Dave

9.4

The 107 is pretty hot this year (2024). Great cinnamon candy, apple skins, tobacco leaves, cigar box. Very yummy.
Listening to Billie Holiday. — 22 days ago

Vanessa

9.2

Here we have the Benoit Lahaye ‘Blanc de Noirs’ – a non-vintage white bubbly made with 100% Pinot Noir, representing a blend of two parcels in Bouzy (Vaux-Bétins & Raies Tortues), each contributing a unique personality to the cuvée.

Harking back to more traditional winemaking methods, it was barrel-fermented naturally & bottled without filtration.

It has a pale gold hue w/ expressive aromas & flavors of baked red apple, cider, raspberry, fruit cake, lemon curd, cherry blossom, toast, clove, cinnamon, pastry, almond paste, and nougat next to chiseled mineral & wet stone notes.

With an ‘extra brut’ dosage (5g of sugar/L), this wine is bone dry, with a fine-beaded, creamy mousse, that is nicely balanced by a racy acidity. It has a kinetic energy & persistent finish. It’s absolutely delicious.

Who ever said you can’t sip bubbles on a Monday night?

I believe every day is worth celebrating in one form or another. Plus, this counts as studying for our WSG Champagne Masters class. Also, it’s Eiffel Tower Day!!

Cheers. — 3 months ago

with Deked1

Dennis Hogenkamp

9.2

Nice classic Mosel Riesling, Yum! Paired w/ grilled chicken salad!!!! — a year ago

Alan Cooke

9.4

Shelf 14
Had w/ D&L, low country boil. Delicious. Lots of fruit, blackberry, good tannins. — 4 years ago

eamon gallagher

9.6

Love a Weller. — 13 days ago

Charlie Tapp

9.1

Solid wheated mash, with a hint of rye spice and salted bananas foster. — 2 months ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.3

So, I am reposting this with realtime notes because I couldn’t a few weeks ago. I had it again tonight only with a Wagyu NY steak. While it went well with the steak, I think it shows even better on its own it’s that soft & elegant. I slightly over peppered my steak tonight and that could have contributed to that thought. I bought six more bottles last week for a ridiculous $39.99. For under $40, you’d be hard pressed to find a a better quality, drinkable Bordeaux at that pricepoint. I know if anyone researched the reviews on the bottling there would no scores 90 or above. Most or all I believe would be slightly below 90.

The thing that time & experience has taught me is trust in Clyde Beffa the owner of K&L Wine Merchants. He brings in older Bordeaux’s directly from Chateaux’s or Negotiants well after the fact as he has here and done very successfully for over 40 years. I have bought these kinds of older Bordeaux bottling’s to avoid drinking my wines that need cellaring too soon. Again, he has brought in a lesser Bordeaux regions and or Bordeaux producers that through long bottle evolution yielded magic after young critical reviews.

The nose reveals; older, musty funk on well aged, beautiful, ripe fruits of; soft blackberries, black raspberries, dark sweet cherry kirsch, stewy black plums, baked strawberries, dry rhubarb & cranberries. Baking soda, red fruit cola, steeped tea leaves, aged, dryish tobacco, well used leather, soft cedar to sandalwood, sandstone powder, mix of dry & fresh herbs, moist volcanic clay, limestone marl, dry river stone, well evolved and smoothed out lead pencil shavings, caramel hues, melted, warm, dark chocolate cake w/ frosting, classic older Bordeaux funk, withering to withering to dryish flowers that are dark & red.

The color isn’t even very brickish. Some barnyard, funk on well aged, beautiful, ripe fruits that are; soft blackberries, black raspberries, dark sweet cherry kirsch, stewy black plums, baked strawberries, dry rhubarb & cranberries. Baking soda, red fruit cola, steeped tea leaves, aged, dryish tobacco, well used leather, soft cedar to sandalwood, sandstone powder, mix of dry & fresh herbs, moist volcanic clay, limestone marl, dry river stone, well evolved classic, older, softened lead pencil shavings, caramel hues, melted, warm, dark chocolate cake w/ frosting, classic older Bordeaux funk, fresh to withering dryish flowers that are dark & red. Spring rainfall acidity with a well evolved, elegant, balanced, still nicely structured/tensioned, soft elegant finish that lasts two-minutes and falls on dry, well resolved tannins and perfect earthiness. Soft & complex as all get out! A steal at this price!

Photos of; the Chateau, stainless steel tanks, barrel room and Estate vineyards. — a year ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.1

For me, there are a lot stories associated with this little brother to Leoville Las Cases. Made by the same technical team, but certainly a different terroir.

Older vintages that were brought in by Clyde Beffa at K&L Wine Merchants kept me from opening my more expensive-younger Bordeaux in my collection. Starting w/ the 97 vintage well after its original release, I believe they sold through two lots of 5,000 cases over different years. A vintage crushed by critics. But with some long time cellar, value & quality. Magic!

This has always shown me QPR and to be a great fatty steak wine- Ribeye or Ribcap.

The 2007 Bordeaux vintage, critically not well reviewed. With basically 16 yrs plus in bottle, more special.

This has really come around and still ascending. Ripe, elegant, lush; dark currents, blackberries, black raspberries, dark cherry skin, black plum skin, poached strawberries, black, rich, turned earth with dry leaves, moist & dry clays, graphite, tobacco w/ ash, slightly used leather, dry river stone, limestone minerals, dry top soil, pepper, some sweet tarriness, mix of fresh & dry herbs, mid, dark spices, clove, nutmeg, some cinnamon & understated vanillin, dry, withering, dark & red florals, nice acidity with good tension, structure, finally balanced & elegant finish that lands squarely on soften earthiness, some spice and lasts two-minutes.

This still has 15 years plus of life ahead.

Paired with Costco Prime Ribcaps. — 3 days ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.4

A perfect bottle, direct import from a Negotiate via K&L. It has seen only Chateau & Negotiate storage.

Love, love, love the style of 80’s Bordeaux. Especially, the very good 80’s vintages. The style at this age is just so good as is the 12.5 ABV.

The fruit is still very solid & fresh. Ruby; blackberries, plums, poached strawberries, black raspberries, raspberries & blueberries hues. Lead pencil for days, some light v/a-bandaid, used tobacco w/ ash, very used leather, dark spice, understated mushroom, baking spices- light nutmeg/clove, cinnamon, vanillin, dry, river stone, limestone, dark rich soil with dry leaves, mix of dry and fresh herbs, touch of mint, moist clay, withering & dry dark, red, flowers, rainfall acidity and a well balanced, nicely structured, softly tensioned, beautiful finish that lasts 90 seconds.

Paired with/ Allen Brothers Cover Ribs. — a year ago

KA

9.4

Very smooth and well rounded — 4 years ago