Our Top 10 Picks for April

2020 Rhonea "Terroir Daranton" Gigondas (Elsewhere $40) ($19.99)

96 points Decanter: "Very full, rich and luxurious in style with ripe red berries and some rich, meaty fruit coming through on the palate; grainy and gritty tannins, with plenty to chew on. Feels youthful and tight but harmonious. The lovely acid line brings precision and pep. Tapered finish. Very appealing! (DWWA 2022)" (06/2022)

92 points Vinous: "Deep magenta. The perfumed nose showcases spice-accented cherry, raspberry and fragrant floral notes. Broad and seamless in texture, offering appealingly sweet red and blue fruit, allspice and licorice flavors and a touch of lavender. Delicate tannins add shape to the persistent, sharply focused finish, which echoes the spice and floral notes. (JR)" (01/2023)

K&L Notes: Following in the footsteps of some of France's greatest cooperatives, Rhonéa reestablished itself about a decade ago when the Cave de Vacqueyras and Cave de Beaumes des Venise merged. Though there are some 400 growers in their stable, they make appellation wines that are easily accessible and well represent their respective regions. It's the wines that focus on the single terroirs and domaine bottlings that are truly striking though. Covering the range from Vacqueyras, Beaumes des Venise, Rasteau, Gigondas and even Chateauneuf-du-Pape, they work with various growers to produce appellation, single-vineyard and domaine wines. The Terroir Daranton Gigondas is from vines in the Grand Montmirail, Prébayon and Col du Cayron areas. The soils are a mix of clay, limestone and sandstones with altitudes as high as 500m. A blend of 70% Grenache, 20% Syrah and 10% Mourvèdre, all grapes are hand harvested and elevage takes place entirely in concrete tanks.

Keith Mabry | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: March 13, 2025

Gigondas is one of my favorite Rhone regions. The hillsides there provide the ideal environment for sussing out Grenache's ample fruit but tempering it with minerality and spice notes. Rhonea is big producer in the area and they make tremendous value wines across Gigondas, Vacqueyras and Beaumes des Venise. All top crus and top-notch winemaking. They have access to great fruit among their growers and put together accessible and on-point bottlings. The Terroir Daranton is one of the best wines that I have tasted from them to date. From a terrific vintage, now a couple of years in bottle, this wine shows black fruit notes with blackberry, currants and fig jam plus those lovely Grenache-tobacco aromas. I tasted my first sample over the course of a couple of days and it drank well opening further and sustaining itself beautifully while I held onto it. Normally this wine runs north of $40 a bottle but since we had a past relationship with them, we were able to bring it in for a nearly broken price of $20. It is rare to see delicious Gigondas under $30 (and I do have some other great examples) but under $20?!? Not for many years. It hits so hard, we bought everything left at the winery. This will go down as one of the best buys of the year!

2020 Marqués de Murrieta Reserva Rioja ($25.99)

94 points James Suckling: "Harmonious, textbook Rioja that shows cedar, spiced strawberries, vanilla and plums. Really polished on the palate, with fresh acidity and a linear, lengthy finish. Very subtle extraction makes this a really balanced, harmonious Rioja thats appealing now. But the balance will help it age well for the next few years. (ZS)" (08/2024)

94 points Wine Advocate: "The 2020 Rioja Reserva, their flagship wine, comes from the 300 hectares of estate vineyards. Here, Tempranillo is the backbone, making up 82% of the blend in the low-yielding vintage of 2019, complemented with 8% Graciano, 7% Mazuelo and 3% Garnacha. It has controlled ripeness at 14% alcohol, with a pH of 3.65 and 5.1 grams of acidity. I loved the aromatics herefloral and elegant, more in the style of the 2018 than the 2019. it's lighter, more elegant, fine-boned and has a silky texture and very fine tannins. Both 2019 and 2020 are very good, but 2020 is more my style. 980,000 bottles produced. It was bottled after 21 months in American oak barrels. (LG) 94+" (02/2024)

94 points Tim Atkin: "This won't be ready to drink for some time, but it's well worth buying some now to tuck away for a few years. Sourced from the entire estate, it's a cuvée of Tempranillo with 8% Graciano, 7% Mazuelo and 3% Garnacha Tinta, that has appealing American oak sweetness and spices, a ripe, dense, textured palate of blackberry and mulberry fruit and plenty of balancing acidity." (02/2024)

93 points Penin Guide: "Colour : bright cherry, garnet rim - Aroma: red berry notes, spicy, wild herbs, complex - Flavour: balanced, good acidity, fine tannins" (06/2024)

K&L Notes: Marques de Murrieta is one of the oldest and most prestigious producers in Rioja. Founded in 1852 by the future Marques with a vision for Rioja that was more than 100 years ahead of it time, to create a Rioja Estate similar to classic Bordeaux Estates. This was a giant leap from other producers at the time which was based on buying and blending fruit from all over the region. Their 300ha estate is located just outside of Logrono in one of the region's best terroirs. In the 90’s and early ‘00’s they started to update and modernize their style. This is still a traditional wine, but now it is created with the best technology available. A classic Rioja with polish and finesse.

