Our Top 10 Picks for November

2021 Boissy & Delaygue "Lou Pontias" Côtes-du-Rhône ($12.99)

95 points Decanter: "This deeply coloured wine has an inviting nose of dark cherry and chocolate. The palate is dense and rich, with mouth-coating blackberry fruit and layers of chocolate, savoury spice and gently chewy tannins. (2023 DWWA)" (06/2023)

K&L Notes: Produced by the Union des Vignerons des Côtes du Rhône, the Boissy & Delaygue represents specific parcel selections from top growing areas overseen by the Union. The "Lou Pontias" is all from the best parel selections around the villages of Puyméras with plantings up to 400m of altitude and Richerenches which is famed for its sunny hillsides. The blend is mostly Syrah with some Grenache and Marselan to round out the final cuvee. Each grape is fermented in tank individually and the best tanks for each variety are chosen for the Lou Pontias. This red has a rich and robust flavor profile that will engage any fan of classic Rhone wines.

Keith Mabry | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: January 12, 2024

The Lou Pontias graced our shelves a couple of years ago and it was a delightfully showy Cotes du Rhone when we had it. The 2021 has much more going on. It is brimming with dark berry fruit, notes of fennel, bay leaf and tobacco leaf. This is rich and dense but shows a degree of freshness that compliments the lingering finish. A tremendous wine for a tremendous price!

John Majeski | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: March 03, 2024

For my money, you can't beat this superb Cotes-du-Rhone value! No surprise that Decanter gave it an astounding 95 points, so let me add my own point or or two... this is overflowing with luscious dark fruits- blackberry bramble, grilled plums, replete with silken tannins and a signature Southern Rhone character that both charms and delights the palate.

2023 Alain Corcia "Saint-Antoine" Chablis Vieilles Vignes ($24.99)

Alain Corcia founded his négociant company back in 1983. Originally focused on bottling Burgundy, they expanded their grower relationships to include wines from the Rhône, Bordeaux and even Champagne. Our relationship with Alain goes back over three decades, and he and his wife Patricia have supplied us with some of our greatest values from their respective regions. As a négociant, Mr. Corcia is very hands-on with the wines, making each one in its home region and choosing not to blend across appellations, all the better to reflect each wine's true terroir.

Alex Pross | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: November 06, 2024

A great example of how much fun the 2023 Chablis vintage is going to be the 2023 Alain Corcia Saint Antoine Chablis Vieilles Vignes is a fabulous offering. This wine is loaded with aromas of seaspray, citrus and we stone while the palate has electric energy and lift with zippy tannins, notes of iodine and citrus zest. A high-toned and fresh Chablis that is drinking great right now!

2022 Arterberry Maresh Dundee Hills Pinot Noir ($29.95)

96 points Decanter: "Pommard, Wadenswil (50%) and a bit of Dijon, the youngest vines on the Maresh estate, are from 1997, as well as plantings from 1991, 83, and 70, all of it own-rooted. Earth and rose petals announce gorgeous aromatics. Winemaker Jim Maresh destems 100%. It sees 18-24 months in barrel. At $33.50, this may be the best deal in American wine. Earthen aromatics, pine bough, and blood orange spritz. The palate is fresh with blue and red bramble fruits, spicy clove and savoury herbaceousness. (CP)" (07/2024)

Ryan Woodhouse | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: November 04, 2024

As the 2022 harvest unfolded in Oregon I followed the Instagram feeds, spoke with winemakers, and read vintage reports taking note of phrases like "miracle vintage" that started popping up all over the place. The growing season started with a devastating frost, and unprecedented snow fall in some areas. Most growers reported 75% loss of the first shoots growing on the vines. Most vineyards bounced back and pushed up new growth, but now everything was 4-6 weeks behind schedule. Growers needed a great Summer and Autumn to salvage the disastrous start...and that is exactly what they got! By the time harvest started, the horrors of that April frost seemed a distant memory as pristine fruit made its way to wineries. Fast forward 18 months and I was very excited to see some of the first Pinot Noirs of the vintage come across my desk.

The 2022 Arterberry Maresh Dundee Hills bottling was one of the first examples I tasted. Now, keep in mind I had very high expectations for the vintage because of the aforementioned hype. Also, Arterberry was already one of my producers in the region raising my hopes even higher. Despite that, I was still absolutely flabbergasted by how good it was! The purity of fruit, the sheer grace and brilliance of the texture. The layers and depth of flavor on the palate whilst remaining ethereal and lifted. Perfect ripeness, silken texture, piquant acidity, sultry savory, earthy tones. A wine you can quaff without care for its easygoing approachability.

