K&L Newsletter: Build a Cellar Worth Drinking with Private Client Services

Most serious collectors share a common frustration. The desire is there: the curiosity, the passion, the genuine excitement about what's in the glass. What's harder to come by is the time to track down the right bottles, the relationships to access what never makes it to a shelf, and the confidence to know you're building something coherent rather than just accumulating. The wine world doesn't make it easy. Allocations disappear before you hear about them. Producers you've read about for years are nearly impossible to source. And the sheer volume of what's out there, across regions, vintages, producers, and formats, can make even an enthusiastic collector feel like they're perpetually one step behind.

That's the problem Private Client Services was built to solve. Meet the Private Client Services team On the Trail.

— Andrew Shaheen, VP of K&L Private Client Services

• First Growths by the Case, iconic wines to build a collection around.


• Checking in on 2023 Burgundy: Abundance for Enjoyment, wines we can all enjoy.


• The 5-Star 2021 Vintage from Barolo: “Complete Nobility”, the verdict from the Langhe is unanimous: this is a “modern classic” year.


• Notable 99-100-Point Napa Benchmarks, critically acclaimed collectibles for the cellar.


• Upcoming Events At Your Local K&L, even more opportunities to taste, experience, and learn.

Early in my wine career, I had the chance to taste my first First Growths — 1988 Lafite and Latour, just coming into their early drinking window. I was hooked. How I wish I had stocked up at the prices of the early 2000s. Alas, some lessons in wine are expensive ones.

First Growths remain the gold standard: stalwarts with a proven track record and the anchor of any serious cellar. They are the foundation of the kinds of collections we are most privileged to help our private clients build.

These are classic, iconic wines to build a collection around. They occupy a category unto themselves — centuries of pedigree, a global collector base, and a track record of appreciating in both complexity and value over time. In the finest vintages, they are as close to immortal as wine gets, particularly in years like 2009, 2010, 2016, 2019, and 2022.

Whether you are anchoring a cellar, adding a specific château to an existing collection, or acquiring a complete set across all five in a landmark year, the K&L Private Client team is here to advise and assist. Read More On the Trail.

While Burgundy remains a moving target for many, with a constant drive to recreate their "Eureka!" moment, restocking your cellar may be a bit easier thanks to the 2023 vintage. Following a successful 2022, the region was once again blessed in 2023 with a warm and relatively weather-tragedy-free growing season. 2023 was the warmest year on record thus far, with key rainfall in early August that helped the vines complete veraison and achieve consistent ripeness. While 2022 had more predictable yields, 2023 saw a harvest around 30% higher than normal, forcing winemakers to be selective both in the vineyard and on the sorting table. If there is a key word repeated to describe the 2023 vintage, it is abundant. Here are some in stock highlights that I recommend and read more On the Trail.

