K&L Newsletter: Champagne

Italian wine offers something few wine cultures can: an unmatched combination of history, place, and everyday pleasure. From the sunlit hills of Tuscany to the fog-shrouded vineyards of Barolo, Italy’s greatest wines are rooted in native grapes, centuries of tradition, and a deep connection to food and local life. At the same time, Italy remains one of the world’s best sources of value, producing honest, character-driven wines that deliver far more quality than their price suggests. In this issue, we explore the power and prestige of Tuscany, the depth and longevity of Barolo, and the joy of discovering Italian wines that prove you don’t need to spend a fortune to drink beautifully.

• Damien Hugot: A Testament to How Good Grower Champagne Can Be
• Brilliantly Aged Old-Vine Champagne from Fallet-Dart
• Cristal Collectibles: "Grand Vin on the World Stage"
• Champagne Pinot Noir Madness!
• Savor the Last of Krug's "Grande Cuvée" 172ème Édition
• A Long Legacy of Perfection from Laurent-Perrier
• Saturday Tasting (All Stores): Think Pink—A Rosé Champagne Showcase

Damien Hugot and his wife Miwa are making some of the star wines of our K&L direct import portfolio. They do this the old-fashioned way, with hours of work in their 20 acres of vineyard, tending every plot like a garden. They are blessed with an incredible estate, almost all Grand Cru Chouilly and Cramant Chardonnay with a little bit of old-vine Meunier from the border between Monthelon and Chavot in the cool sud-Épernay sub region. Almost all the wines are made in foudre (very large oak barrels) with some barrique and a little stainless steel. Read More On the Trail

The Fallet family of Champagne Fallet-Dart has written records of being vine growers in Drachy going all the way back to 1610. The family has almost certainly been there even longer than that. Their 47 acres of vineyard are closer to Paris than to Épernay, located in the Aisne department on the banks of the Marne river. The family’s extraordinarily long time in this business has given them patience like few other producers—as a matter of fact they supply us with our oldest current-release Champagne at 20 years old! Read More On the Trail

Champagne Louis Roederer’s Cristal is an icon of the wine world for good reason. This is an estate within an estate—the chalkiest parcels, the oldest vines of this house’s significant holdings. Farmed biodynamically, often by horse, nothing is left to chance and no expense is spared for quality. We are very lucky to have a diverse selection of vintages to offer right now. Read More On the Trail

An entire third of the Champagne region is planted to Pinot Noir, yet 100% Pinot Noir Blanc de Noirs is a relative rarity—especially compared to Blanc de Bancs, even though Chardonnay represents less than a quarter of plantations in the region. Here are some of our favorites. Read More On the Trail

In another month or two, we will be all sold out of the Krug "Grande Cuvée" 172ème Édition Brut Champagne $259.99 98WE 97DC 97JS 95JD 95WA 95VN and will have moved onto the new batch, 173rd edition.

While some may disagree with me, I think that the Grande Cuvée isn’t just the equal of the other offerings at Krug; I think it is their best wine. The thing that I like the best about it is the combination of youthful exuberance and profound, aged depth that it shows at the same time. This is something that just gets better with age. Read More On the Trail

For as long as I have worked at K&L—20+ years—Laurent-Perrier has been a favorite Champagne of both our customers and our staff. Six years ago, I had the opportunity to go into the deep cellars of Laurent-Perrier to see the oldest blends of the Grand Siecle, including the first bottling, released in 1959. It was composed of juice from the vintages 1952, 1953, and 1955. It also contained juice from 11 of the 17 Grand Cru villages in Champagne and sat for 10 years on the lees. This formula carries through to this day. Read More On the Trail

Love is in the air and it’s the perfect time for you to join us for a delicious dive into the world of Rosé Champagne, a category defined by its balance of freshness, fruit, and structure. This curated lineup highlights the many ways pink Champagne shows up at the table, with styles shaped by blending choices, time on lees, and house philosophy. Whether enjoyed with food or just sipping solo, these bottles prove Rosé Champagne is always in season.

Thursday, February 12^th – Blind Tastings at K&L! (All Stores)
Friday, February 13^th – Burgundy (All Stores)
Saturday, February 14^th – Rosé Champagne (All Stores)
Sunday, February 15^th – Bird Snapper Non-Alcoholic RTDs (San Francisco)
Thursday, February 19^th – Isle of Harris: Island Spirits (San Francisco)
Thursday, February 19^th – Public Trust Spirits: Montagave Tequila (Culver City)
Friday, February 20^th – Greece (All Stores)

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