Alexandre Tweedie | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: September 11, 2024

From the Old Vine Masters at Arterberry Maresh, the '22 Dundee Hills bottling is singing a delicately beautiful song today. The aromatic dance starts with an earthy symphony of fresh tilled soil, bramble bush leaves and clove incense, which are carried on the soft breeze of an Oregon summer's evening. The palate is lined with gentle touches of small forest berries, which shine brightly alongside the lengthy spice and taught acidity. Over the past four decades, Arterberry Maresh have helped Oregon establish its world renown for Pinot Noir through dedication to skill and craftsmanship, and this skill and care is shown clearly through every bottling, vintage after vintage!

2019 Château Gigognan "Clos du Roi" Châteauneuf-du-Pape ($34.99)

95 points Wine Enthusiast: "Vinified primarily in concrete with a small proportion of whole-bunch fermentation, there's a lifted, airy freshness to Gigognan's Clos du Roi that's consistent from vintage to vintage. A full-bodied blend of Grenache (70%), Mourvédre (20%) and Syrah (10%), it's packed with layers of succulent blackberry, cherry and plum flavors, edged by a stony, salty minerality. *Editors' Choice* (AI)" (11/2022)

K&L Notes: Like many great estates, Château Gigognan has a long and storied past. The roots of the vineyards date back to the time of the Romans. Bishop Geoffroy of Avignon even had a hand in the estate in the twelfth century. The property's modern history began when Anne and Jacques Callet purchased the Clos du Roi domaine and began restoring the château. All through the 1990s, the Callets worked to rebuild the property and create a better-equipped cellar. As of 2009, the winery has been certified organic. In 2012, Philippe Cambie came on board to consult with the winemaking and rework some of the vineyard plantings. Jacques Callet passed away in July of 2016, and the property was purchased by Jean-Francois Henin in 2017. A new era began, and even greater restoration has taken place. A whole new production facility has been added, and winemaker Stéphane Derenoncourt now leads the charge to establish the winery as one of the most exciting in the region. The "Clos du Roi" is primarily one large parcel with just a few tiny satellite parcels. Planted over galets (the classic round white stones of Châteauneuf-du-Pape), the terroir is located in the southern and driest part of the appellation. Composed of primarily Grenache and Syrah, the wine is aged in a mix of stainless steel and older wood. It is a pure and expressive version of Châteauneuf-du-Pape and a welcome addition to our Direct Import program.

Keith Mabry | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: October 16, 2024

Ever since we began working with the 2016 vintage at Gigonan, almost 5 years ago, they have continued to up their game. This new vintage is in the vein of the 2016 Clos du Roi (one of our best selling CDPs of all time!) with great density and weight but a level of finesse that keeps this slightly out of the too modern category of Chateauneuf. Deep red fruit flavors attack the palate, with notes of licorice, spice and violets. There is a seamless texture that balances this wine. This is exciting stuff! John Livingstone-Learmonth gave the wine one of his coveted STGT (Soil to Glass Transfers) which is all about a wine showing its true terroir. He writes: This is well tuned, authentic, STGT Châteauneuf, which has flair, life, fresh length. What a journey this estate has been on, and what a pleasure to watch as it keeps moving forward.

Craig Morris | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: October 10, 2024

Well, I know what wine I'll be having with Thanksgiving dinner this year! This is a lot of wine for the price. Juicy and full of round berries, the fruit here is lovely. But there's also some spice in there, as well as some nice powdery tannins to add some structure. All and all, there is a lot going on here for an outstanding price!

2019 World's End "CrossFire - Beckstoffer Missouri Hopper Vineyard" Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon (Previously $150) $59.95

95 points Jeb Dunnuck: "As with many cuvées here, the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Crossfire Beckstoffer Missouri Hopper Vineyard is the best in the lineup. Smoked tobacco, chocolate, damp earth, and ripe black fruits all define the bouquet, and this beauty is full-bodied, has a round, supple, layered mouthfeel, velvety tannins, and a great finish. Drink this sexy, round, complex, satisfying 2019 over the coming 15+ years." (02/2023)

93+ points Wine Advocate: "The 2019 Crossfire Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Missouri Hopper Vineyard, still 100% Cabernet Sauvignon and 80% new French oak, offers up hints of graphite and pencil shavings alongside notes of cassis, dark chocolate, plum and anise. It's full-bodied, rich and velvety but still firm and structured, with the ability to age two decades. (JC)" (05/2022)

