super équilibre fiable juteuse et épicée avec qu en même de l alcool
Bien car pas de sur extraction — 6 years ago

JB RAY

9.2

Très beau vin , arômes délicats , très belle matière en bouche , un côté très terrien que je ne l attendais pas à retrouver sur ce terroir, épices fines , j ai presque senti de la truffe ! Ça donne vraiment envie d en encaver — 7 years ago

Willie Carter

9.1

Clear blonde with a multitude of fine bubbles, really attractive and nice perlage. Very pure aromas on the nose with honeyed toast, white grapes, and a little peach. A touch of oak and apricot. There’s a definite sense of rusticity here and it’s quite welcome here. After plenty of time, those fruit notes become more mature with dates and the faintest hint of dried cherries.

An outstanding grower champagne and one that, for me, really epitomizes the genre. A bit stark and austere, which is a good thing. Half Chardonnay, half Pinot Noir with an extra brut dosage of 3 g/l. The terroir truly speaks here hailing from Bisseuil and Mareuil-Sur-Ay. Very nice acidity and quite vinous in nature.

The palate is generous and inviting especially if you give it time. Almonds, lime zest, and plenty of brioche bread. Green apples with an earthy element as the Pinot begins to take over. A truly exciting champagne that will deliver even more if you let it sit for a few more years. But I can’t blame you if you don’t.
— 4 years ago

web bond

9.1

Assemblage: PN 70% & Chardonnay 30%
Terroir: Verzenay Grand Cru
Bottling Date: April 2nd, 2014
Disgorgement: May 17th, 2019
Dosage: 1.6 G/L — 4 years ago

Paul T HB

9.5

Jeb 97 Since it was on sale I wasn’t expecting much but this in for the long haul. For $40.00🤷🏼‍♂️ instead of release of $100.00, no brainer Captûre wines are devoted to showcasing the rugged terroir of the Mayacamas Mountains. Captûre's wines are sourced from the estate vineyard some 3000ft in elevation at the top of Cloverdale Peak, along with other top vineyards in Knights Valley and Alexander Valley. These vineyards all share the same rocky volcanic soils of the Mayacamas and produce wines of both struture and elegance. Originally founded by the late, great, Denis Malbec, Captûre continues to fashion wines from traditional Bordeaux varietals to showcase this spectacular terroir. (Ryan Woodhouse - K&L Domestic Wine Buyer) — 5 years ago

Matt

9.7

Absolutely smashing! Captures everything I love about Champagne: terroir, freshness and purity, lees and autolytic notes with a dollop of post disgorgement bottle age. Perfect harmony of reductive, oxidative, and tertiary elements coming together. At its lower atmospheres this gained a gorgeous vinous feel too it which had me thinking Batard Montrachet at times. Tangerine marmalade, succulent and ripe asian pear, poached apple, pineapple, spring honey, toasted hazelnut, sweet cream, brown butter, chalk, orchard blossoms, salt, brioche. 100 CH, 5.5 g/l, 9 years on lees, 4/2014 disgorgement — 5 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.6

Haut-Bailly Dinner in SF with Veronique Sanders of Haut-Bailly.

The 2010 is an excellent vintage but, it is for the later part of your life or your children.

This is drinking beautifully with a 4 hour decant. The structure & tension are just starting to their softening stage. The length and balance are in the forget about it range and will just get better & better. Ripe, stunning fruits of; blackberries, dark cherries, black raspberries, plum & a touch of blue fruits. Moist clay & top soils, stones, mint, graphite, fresh tobacco, dark cola, anise to black licorice with stunning, withering floral bouquet. Acidity is perfect. The finish is everything you want in a Bordeaux.

Definitely a 99-100 point wine in 15 years plus.