Kirk Walker | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: March 27, 2025

When thinking about the wines and winery Marques de Murrieta I always feel that there is an overlap with Bordeaux. Now, there are many reasons for this that have absolutely nothing to do with the wine in our glasses. This estate, yes estate like in Bordeaux, was conceived of being a wine estate or a Chateaux in Bordeaux. The original owner was inspired by those wines while he was in exile in the 1840s. When he returned to Rioja, he specifically created the estate that way while all of his contemporaries were just making blends from fruit or wine from all over the region. The history of Rioja is very much intertwined with Bordeaux. Another reason, and this has nothing to do with the wine, but the export manager for the estate is the grandson of the former owner of Pichon Lalande. The last connection informs the next, the Reserva always has a feel to it that to makes me think of the best St Julien. Now this in no way tastes like Bordeaux, this is unmistakably Rioja, with its aromatics from the fruit and oak aging, not to mention the difference in structure. But there is a polish, a reserved intensity and balance to this wine. I cannot put an exact word to it, but that presence is apparent just from the nose, this smell like special Rioja. 2020 is not as concentrated of a vintage as the 2019, and that plays towards the more elegant style of Marques de Murrieta. The nose is lifted and aromatic, the core is that dark cherry fruit of Tempranillo, which is fresh and bright, but the

2005 Citran, Haut-Médoc ($39.99)

92-94 points Wine Enthusiast: "This is full of intensely ripe fruit, but seductively balanced with the fresh acidity. The wine is solid, but also lively, with dusty tannins layered with some new wood flavors. (RV)" (06/2006)

Wine Spectator: "Shows blackberry and currant aromas, with a hint of sweet tobacco. Full-bodied, with soft, silky tannins and a long, fruity finish. A pretty wine." (03/2008)

Wine Advocate: "This is an equal-part blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Good, dense fruit as well as some toasty new oak and spice jump from the glass of this dark ruby/purple-colored wine. Approachable and showing well, this 2005 is medium to full-bodied, ripe and very well-made." (01/2015)

K&L Notes: This is a great example of affordable older Bordeaux. A Japanese investment group revived Château Citran in the late 1980s. The property is nestled behind the Margaux appellation.

Ryan Moses | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: March 28, 2025

Coming from one of the oldest properties in Bordeaux, Cirtan is situated in the Haut-Médoc, just inland from Margaux. We've carried various vintages over the years, but this has become an instant favorite of mine. From the famed 2005 vintage on its twentieth birthday, I really adore how it expresses the vintageperfectly ripe, but bright acids, pure fruit, and good structure. It's also holding very strong at this stage in the gamethere's a wonderful mature claret character, but it is also refreshing and full of bright fruit. All in all, just a perfect spot for this gem, but I'd guess the structure will carry it for another ten years with ease. It begs for a meal, but there's charm on its own as well. For an aged Bordeaux that hits all the right notes, it'll be nearly impossible to find a 2005 of this caliber for our current going rate.

2022 Château de Beauregard Pouilly-Fuissé 1er Cru "La Maréchaude" ($39.99)

92 points Jasper Morris: "Glowing yellow. It may be Vergisson but the sun is shining in this south facing vineyard with the cliff behind. Sauvignon touch from the buis (in the past). Now on the palate more of a honeysuckle note, but then the chiselled freshness returns." (04/2024)

91 points Vinous: "The 2022 Pouilly-Fuissé La Maréchaude 1er Cru has one of the most precise aromatics, the most mineral-driven with lemon verbena, wet limestone and touches of white flower. The palate is taut, vibrant, linear and chalky, with hints of white peach, almond, and kiwi fruit emerging with time. Burrier said there are similarities with a ripe Sauvignon Blanc, and I can see that. Very fine.(NM)" (08/2024)

88-91 points Burghound: "There is a curious hint of sauvignon blanc-like character on the moderately oaked aromas of mostly white orchard fruit. The sleek, delicious and seductively textured flavors exude evident minerality on the lingering if borderline sweet finale. This is presently somewhat awkward and almost odd though my projected range offers the benefit of the doubt that it will clean up once it's rack and prepared for bottling." (08/2023)

Alex Pross | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: January 10, 2025

"La Marechaude" means hot tide because it sits just below 1er Cru Les Crays vineyard at the entrance into the valley which shields it from the wind creating a warm vineyard site. The 2022 Chateau de Beauregard Pouilly Fuisse 1er Cru "La Marechaude" has a salty, citrus-laced nose suggestive of white flowers in full bloom while the palate is a complex mixture of beautiful orchard fruits tilting towards peach and nectarine with a silky smooth mouthfeel. Harmonious and sumptuous this offering oozes beautiful fruit that goes until the long finish fades from the back of your tongue.