Ryan Woodhouse | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: November 04, 2024

95-point Beckstoffer Missouri Hopper Cab for $59.95! That's just shy of $100 off the wines SRP...that's 60% off! Missouri Hopper is one of the most prime sites in all of Napa Valley. It sits on the western bench of Oakville surrounded by other legendary vineyards including Ulysses, Vine Hill Ranch and Dominus just across the border in Yountville AVA. This more southerly part of the valley is becoming even more sought after as vintages get warmer and warmer. Missouri Hopper is perfectly positioned in Napa's sweet spot. The wine really illustrates it's combination of prime Napa terroir with Bordeaux inspired winemaking - big, bold, luscious fruit, creme de cassis, blackberry, boysenberry, espresso, cocoa powder, toasted oak spice, but then tobacco leaf, camphor, even cedar tones. It's nice to have some savory varietal character holding in there amongst all the hedonistic fruit and exotic oak. Thanks to our Insider's Advantage program, this is a seriously satisfying Cabernet that delivers a Cult Cab experience for an everyday price point. We loaded up on this almost too good to be true deal, as it's destined to be a best-seller, but, when it's gone it's gone for good.

2019 Sesta di Sopra Brunello di Montalcino ($64.99)

96 points James Suckling: "Subtle and sophisticated in the nose with fresh flowers, sweet berries, orange peel and red cherries. Medium-bodied with ultra-fine tannins that run the length of the wine. Racy and focused with finesse and verve. From organically grown grapes. May be better than 2015 and 2016. Best after 2027." (09/2023)

95 points Vinous: "The 2019 Brunello di Montalcino is flat-out stunning, wafting up from the glass with a bouquet that blends minty herbs and a dusting of cocoa with sweet spice and blackberries. This sweeps across the palate with textures of pure silk, ushering in waves of polished red fruits and orange as rosy inner florals form toward the close. While tannic and classically dry, the 2019 maintains a lovely inner freshness, leaving a pleasantly bitter tinge and salted licorice notes to taper off slowly. This is a fabulous showing from Sesta di Sopra and an excellent representation of Castelnuovo dell'Abate terroir. (EG)" (11/2023)

K&L Notes: 95 points, Ian d'Agata's Terroir Sense. Luminous dark red. Deep aromas and flavours of red and dark cherry, herbs, dark chocolate and minerals, complemented by sexy underbrush and tarry nuances. Rich without any undue weight on the palate, this offers a uniquely well-balanced, very agile mix of density, flavour intensity and vinosity. Still quite young, the aftertaste is thick and fleshy but fine-grained, and hints at a delicate bittersweet note. Much better five years from now, but I can tell you this is already pretty irresistible as is.

Ryan Moses | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: July 16, 2024

It's easy to see what all of the excitement is about for the 2019 vintage, but for me, this Sesta di Sopra is on another level. It deftly balances a remarkable richness while still retaining a bright core of mouthwatering red fruit, licorice, and spice that carries through a long finish. The textural refinement is superb, and a slight savory note just adds a level of complexity. There's a density here that hints at a long-term ager, but also a seamlessness and approachability that makes it irresistible now. This is a best-in-class 2019 that will be thrilling to revisit anytime over the coming 20-plus years.

2020 Ata Rangi Pinot Noir Martinborough ($64.99)

98 points James Suckling: "A beautiful nose of sliced strawberries, crushed cherries, violets, grated nutmeg and a hint of white pepper. Some hibiscus, too. Supremely vibrant and perfumed with fine tannins that run the length of the medium-bodied palate. Textural. Ground spice and fresh fruit are intertwined, providing wonderful depth and complexity. So long as well. Seamless balance. Superb. Sustainable." (10/2022)

96 points Vinous: "The 2020 Pinot Noir reminds me of walking into a cathedral - that quiet, cool hush that falls as you walk through its doors. This is harmonious, supple, unshowy and unforced. Hailing from old vines and delicately textured despite the abundance of fruit concentration. Refined tannins with the finest of gravelly textures, akin to licking a stone. Scented yet restrained, with a fragrance of sweet red fruit, tea leaf and cedar spices with persistent acidity that carries it. Very complete and already approachable. (RG)" (04/2023)

95 points Wine Enthusiast: "This is a classic expression of this renowned winery's estate vines, now over 40 years old, on alluvial gravels. It opens with a rich bouquet of heady spices, dried florals, cherry cola and cinnamon bark, and there's some vanillin oak influence, too. There's density and concentration to the palate. It walks a tightrope of power and elegance, with chiseled, distinctly textured tannins and finely tuned oak. (CP)" (05/2023)

