Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.3

It has been a while since I’ve opened a Clemence. A favorite of mine & Sofia once upon a time. Still drink it, just not as often as I have moved to mostly Extra Brut. This is a Brut at 8g. Excellent Champagne & value at $44.99.

I believe there are only two resellers you can acquire it, one east coast & one west-K&L. You have to buy it pretty quickly once they get their container. It took several yrs building that relationship as Launois is careful about who they let resell their cuvées. In fact, it is even difficult to get in France. K&L has standing orders from some French citizens they ship back to France once they receive it. Kinda crazy.

The palate has nice mousse with lively acidity and micro oxygenation. Lime/lemon pulp w/ zest, stone fruits-white dominant, grapefruit w/ pith, bruised red/golden apples, Bosc pear, caramel, vanillin, some yeast, baguette crust, white spice, gritty, grey volcanics, chalky bits, limestone marl, oyster shells, yellow flowers/lilies, spring flowers with a little greens mixed in, very good acidy, well; made/balanced/tensioned with a smartly polished, elegant finish that lasts minutes and land on excellent minerality.

If you get to Champagne, visit. They have a huge museum of champagne/wine artifacts that date back to BC. My two pics do not show its enormity. They are about 35-40 minutes south of Reims.

They are the only producer I know of that places a rubber casket attached to the bottom of their corks. So, next to never do their cuvées have cork taint.

Enjoying it with the Jasper Hill Farms - Willoughby, buttery washed soft white cheese. Try with Rainbow Crisp crackers or warm baguette. Also, on apples with and w/o honey. — 5 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. — 2 years ago

Alan Cooke

9.4

Shelf 14
Had w/ D&L, low country boil. Delicious. Lots of fruit, blackberry, good tannins. — 5 years ago

Paul T, Missing My Beautiful Wife 24/7

9.1

30 year old Mag for $100, its classic Napa, notes from K&L These library wines from Lakespring w\Winery have immaculate provenance and were purchased directly from the original owner of the property. They have spent the past few decades in commercial wine storage and were hand-delivered to K&L and inspected bottle by bottle. As with all old wines the corks can be fragile and we recommend using a Durand opener or other ah-so style opener for best results. The wines may also contain natural sediment — 6 years ago

B

10

1985 Maison Leroy Chambertin. Dinner at Cap w J&L B. Not great. Disappointed. — 7 years ago

Laura Purdy

8.9

So many baking spices - in a good way! — 8 years ago

Dave

9.2

Wrapping up this bottle. Sweet heat, but the 107 proof will consistently fool you. Very good.
Listening to Sixpence None the Richer — 6 months 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. — a year 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. — 2 years ago

KA

9.4

Very smooth and well rounded — 5 years ago

B

10

1994 Screaming Eagle. Dinner w J&L B and D&M H while staying with D&M in Santa Ynez. Opened and waited about an hour. Decanted right before serving. Tons of jammy dark fruit. Opened more in the glass. JB mentioned full palate and balance. Great finish. Preferred this to ‘91 Dominus once this opened up. — 6 years ago

B

10

Magnum 2015 PYCM Les Chenevottes Chassagne Montrachet. Dinner w J&L B at Nob. Awesome. Lots of mineral notes. Loved it. — 7 years ago

B

10

2001 DRC La Tache. Dinner at Rep w DS, A&L S, McC. Amazing. Did not decant. Much bigger than the ‘85 Griotte-Chambertin. — 8 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.4

I bought this at K&L recently for $79 to judge their 3rd wine vs the younger Dana & Onda I have. This is made from de-selected fruit from their 3 primary single vineyards.


If you love lush/plush, ripe. bold Napa Cabernets, you will love the 2014 Vaso today. It’s still early but drinking nicely tonight. It took a 3 hr decant. Prior, it was missing a bit of a mid-palate. Not now!

The nose is beautiful. Dark currants-cassis, sandalwood, dry twig, dryish tobacco, mid intensity baking spices, dark chocolate, sweet tarriness, black licorice, dark to mid berry cola, steeped black tea, caramel/mocha, dry crushed rocks, candied to withering flowers framed in soft violets & lavender.

The palate is rich, lush, bold & striking. Dark currants-cassis, wild, ripe; blackberries, black raspberries, black cherries, both plums-black dominate to pudding, a buffet of mixed purple fruits, some baked strawberries w/ haunting raspberries. Bold, dark spices, caramel, mocha, clove, nutmeg, cinnamon stick & a touch of vanilla, anise to black licorice, a mix of fresh & herbs, light cedar to sandalwood, dry tobacco with some ash, graphite, dry river stone, limestone marl, dry crush rocks, dry top soil, dark, withering to candied; dark, red flowers with violets, grand acidity, layered finish that is well balanced-structured, still well tensioned, elegant & smartly polished finish that goes on and on. Delicious, especially the longer it sat in the decanter. 3 hours total.

I bought 13 & 15 Vaso for the same price before finishing my comments.

This has 15-20 yrs of good drinking ahead.

@SimplyRedVirtualLiveHamburg — 7 months 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. — a year ago

with Deked1

Dennis Hogenkamp

9.2

Nice classic Mosel Riesling, Yum! Paired w/ grilled chicken salad!!!! — 2 years ago

ESF

9.6

One of the absolute best off the shelf (if you can find it!) Bourbons out there. Infinitely smooth & complex, not trying too hard - don’t mix this, drink w/splash of water and everything will be alright. — 3 years ago

Jeff Hasmann

9.3

Liquid dessert! For me, the 20 year Tawnies are the sweet spot and always a special treat. I like the 20 years because you get the intense caramel, toffee, and hazelnut, but can still taste the fruit. Grahams always makes consistent Tawnies - the style leans towards full-bodied and opulent. This batch bottled in March 2018 with 111 g/L RS. Love! NV on March 16, 2020 — 6 years ago

B

10

1990 Jaboulet Aine La Chapelle Hermitage Syrah. Post Thanksgiving dinner w J&L B and Ash/Sush at Tosc. We thought the bottle might have been off. No savory notes, very uni-dimensional, abrupt finish. — 7 years ago

Chris England

9.1

🎄 Advent Halfy Calendar Day 22 🎄

🎅 Santa says “Two more sleeps boys & girls 😊 I hope you’ve all been good! I have so I’m going to pop these bubbles 😉”

📝 I say this has aged quick in the baby bottle and very oxidative reminiscent of a Bollinger with 10 years age - a good new find 👍

⏩ 🍾 Mrs E got Ruinart Blanc de Blancs NV

📍 R&L Legras Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs Brut NV

🏵 91 points but would like to re-evaluate on a 75/150cl bottle vs 37.5cl

🍇 Chardonnay

🍷 Golden yellow straw

👃 Oxidative toasted brioche, smoke, fallen apples, honey & burnt citrus curd biscuit w/ a cream caramel & mineral undertone

👄 Med+ bodied rich ripe fine bubbled mousse of caramelised apple, honey, citrus biscuit, grapefruit & dry mineral

🎯 Med++ touch dry burnt caramel apple tarte tatin, citrus curd, grapefruit & mineral linger — 8 years ago