2022 Ridge Vineyards "Lytton Springs - 50th Anniversary" Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel ($44.95)

96 points Wine Enthusiast: "The densely packed nose of this legendary old vine field blend of Zin, Petite Sirah, Carignane, and Alicante gives aromas of crushed blackberry, purple flowers and rich earthy spices, while the palate brings black cherry, olive and licorice flavors in a framework of opulent tannin that will age effortlessly for more than a decade. *Cellar Selection*"

95 points Wine Spectator: "Like a beast that's been tamed, this red is genteel and polished on the outside but dark and fervent deep down, with expressive flavors of blackberry, briar patch, savory anise and pepper. Zinfandel, Petite Sirah, Carignane and Alicante Bouschet. Drink now through 2035."

95 points Decanter: "This bottling marks the 50th Lytton Springs from Ridge, and appropriately, the wine is beguiling and intensepure Americana and emblematic of Ridge's commitment to the heritage varieties and vines in California. Lytton Springs is home to 100-plus-year-old Zinfandel vines interplanted with Petite Sirah and Carignane, among a few other varieties. This bottling has become a standard bearer for the notion of California Zinfandel: smoky clove spices, toasted cinnamon sticks, bramble fruits and spicy black plums. The palate shows intense concentration, red and black plums, black pepper, muddled mint leaves and an undertone of dried anise and thyme. Delicious and built to age. (CP)" (09/2024)

94 points Wine Advocate: "The 2022 Lytton Springs 50th Anniversary is composed of 67% Zinfandel, 19% Petite Sirah, 11% Carignane and 3% Alicante Bouschet. It opens with initial touches of glossy new American oakdill and toasted coconutand gives way to kaleidoscopic black and red plums, cherries and berries, plus accents of hibiscus and potpourri. The full-bodied palate features generous, spicy flavors. Its structured by abundant, powdery tannins and lively acidity and has a long, detailed finish. Winemaker Shauna Rosenblum says this 2022 was crafted using only American oak, a shift from the blend of French and American oak used in the past. It has resulted in a particularly pure, transparent expression that opens dramatically with air, and this 2022 Lytton Springs will benefit from several years in the cellar. (EB)" (09/2024)

94 points Vinous: "The 2022 Lytton Springs 50th Anniversary is a characterful edition of this classic cuvée, notable for its élevage in only American oak. Exuberant cherry/berry fruit and licorice meet with grilled herbs, tanned leather, vanilla and dill, all energized by juicy acidity. This is a large-scale wine that will certainly stand the test of time. The clarity and precision here are commendable, especially packaged in such a broad-shouldered frame. Fabulous. (BN)" (09/2024)

2019 Scarlett "Reserve - McGah Family Vineyard" Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon (Elsewhere $150) Price: Hidden

95-97 points Jeb Dunnuck: "The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve has slightly deeper notes of blackcurrants, mulberries, chocolate, toasted spice, and flowery incense. With full-bodied richness, a rounded, expansive texture, beautiful tannins, and a great finish, this more opulent, layered, sexy wine is also going to benefit from short-term bottle age and keep for two decades. (JD)"

Aaron Hughes | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: April 07, 2025

There's just gobs of rich and juicy blackberries frontloaded on the nose, this mixed with a little bit of black cherry juice and some dense brushy herbs that have all been coated in that Rutherford dust. The palate is powerful, very dark, and dense. Tar, tobacco and saddle leather dominate on the palate competing with inky black fruit, dried green herbs, and licorice whispers. The firm grip of tannin that softens slowly through the finish, finally giving way to a bit of remaining acidity. The mouthfeel is plush and velvety, with a roundness, despite the slight tannic grip. This is a Cabernet for people who crave their next big, bold and brash encounter in the glass. To tame something like this, you would need a well-marbled steak with some compound butter on top and the fattest potato you can find. It should intimidate you just a little bit.