— Scott Turnbull, K&L Senior Private Client Advisor

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Item Name	Score	Retail	Link
2023 Domaine Comte de Vogüé Bonnes-Mares Grand Cru	97	$899.99	View
2023 Domaine Comte de Vogüé Musigny Grand Cru Vieilles Vignes	99	$1,139.99	View
2023 Domaine Coquard Loison Fleurot Clos Saint Denis Grand Cru	96	$419.99	View
2023 Domaine Coquard-Loison-Fleurot Echézeaux Grand Cru	97	$329.99	View
2023 Domaine Denis Mortet Chambolle Musigny 1er Cru "Beaux Bruns"	95	$259.99	View
2023 Domaine Denis Mortet Gevrey Chambertin 1er Cru "Les Champonnets"	95	$229.99	View
2023 Domaine Dujac Bonnes-Mares Grand Cru(1.5L)	97	$1,999.99	View
2023 Domaine Dujac Clos de la Roche Grand Cru	98	$899.99	View
2023 Domaine Dujac Clos-St-Denis Grand Cru	96	$899.99	View
2023 Domaine Dujac Clos-St-Denis Grand Cru(1.5L)	96	$1,899.99	View
2023 Domaine Dujac Echézeaux Grand Cru	98	$799.99	View
2023 Domaine Dujac Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru "Aux Malconsorts"	96	$899.99	View
2023 Domaine Duroché Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru	96	$599.99	View
2023 Domaine Duroché Gevrey-Chambertin	91	$109.99	View
2023 Domaine Gerard Mugneret Gevrey Chambertin "Les Murots"	91	$109.99	View
2023 Domaine Gerard Mugneret Nuits St. Georges "Aux Cras"	95	$279.99	View
2023 Domaine Gerard Mugneret Nuits St. Georges 1er Cru "La Richemone"	98	$649.99	View
2023 Domaine Gerard Mugneret Vosne Romanee "Aux Vigneux"	93	$159.99	View
2023 Domaine Gerard Mugneret Vosne Romanee "Cuvee Quatrain"	94	$139.99	View
2023 Domaine Gerard Mugneret Vosne Romanee "Precolombiere"	94	$179.99	View
2023 Domaine Gerard Mugneret Vosne Romanee 1er Cru "Aux Brulees"	95	$459.99	View
2023 Domaine Gerard Mugneret Vosne Romanee 1er Cru "Les Suchots"	96	$329.99	View
2023 Domaine Hudelot-Baillet Chambolle-Musigny Vieilles Vignes	92	$119.99	View
2023 Domaine Hudelot-Noëllat Chambolle-Musigny	91	$129.99	View
2023 Domaine Hudelot-Noëllat Nuits St.-Georges "Bas de Combes"	93	$129.99	View
2023 Domaine Hudelot-Noëllat Nuits-St-Georges 1er Cru "Les Murgers"	96	$229.99	View
2023 Domaine Hudelot-Noëllat Romanée-St-Vivant Grand Cru	98	$1,399.99	View
2023 Domaine Hudelot-Noëllat Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru "Les Malconsorts" (1.5L)	98	$1,999.99	View
2023 Domaine Jean Grivot Vosne-Romanée	90	$149.99	View
2023 Domaine Marquis d'Angerville Volnay 1er Cru "Champans"	95	$249.99	View
2023 Domaine Marquis d'Angerville Volnay 1er Cru "Clos des Angles"	92	$179.99	View
2023 Domaine Marquis d'Angerville Volnay 1er Cru "Clos des Ducs"(1.5L)	96	$899.99	View
2023 Domaine Marquis d'Angerville Volnay 1er Cru "Frémiets"	94	$209.99	View
2023 Domaine Marquis d'Angerville Volnay 1er Cru "Les Taillepieds"	95	$249.99	View
2023 Domaine Michel Gros Richebourg Grand Cru	96	$999.99	View
2023 Domaine Sylvain Cathiard Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru "Aux Malconsorts"	97	$1,199.99	View
2023 Domaine Alvina Pernot Meursault 1er Cru "Les Charmes"	92	$239.99	View
2023 Domaine Alvina Pernot Meursault 1er Cru "Perrieres"	93	$359.99	View
2023 Domaine Alvina Pernot Puligny Montrachet 1er Cru "Champ Gain"	93	$239.99	View
2023 Domaine Alvina Pernot Puligny Montrachet 1er Cru "Clos des Folatieres"	95	$269.99	View
2023 Domaine Alvina Pernot Puligny Montrachet 1er Cru "Les Chalumaux"	92	$239.99	View
2023 Domaine Alvina Pernot St. Aubin 1er Cru "Les Combes"	92	$109.99	View
2023 Domaine Etienne Sauzet Puligny Montrachet 1er Cru "Sous le Puits"	94	$179.99	View
2023 Domaine Etienne Sauzet Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru "Hameau de Blagny"	93	$179.99	View
2023 Domaine Etienne Sauzet Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru "La Garenne"	93	$179.99	View
2023 Domaine Fontaine-Gagnard Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru "La Maltroie"	92	$119.99	View
2023 Domaine Fontaine-Gagnard Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru "Les Caillerets"	94	$169.99	View
2023 Domaine Fontaine-Gagnard Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru "Morgeot"	93	$119.99	View
2023 Domaine François Carillon Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru "Champ Gain"	95	$189.99	View
2023 Domaine Jean Marc Boillot Puligny Montrachet 1er Cru "Truffiere"	94	$179.99	View
2023 Domaine Leflaive Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru	98	$2,679.99	View
2023 Domaine Leflaive Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru	96	$2,329.99	View
2023 Domaine Leflaive Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru "Clavoillon"	95	$549.99	View
2023 Domaine Leflaive Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru "Les Combettes"	96	$899.99	View
2023 Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey Chassagne-Montrachet Vieilles Vignes	94	$169.99	View
2023 Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey St-Aubin 1er Cru "Champlots"	94	$149.99	View

If 2016 was the vintage of power and 2019 was the vintage of austerity, 2021 in Barolo is the vintage of complete nobility. As these wines finally start to reach our shelves, the verdict from the Langhe is unanimous: this is a “modern classic” year. The spine-tingling acidity of the past meets the polished winemaking and tannin management of the present. These are not the open-knit, sunny wines of 2020. The 2021s are tension-filled, vertical, and demanding. They possess that rare “Alpine” freshness that defines the very best Nebbiolo, offering a crunchiness to the fruit and a saline minerality that feels like a direct transmission from the soil. Read More On the Trail.

