@Robert_Dentice , I believe you mentioned a fondness for ABC in another thread.
FYI… For those local to LA, K&L is hosting a dinner with Isabel Clendenen at Petit Trois next weekend. https://www.exploretock.com/k-and-l-wine-merchants-hollywood/event/517232/au-bon-climat-library-dinner-at-petit-trois
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Also, I bought a 1982 SBC PN and opened it this week. Color was questionable, but oh my god it was a knockout. Nose reminded me of strawberry rhubarb pie, fantastic acidity, tannins fully integrated (and out of solution… sediment sediment!) Super sturdy in the bottle and the glass. Truly made me feel like these are an old faithful style of Pinot Noir. Super impressed.
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Great to see you here on WB, Chelsea! Thanks for the 82 review – looking forward to popping one!
This was their very first pinot.
I bought 3 of the ‘82s and am looking forward to opening one soon after reading this note. Opened a 2001 Knox Alexander last night that I bought from the library sale. The nose was still showing obvious oak and red fruit. The palate was rich with some remaining tannin. It definitely screamed California PN, but wasn’t over the top.
This was the oldest wine I bought from the sale; haven’t even picked them up yet, let alone opened any. I had this '01 Knox Alexander marked for earlier consumption, but your note gives me pause — do you see room for improvement yet, or is it a case of simply accepting that it is what it is and additional age is going to do nothing to change that?
I wouldn’t guess there is too room for improvement. It was a pleasurable wine, but it didn’t seem to transform much after an hour in the decanter or otherwise suggest to me that there was a hidden gear. That said, the color was still quite dark and there was fresh red fruit, so I wouldn’t be concerned with drinking it immediately.
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I’ve had many a bottle of 2001 Knox and loved them all; however, the last bottle was over a year ago. The magnums are the best and have many more years to go, but the 750s are still great and showing well now IMHO and as with many of Jim’s wines, can gain nuances with more age and 2001s can improve in the next 5 years, again, IMHO, bottle variation and storage variables notwithstanding.
If 1999 Knox was not the best ever Knox, 2001 is and 2005 is stellar as well.
As an aside and from my notes in 2017: " as with the 1994 Isabelle, 1998 Knox was produced when he was in the womb and sourced from the best of the best with a different blending formula; it has been another consistent winner over all the years and my fav is the 1999 although there are many superb bottlings; I loved the seriously spiced cherry, berry fruit and the mouthfeel as well as the complexity that suggests class and royalty."
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add: I should say I work for K&L & will be there co-hosting… Added value I hope!
Yes, you should say because you are ITB and selling that specific wine.
Just a heads up, they seem to have added a handful of bottles in 3L format. I managed to grab a 2001 Knox and 2007 Isabelle. There are about 12 bottles remaining.
As an added bonus for anyone going to Petit Trois for the ABC dinner tomorrow (or anytime really), Shawn Lickliter is the Beverage Director now.
I suspect there will be many more incredible dinners there going forward.
Good move. Jim bottled lots of his wines in large formats and they age beautifully and forever. The mags are more than twice as good as the 750s and it goes up exponentially.
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I just happened to check K&L again today, and they added about 40 different bottlings in magnum, including many from the 1990s. There are at least 12-24 bottles of each from what I saw.
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Yea! And also make arrangements to allow shipping to Texas…please
You should be able to ship through Rare Storage, which is integrated into K&L’s checkout process. I think it was a flat $45/box to Texas when I bought these ABC’s. (But haven’t shipped them yet b/c still in “picking” status.)
So I grabbed two mags of 09 and one of 02 Sanford Benedict Pinot because (a) they’ll be awesome and (b) I’m an idiot with no impulse control.
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That’s the spirit! For those who are fans of Jim’s other label, Clendenen Family Vineyards, K&L also uploaded a few mags of those as well.
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