Ryan Moses | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: March 28, 2025

Impressively aromatic with boysenberry, cedar, vanilla, and black cherries, there's also a subtle note of earthiness that reminds me of standing in the vineyards in Rutherford. On the palate it is at once decadent but serious, rich but refined, with explosive flavors of perfectly ripe cherry, plum, raspberry coulis, and more. The texture is impressive, and a long, fruit driven and mineral tinged finish resolves the fine tannins. This is one where I'd say the original release price clearly is conveyed by the quality in the bottle. Considering the price we're talking about here, there might not be a better buy in luxury Napa Cab on today's market.

Ryan Woodhouse | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: March 26, 2025

For anyone seeking bold, powerful, full-throttle Napa Cabernet for a price that looks like were back in 1999...you've found it! This is one of the biggest deals of the year so far and I'm still pinching myself a little to check it's real! The Scarlett Reserve Cabernet comes from the Mcgah family's incredible estate located in southern Rutherford, near the Oakville boarder. This stunning estate, just off the Silverado Trail, is surrounded on three sides by Beckstoffer's legendary George III Vineyard (a property originally planted by BV founder Georges de Latour in 1928). This is absolutely prime dirt for growing world-class Cabernet and that's exactly what fills this bottle. The McGah style is not for the faint of heart, this wine is a seriously intense, a powerful wine with massive fruit concentration, lashings of luxurious oak spices, warm dusty earth notes, new leather, and graphite. The reserve bottling gets the very best blocks and very best barrels selected for their explosive flavors and voluptuous texture. At almost $100 off, this is without doubt one of the best offer's in our entire inventory. With 10 years of great drinking ahead of it, don't come up short on this one, it's a home run.

2016 Damien Hugot Grand Cru "Cramant" Blanc de Blancs Millesime ($59.99)

This all stainless steel fermented Chardonnay Champagne comes exclusively from the grand cru of Cramant- the steepest of all the villages on the Côte des Blancs. The old-vine estate parcels used for this have yielded a wine of both richness and refreshment. Dosed at just 2g/l after seven years on the lees, it is a blanc de blancs that has it all! -Gary Westby, K&L Champagne Buyer

Craig Morris | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: March 15, 2025

This is my kind of Champagne! The nose is citrus and lemon curd. On the palate it's electric with bright, tart acidity and loads of chalky minerality. There's also lemon curd, citrus, and toasty brioche, all permeated with very fine bubbles. This makes for a bright, elegant, and sunny style of Champagne that's great as an apertif or for sipping on all night.

Gary Westby | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: March 13, 2025

Simply spectacular blanc de blancs from the steepest slopes of the Côte des Blancs grand crus in Cramant! This all stainless, all old vine vintage champagne has the electricity and refreshment married to rich toasty character that reminds me of the greatest of the 2002's. I love the sourdough and citrus combination on the nose and vivacious acidity that follows the rich mid palate. Don't miss this great vintage offering from Damien Hugot!

Kerry Kirkham | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: October 09, 2024

This noseflinty and chalky with hints of pastry and lemon curd. It rings all the fine bubbly bells and whistles, signaling that what Im about to taste is going to be incredible. Rich and dry, this generous Champagne embodies pure elegance and sophistication: lemon, flint, chalk, and toast, culminating in a lingering toasty finish with subtle hints of vanilla pastry cream that swirls in the sinuses. Ive tasted wines that cost twice as much and are nowhere near as good. Fantastic value!

Philip Roufail | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: October 04, 2024

2016 was a "solar vintage" (hot!) yielding luscious ripe, fleshy fruit. Damien Hugot's 2016 Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs is 100% Chardonnay with a mid-palate richness that can only come from the Grand Cru village of Cramant. The chalky minerality that defines the Cote de Blancs shines through with plush notes of sourdough, ginger, saline, lime, red apple, almond, and lees. Snappy acidity on the finish. A wonderful vintage offering from one of our most reputable grower-producers!

Alex Leonardini | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: October 04, 2024

The 2016 Damien Hugot "Cramant" Blanc de Blancs is one of the purest examples in terroir and most precise bottles of wine I have ever had the pleasure of tasting. The nose is enticingly fresh and mineral-driven, and the palate unfolds in alternating layers of oyster shell, freshly baked sourdough, struck flint, green apple, crushed limestone, and key lime citrus fruit. The wine is perfectly structured with electric acidity jumping from bubble to fine bubble in arcs of barely contained energy. To say this is one of my favorite Champagnes of the year is an understatement; this is one of my favorite Champagnes of all time. It is a wine for the Champagne lover and a wine to convert the non-sparkling drinker; to impress friends and colleagues, and to drink in celebration. This is a comprehensive lesson in minerality and a reminder of the heights that great Champagne can reach.