2019 Pauillac de Latour, Pauillac ($104.99)

94 points James Suckling: "This has chocolate, cedar and walnuts as well as some currant aromas and flavors. Medium-bodied with some lovely fruit and juiciness." (04/2024)

93 points Jane Anson: "Easily the best Pauillac de Latour in recent years, showing supple tannins at five years old, textured and rippling with juice, opening to show gourmet smoked plum and blueberry fruit. Has the graphite edge of the appellation, waves of cocoa bean, liqourice and smoked earth, and the balance of 2019. The structure is already welcoming, even if the fruit young, and if you like your wines on the primary side, you can get stuck in straight away and be very happy about it - this is a buy buy buy, and a good upgrade from my initial En Primeur score." (03/2024)

93 points Vinous: "The 2019 Pauillac is a serious wine. Dark cherry, plum, gravel, incense, licorice and pomegranate are all dialed up in this wonderfully deep, fleshy Pauillac. Deep and resonant, with fine balance, the 2019 captures all the natural radiance of the year. This is really quite stellar and delicious. (NM)" (02/2024)

Ryan Moses | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: July 15, 2024

This gem is classically proportioned but enjoys the beauty of the 2019 vintage. Hints of leather and a melange of bright red fruits are carried by a thread of mouthwatering acidity. Pauillac to the core (graphite, cassis, cedar) but with a hint of ripeness that leads to a level of accessibility, it beautifully combines the pedigree of the estate with the ease of use that this label is celebrated for. Tasted after the '23s from Latour, and before the '18 Forts and '17 Latour, it clearly didn't have as much in reserve as it's big siblings, but it certainly exudes character and quality that hints at Latour, and is undeniably tasty at the same time. I can't wait to see how this vintage shows in the years to come - if the Forts and Grand Vin carry this level of exuberance and quality, we're in for a real treat.

2005 Secret Orkney (Highland Park) 19 Year Old "Signatory" K&L Exclusive #DRU 17/A63 #28 First Fill Oloroso Sherry Butt Cask Strength Non Chillfiltered Orkney Single Malt Scotch Whisky (700ml) ($179.99)

Signatory has long been one of the preferred independent bottlers on the market. For almost three decades now, we've been selling Signatory because their cask selection process is second to none in the industry. They also have a knack for building incredible collections of rare casks, so walking through their warehouse is an absolute dream. As you pass Bowmore from the 70s and Port Ellen, you'll stumble by Dallas Dhu and Rosebank. Yet it's some of the modern stocks that are most shocking! Highland Park on its own is pretty rare outside of distillery bottlings, but big European oak sherry butts (DRU series) are almost unheard of outside of the distillery.

We've been comfortably committing to 10-12-year-old stock in similar caliber barrels at this same exact price, but this spirit absolutely loves the extra 7 years. The intense punchy tannin of the fresh European oak has developed into something otherworldly. Expect the incredible rugged Orkney spirit in a constant battle with the deep high-quality sherry, like the waves of the northern sea pounding a craggy yet beautiful atoll. Rich dried tobacco, old leather kept well, dense stewed fruit, a fragrant forest of earthy herbs and old-growth evergreen. The oloroso is powerful, but not overpowering. This single barrel was distilled on May 7th, 2005 and bottled at 19 years old on June 18th of 2024 at 55.2% abv. It was not colored or chillfiltered and is packaged in the classic Signatory decanter with black tin.

David Othenin-Girard | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: October 23, 2024

It's barrels like this that make me so happy to be part of what the K&L Spirits Department does. But this barrel also represents one of the strangest dichotomies of this industry. We've always relied on our bottling partners to source great barrels and sell them at incredible prices. In fact, just a couple of decades ago, these bottlers were the only place you could get single casks at cask strength. Over the years, the brands themselves have taken such insane price increases that the independents found room to move up their prices, but when things got tough the brands are stuck. Our bottlers, however, dont have such concerns and we've been able to negotiate incredible prices on some extremely special single casks during these unprecedented times. While the distillery last year sold us a cask one year younger of similar quality for $450 on the shelf, we're able to get an older (and I believe better) barrel of nearly identical first fill oloroso blue-chip single malt from Orkney at less than HALF the price. It's just insane to me that the people who distilled this couldn't find a use for it at somewhere in between $180 and $450. But, that's the magic of what we do at K&L. This barrel is so outrageously priced, I'm shocked that we still have any after the pre-arrival campaign. Heck we've been selling whiskies 7 years younger for nearly the same price! But I understand that even if on paper it looks good, you sometimes need to see it to believe it.