Served with the Cheese Plate; Red Hawk, Hop Along & Roquefort. @Mathilde French Bistro

Photos of; Clyde Beffa Owner of K&L Wine Merchants & Veronique Sanders, dinner menu & pairing, Veronique talking terroir/vintages & dinner guests. — 5 years ago

Matt

9.4

Yes! Pretty much spot on from previous notes but this has shed some baby fat, really taking stride and showing Le Mesnil sur Oger raciness and chalky mineral depths. Great nose, high-toned, palate has plenty of breadth yet still carries a lot of energy and length. Love the harmony the dosage has brought forth in this wine. 100 CH 12/16 disgorgement 5g/L dosage — 7 years ago

Ebbe Bonde Soerensen

9.0

My first time with this wine after the dosage is like Extra Brut 5-6 g/l, I’m very sensitive to dosage , but this does not affect me. Great Chardonnay , terroir, long aftertaste and creamy delicious , wow this is so great 🥂 — 7 years ago

Willie Carter

9.0

Light pink with slight orange tints. Persistent precise perlage featuring tiny bubbles and creaminess. The nose is so alive and forward. Fresh strawberries, blood orange, and cranberries up top with apricots and floral notes playing back up. There’s a little touch of cinnamon along with crushed herbs and dried cherries.

This is a spectacular example of that magnificent Bouzy terroir. This is one of the best grower rosés I’ve tasted and the value is remarkable. 80% Pinot Noir with 12% of that vinified as Bouzy red wine. Aged 4 years on lees and disgorged on 05/17 with a dosage of 8 g/l. Really nice acidity with a little tartness. Elegance and refinement all day long.

Sunny and delightful on the palate. The red berries shine with more herbs and purple flowers. Caramel and warm spice. Toasty biscuits and citrus on the long finish. A no brainer of a bottle to say the least. — 4 years ago

Willie Carter

9.0

A pretty golden color in the glass. A good amount of tiny, persistent bubbles that just keep coming. The nose shines right out of the gate with those citrus aromas we all love. Toasted oak, biscuits, and chalk come to the party. You could seriously spend so much time just appreciating the nose on this.

Pure Chardonnay with a low 3 g/l dosage, this is pleasingly puckering. Wonderfully elegant yet approachable, this speaks to not just the terroir but the winemaker. You really get a clear sense of their intentions here. Full and rich with perfect balance, this is another of those rare NV champagnes that can compete with vintage bottles.

Refreshing acidity and nice structure that really elevates this. More of that chalk minerality on the palate alongside delicate white flowers and yeast. The fruit is pure and expressive with tart citrus notes. One of the best NV Bdb I’ve tasted, super impressive stuff. — 4 years ago

Matt

9.0

Honey nut cheerios, juicy apple, sweet herbs, dough, chalk. There’s a honeyed note to it all and a nice chewy texture. It finishes short, but the snapshot of an aged champagne is there. I liked the strong autolytic components. Thought the dosage seemed about right, curious if less would bring more length or vice versa. Bottles 4/2000; 7/2018 disgorgement: 3.5 g/l dosage — 5 years ago

Paul T HB

9.3

Magnum from K&L
Great QPR at $25.00 per mag
Winery notes,

beautiful terroir skillfully worked by Jérômine Paret and Philippe Garnier. Responding to the call of his parents, Jérômine gave up a career as an English teacher to take over the family estate. She then studied business and allied herself with Philippe Garnier, who has one goal in mind: to achieve excellence. She does not regret her choices today and her customers don't either! Thus, the estate evolves each year with new wines and techniques. The organically-farmed vineyards are planted mostly to Marsanne, and this is reflected in the blend, which also includes Bourboulenc, Clairette, Sauvignon, and Ugni Blanc. Fermented entirely in stainless steel and resin-lined cement vats, the wine shows notes of white flowers including honeysuckle, jasmin, and citrus blossom, while aeration reveals secondary nuances of aniseseed, eucalyptus, and hazelnut. — 5 years ago

Fredybeans

9.4

Robe noire
Nez épicé fume dû cèpe et des notes d orange sanguine
Bouche fraîche mûre pleine suave et dense à la fois finale dense mais suave juteuse long sur l épicé et une noirceur aromatique manque une profondeur pour être sur un terroir plus noble mais extra
👍👍 — 6 years ago

with picolator

Fredybeans

9.5

Robe jaune
Nez classe avec des notes gourmande et florales
Bouche ample et généreuse avec une énorme densité et un fraîcheur en finale apporté par le terroir et une plénitude liée au travail à la vigne et à l élevage
Respect 👍👍👍👍 — 7 years ago

with picolator and El

Fredybeans

8.9

Jaune claire
Nez pomme fruit jaune frais
Bouche fraîche tendue et pourtant aromatiquement riche
Longueur portée par l acidité
— 7 years ago