2021 Aperture "Soil Specific" Sonoma County Cabernet Sauvignon ($69.95)

96 points Wine Advocate: "The 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon comes from Aperture's estate vineyard in Healdsburg and their newest vineyard acquisition, Farrow Ranch in Alexander Valley, plus some of the original single vineyards in the Aperture program like Oliver Ranch. It is blended with 6% Petit Verdot, 5% Merlot, 3% Malbec and 1% Cabernet Franc and was matured for 16 months in 55% new French oak. It has vibrant, layered aromas of blueberry compote, lavender, aniseed, milk chocolate and nutmeg with undertones of cast iron and tobacco leaves. The medium-bodied palate is elegantly styled, pairing deep flavors with a weightless feel due to its bright acidity and velvety tannins. It has a long, latent finish and deserves 3-5 years in bottle. (EB)" (12/2023)

95 points Jeb Dunnuck: "Pouring a deep red/purple color, the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon has the addition of 6% Petit Verdot, 5% Merlot, 3% Malbec and a splash of Cabernet Franc, all raised in 55% new French oak for 18 months. Its aromatic of brambly crunchy fruits, with notes of blackberries, resinous herbs, mossy forest earth, and mocha. Full-bodied and light on its feel, with lovely freshness, it offers refined tannins and a good deal of length, with an even spine of acidity to hold up its decadent nature. It is going to be an age-worthy wine to enjoy over the next 15 or so years." (06/2024)

94 points James Suckling: "Ripe berries and cherries with some currant jam as well as a bouquet of fresh flowers. Full-bodied with lots unctuous fruit and layers of tannins that are supple and caressing. Flavorful finish. Fresh, too. For people who want flavor. Drink or hold." (11/2023)

2019 Livio Sassetti "Pertimali" Brunello di Montalcino ($77.99)

95 points James Suckling: "Expressive, crunchy dark fruit, such as black cherry and blue plum, as well as violets and peppery undertones. Medium-bodied, creamy palate with a wonderful backbone of acidity. Subtly toasty finish. Complex, yet well rounded and balanced." (09/2023)

95 points Vinous: "The 2019 Brunello di Montalcino is a spice box of a wine, opening with a burst of camphor and dried flowers, giving way to crushed blackberries, sage and cloves. This is surprisingly energetic and racy in style. Vibrant acidity propels depths of dark red fruits and inner floral as salty minerals saturate. The 2019 finishes structured and long yet still lively, leaving violet inner florals and hints of currant to taper off slowly. The combination of power, depth and energy makes this impossible to ignore. (EG)" (12/2023)

95 points Wine Spectator: "Ripe, sweet cherry and strawberry flavors are offset with savory elements of mushroom, woodsy underbrush and leather. This intense red is well integrated and supple in texture, with a terrific, succulent aftertaste. (BS)" (06/2024)

Orazio Campoli | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: April 01, 2025

This is one of the most famous producers in the northern side of the appellation. Founded in the early 1900s it has been a staple in the region ever since. The winery is situated in the Montosoli area north of Montalcino where temperature tends to be lower, and the vineyards are higher than most other part of the appellation. The soil here is also limestone-rich, which brings additional freshness and precision to this Brunello. As you know by now, 2019 was a majestic vintage in Montalcino, and you wont be disappointed by this producer, especially if you like Brunello that are lifted and ethereal. Aged for 36 months in large Slavonian oak casks, the wine maintains a firm traditional backbone while remaining accessible in its youth.This is a Brunello for purists.

2023 Raen "Royal St. Robert Cuvée" Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir ($79.95)

99 points James Suckling: "An amazingly complex, dynamic wine that demands your attention from the first sniff to the lingering finish. Aromas of redwood forest, rosemary, purple flowers and black cherries, then black tea, pomegranate, dark cherry, dried raspberry and wild mushroom flavors. Fine-grained moderate tannins and crunchy acidity give it such a firm backbone." (01/2025)

93 points Vinous: "The 2023 Pinot Noir Royal St. Robert is redolent of floral, savory and citrus notes. I find it especially brilliant and crystalline. At the same time, the 2023 is pretty tightly wound. Rose petal, iron, tea leaves, incense and dried herbs open nicely with some coaxing, The colder growing season brings out the slightly gamier, wilder side of Pinot Noir along with plenty of brightening acidity in this mid-weight, taut Pinot from Raen. (AG)" (01/2025)

Scott Beckerley | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: March 08, 2025

There is a reason why Raen has an almost cult-like reputation, and this release reminds us why. Medium-bodied and chewy with tart tannins, it also has deep red fruits and black cherries. These combine with black raspberry fruit, savory spice, earth and grilling scents. More than pretty great. Really great!