— Orazio Campoli, K&L Italian Wine Buyer

For collectors who track Napa Valley’s blue-chip estates, we’ve curated a selection of 99–100 pointers from recent vintages, representing the pinnacle of contemporary Napa Cabernet Sauvignon and Bordeaux-style blends from some of the valley’s most famed sites. These are benchmark bottlings built for long-term cellaring, with the pedigree that defines true collectible Napa. This is Napa at its peak.

Napa’s last three vintages tell a clear story of contrast and character: 2021 is widely considered a modern great, shaped by drought, low yields, and an even growing season that delivered deeply concentrated, classically structured wines with serious aging potential. 2022 was far more challenging, defined by an intense September heatwave that forced tough picking decisions, resulting in uneven quality overall but genuinely excellent wines from top sites and disciplined producers, with whites and the best Cabernets outperforming expectations. Then came 2023, a dramatic shift to a cool, long season after a very wet winter, producing wines of notable freshness, balance, and aromatic precision, with many winemakers comparing it to Napa’s more elegant, old‑school benchmark years.

K&L events offer a chance to assess wines side by side, learn about winemaking choices, and place individual bottles within a broader historical and stylistic framework. Our K&L staff members are passionate about wine and love diving deep into the details. This is where buying decisions get sharper—where cellar strategies can be refined. Our events are built to help collectors taste with intention and buy with confidence. A great wine tasting can provide context and spark your curiosity. Here are a few coming up that you won’t want to miss!

This tasting distills exactly why collectors value focused, high‑level comparison. Tasting Champagne houses side by side is a stellar way to better understand flavor signatures, philosophies, and vintages. In this tasting, we’ll have Blanc de Blancs precision alongside extended‑aged depth; terroir-forward single‑site wines next to multi‑vintage blends.

Curated by Gary Westby, this lineup places Cristal alongside Laurent‑Perrier Grand Siècle, with Launois and Drappier providing counterpoints. Tasted together, these wines clarify not just quality, but intent; you’ll see how each house defines greatness and how those choices translate to longevity in the cellar. For collectors, this is an opportunity to recalibrate benchmarks and decide for yourself which cuvées belong at the top.

For collectors, Spain is a landscape of regions, philosophies, and trajectories, and this event is designed to make sense of it all in one place. With more than 75 wines from 20+ producers, our inaugural Spanish Tent Event offers the rare chance to taste across eras and styles, from classical cellar anchors to the terroir‑driven wines shaping Spain’s future. Come see which regions are delivering structure and longevity, which producers are redefining value, and which bottles merit space in a serious cellar. Add direct access to producers and the ability to taste broadly, and this becomes more than a celebration. It’s a strategic tasting, built for collectors who want to understand where Spanish wine is headed, and invest accordingly. Read More On the Trail.

Wednesday, March 25^th – Farmhouse & Wild Ales (San Francisco & Redwood City)
Thursday, March 26^th – Bird Snapper Non-Alcoholic RTDs (San Francisco)
Friday, March 27^th – Rioja Reimagined: Tradition vs. Innovation (All Locations)
Saturday, March 28^th – Australia & New Zealand Wine Tasting (All Locations)
Thursday, April 2^nd – Wine Club Tasting (All Locations)
Friday, April 3^rd – Champagne’s Headliners: Prestige Cuvées (All Locations)
Saturday, April 4^th – Domestic Tasting (All Locations)
Saturday, April 4^th – Matíari Tequila: A Story of Firsts (Culver City)
Thursday, April 9^th – Blind Wine Tasting (All Locations)
Friday, April 10^th – Portugal Tasting (All Locations)
Saturday, April 11^th – Riesling Tasting (All Locations)
Saturday, April 11^th – Craft Spirits Cooperative (Culver City)
Sunday, April 12^th – Angel's Envy (San Francisco)
Thursday, April 16^th – Craft Spirits Cooperative: Manly & Bimini Gin (San Francisco)
Friday, April 17^th – World Malbec Day (All Locations)
Saturday, April 18^th – Chile Wine Tasting (All Locations)
Saturday, April 18^th – Craft Spirits Cooperative (Culver City)
Sunday, April 19^th – Angel's Envy (Redwood City)
Thursday, April 23^th – Food Truck + Wine! (Hollywood)
Friday, April 24^th – Pouilly-Fuissé Tasting (All Locations)
Saturday, April 25^th – Domestic Tasting (All Locations)
Wednesday, April 29^th – Beer Tasting (San Francisco & Redwood City)
Thursday, April 30^th – Almare Spritz Aperitivo Italiano (San Francisco)
Friday, May 1^st – Italian White Wines (All Locations)
Saturday, May 2^nd – French Regional Tasting (San Francisco, Redwood City, Hollywood)

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