SO, here we go. The color is a perfect tawny (1.4). The nose is absolute heaven but needs lots of air to fully express. Rich oloroso notes peppered with cooked yellow plums, extremely old antique leather, raspberry jam, roasted herbs, but as it opens it adds wild forest aromas of damp moss, old-growth pine, and citrus oil. On the palate the deep sherry character doesn't completely obliterate the rich smoky undertones that we love about Highland Park. Some IB barrels are completely devoid of the smoke element, but here is perfectly integrated to give that gorgeous ocean kiss and sweet burning heather. The finish is long spicy, but not tannic at all, with a building dark smoke in the very end. With a few drops of water, this turns into a whole different animal. The nose explodes—now vibrant dried stone fruit, deep roasted nuts and nougat, exotic spices too numerous to pinpoint. Now the palate is so rich and sweet yet the smoke stills lingers in the back. In many ways this is the perfect end of the night malt. There is no better way to spend an hour or two with an old friend than sipping this slowly after a long dinner. Should be about as perfect a cigar pair as you'll ever find if you're into that sort of thing, but in terms of value, we're in the upper echelons of what is possible in Scotch. A true triumph and honestly this crushes any previous Highland Park exclusives we've bottled. An exceptional malt by any measure, but give it time in the glass that it deserves. Price: $179.99 QTY Product Availability

2006 Dom Pérignon Brut Champagne ($249.99)

97 points Decanter: "Yet another masterpiece created by Richard Geoffroy. Unmistakable Dom Pérignon style with unparalleled silkiness throughout the palate. The mousse is worthy of its own chapter and the elegance is striking. Nice minerality and floral notes with citrus overtones. Slightly short now, but time will fill in the small gaps in the beginning of life. This time it tasted intensely toasty and fairly close to the 1983 when I tasted that vintage for the first time at the same age as the 2004 is now. (RJ)" (09/2019)

97 points James Suckling: "This is very lively and vibrant with a dense and rich center palate. Lots of complexity and balance with pastry, sliced lemon and light dried mango. Full yet racy and intense. A beautiful center palate. Linear. Shows potential for aging but so good right now." (12/2016)

96 points Wine Advocate: "The 2006 Dom Pérignon comes from a very rich vintage with an early ripeness that brought a lot of aromatic maturity. The white-golden prestige cuvée contains a bit more Chardonnay than Pinot Noir and opens with a deep and seductive, pretty accessible nose with intense yet fresh fruit aromas of pineapples, with peaches and tangerines. Lively and elegant on the palate, this is a full-bodied, unusually aromatic and fruity DP with a long and tension-filled expression. (SR)" (06/2016)

96 points Vinous: "Powerful, dense and tightly wound, the 2006 Dom Pérignon is fabulous today. To be sure, the 2006 is a broad, virile Champagne, but I find it compelling because of its phenolic depth and overall intensity. Chef de Caves Richard Geoffroy adds that August was quite cold and wet, and that ripening only happened at the very end of the growing season. Although numbers alone can never explain a wine, I find it interesting that the 2006 has more phenolics than the 2003. Readers will have to be patient, as the 2006 is easily the most reticent Dom Pérignon in the years spanning 2002 and 2009. I am confident the 2006 will have its day, but in its youth, it is not especially charming or easy to drink. (AG)" (07/2018)

96 points Jeb Dunnuck: "A wine that surpasses the 2000, the 2006 Dom Perignon offers beautiful stone fruits, toasted hazelnuts, citrus blossom, and brioche. It shows the richer side of the 2006 vintage with plenty of richness, yet it has bright acidity, a tight, reserved style, and a great finish, it just needs time. 96+" (02/2018)

96 points Jasper Morris: "Another warm vintage, this DP was thrilling when released (with sapidity and weighted power); it has aged with finesse, becoming even more complex. The palate has mature chardonnay to the fore with generous aromas of walnut oil, adding a desirable viscosity to the yellow-peachy fruit. Ripe and complete, this avoids being fat and diffuse yet approaching its peak!" (02/2023)

95 points Wine Spectator: "A graceful, minerally version, featuring rich notes of smoke, mandarin orange peel and chalk that lead to subtle accents of crème de cassis, toasted almond, espresso and star anise on the fine, creamy mousse. Seamlessly knit, with citrusy acidity leaving a mouthwatering impression on the finish. *Collectible* (AN)" (03/2016)