Lyle Fass

Founder Fass Selections

9.5

Gorgeous and best JJ ever. Nose is full of mid season cherries, spice, gentle wood shavings from woodshop when one was a kid. Really aromatic and alluring. Really huge spice. So so aromatic and casts a spell on you. Palate is so juicy and full of life. Sweet and sour cherry fruit and big time acids and wonderful structure and purity. This needs mega mega air. The sweetness on the finish and mid is to just die for and then gets tamed by the incredible acidity and mineral spine. — 8 days ago

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.3

1998 vintage. Above age-appropriate fill. Great cork. Quite a bit of sed-some chunky, some powdery. Decanted and tasted after 15 minutes, 45 minutes and 1.5 hours. Respectable color. Still medium body. Nose a mix of thin, muddy, clay earth, morels and rhubarb. Flavors all that plus some muddled raspberry and a splash of black tea. Initially, a bit shy (9.1). Started to pick up steam at the second, 45 mins open taste. By 1.5 hrs, it was rolling. Could have used another hour in the decanter (as it may have yielded a 9.4) but the grabbing hands grab all they can. It's a competitive world. Can see this going another 7-8 years without noticeable, downward change but it wouldn't surprise me to find that extended to 10-12 years. 3.20.24. — a month ago

Charlie Tapp

9.2

Blackberry, bramble, mint, currants, manure and forest floor. Remarkably youthful at the quarter century mark. — a month ago

Mark Osmers

9.0

Grapes are sourced from all the the best appellations in Napa. From the valley floor to high Hills. Bright cherry flavors combine with elements of cassis and clove. Tannins come on mid palette to the finish.

A lovely Cabernet that drinks well above its price point. Love that.
#Bonappetite, and drink on! — a day ago

Matt Waring

8.9

Took 30 minutes to unwind, but then—luscious red fruits, toasted vanilla, ample medium body, and a grippy finish. Hoo yeah — 11 days ago

with Christine

Conrad Green

9.3

A stunning nose that roars out of the glass…. Meat, iron, violets, sour cherry. Black pepper Fantastic. The palate doesn’t quite live up to the nose. Nice precise smoky fruit and a rather one dimensional finish. A wine of two halves. — 2 months ago

with Paul and Ara

Jae Cho

9.1

A very serious return to a cool vintage taste profile I don’t recall since the ‘14. Lavender, herbs, mineral in addition to the sweetly ripe blackberries and stems. Appreciating the 13% abv. — 21 days ago

Kamall

9.3

Lemon and lime, crushed rocks and salty minerals. Gentler than the AR Trout Gulch. Really draws you in. — a month ago

C W

9.0

Great accompaniment to an Easter lamb — 25 days ago

Vanessa

9.3

100% Syrah with a medium ruby hue and medium(+) aromas and flavors that emerge from the glass with a balance of ripe cherry, red plum, blackberry, blackcurrant, blueberry, boysenberry next to violet, black peppercorn, cured meat, smoke, cedar, sandalwood, vanilla, clove, nutmeg and cardamom.

This wine has complexity for days with fine-grained, integrated tannins, high alcohol (14%), a round mouthfeel, and lingering finish.

An excellent pairing with ribeye on the grill (marinated in olive oil, garlic, rosemary, and aged balsamic). So delish. — 2 months ago

with Deked1