K&L In-Store Tastings: Bordeaux and Exploring Mexico

Greetings K&L friends!

The rosters are set for this weekend's in-store tastings, so please mark your calendars for an evening (or two) of fascinating and fun exploration with your fellow wine lovers and our K&L staff. Read below for more details on this week's dynamic events.

In addition to our weekly tastings, we regularly host or participate in other Special Tasting Events and Dinners. Also, don't forget, you can always explore in more depth on K&L's On the Trail blog with buyer/winemaker interviews, special reports, and more—straight from the vineyards!

At Montelena, the team questions everything—convention, past methodologies, and how they can improve even slightly. With the freedom to explore, they embrace the privilege of learning. By continually asking why, they gain a deeper understanding of the path to how. With a 14-decade legacy comes the responsibility for further growth, and they refuse to rest on their laurels.

They pay homage to their heritage by innovating, not imitating. Chateau Montelena has a celebrated history, with the Judgment of Paris being just one chapter. Modern technology does not replace people or the artistry of winemaking; instead, it expands creative potential. There are no formulas here. Careful consideration drives every project, fueled by a determination to build the future.

Join us at the illustrious Espelette restaurant at the Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills on Wednesday, October 23rd, at 6:30pm, for a very special spirits dinner featuring Glenfiddich and wines from K&L! As you arrive, you’ll be welcomed with a Glenfiddich-inspired cocktail and appetizer, setting the tone for the evening ahead. Next, you'll enjoy a flight of three incredible Glenfiddich bottlings – a very rare opportunity. Following will be a decadent sit-down dinner and after all of the preceding indulgences…dessert paired with Glenfiddich 31 Grand Chateau. The world’s most awarded Scotch meets Bordeaux cask in the Glenfiddich 31 Grand Chateau. This Single Malt Scotch is matured in American and European oak before being finished for an extended nine years in Bordeaux casks.

Adding to the excitement, there will be an engraver on site who would be happy to engrave any bottles that you’d like, as well as specialty glassware that you’ll receive at the dinner. Glenfiddich Brand Ambassador Christophe Pienkowski will be on hand to guide you through each selection. Finally, each guest will also receive a bottle of Glenfiddich 21yr (MSRP $230)!.

In the words of Tomás Bracamontes of La Competencia: “Literally translated, La Competencia means ‘The Competition.’ My grandfather, Ramón Gómez, believed that ‘competition’ was good for the community. It drove him to offer a better product and a higher level of service, all while aiming to provide the best possible prices. It is with this same spirit that La Competencia Imports aspires to offer the most compelling portfolio of wines from Baja California, Mexico.”

Proudly, in less than eight years, La Competencia Imports has orchestrated the broadest and deepest penetration of Baja wines into the U.S. market. Their focus is to showcase the potential of Baja California as a world-class wine region, contribute to the development of strong brands, and establish a platform from which Mexican wine producers can succeed in the ultra-competitive U.S. market. While these goals are certainly ambitious, with the help and support of the Baja wine community, they are most definitely attainable.

Siete Leguas is a well-respected tequila brand established in 1994 in the town of Atotonilco el Alto, Jalisco, Mexico. The brand is named after Pancho Villa's horse, which symbolizes strength and freedom. The tequila is produced using traditional methods. They use 100% blue agave sourced from their own fields. Corazón Tequila, produced by the Tequila Corralejo distillery, is known for its artisanal approach. Both brands aim to create high-quality tequila with a focus on the traditional processes. They also use 100% blue agave and follow a meticulous production process that emphasizes quality and authenticity, including slow cooking and natural fermentation.

This tasting features Siete Leguas' famed Blanco, the perfect sipping or cocktail tequila. From Corazon, you'll get to taste two different añejo expressions aged in some of bourbon's most collectible barrels—Stagg and Weller.

Join us for a star-studded Bordeaux wine tasting, featuring a selection curated by our very own Bordeaux buyer, Ryan Moses. From Saint-Estèphe down to Pessac-Léognan, we’ll take a trip, in the glass, through Bordeaux’s famed Left-Bank, one of the most prestigious and important wine-producing regions in France, and the world. You’ll get a special opportunity to taste wine from Second Growth estate Château Montrose. We’ll also be pouring Margaux du Château Margaux, the third wine of the prestigious First Growth estate, one that captures the magic of Paul Pontallier in his celebrated 2015 vintage. If that isn’t enough, we’ll also be tasting the 1996 Gruaud-Larose; another Second Growth wine from an exceptional vintage.

A group of our favorite artisanal grower/producers will be flying in from France to present their wines exclusively to K&L guests. Producers include Aspasie, Coutelas, Alexandre Le Brun, Baron Fuente, Boulard Bauquaire, Damien Hugot, Franck Bonville, Petiau, and Derot-Delugny. This is a rare opportunity to engage with the people that grow the grapes and make the wine, and to learn more about their approach to Champagne. We will also have many of the big-name producers on hand to present their selections. From the big houses we will have representatives from Pol Roger, Laurent-Perrier, Billecart-Salmon, Moët & Chandon, Krug, Bollinger, Drappier and more. This is a perfect way to sample bubblies for the upcoming holiday season. For $150 per person plus tax, you will be able to sample more than 50 Champagnes, paired with catered hors d’oeuvres.

We strongly encourage using ride share or public transportation for this event as parking is extremely limited.