Lyle Fass

Founder Fass Selections

9.3

At dinner at Le Cabotte. Entering a gorgeous drinking window. The nose is classic Chinon, loaded with red currant, crushed herbs, mineral dust, and hints of cassis. Beautiful Cabernet Franc herbaceousness, not green or vegetal, but alive. Red currants, crushed herbs, a little tobacco leaf, iron, stone, and that unmistakable Loire freshness. The fruit has enough generosity from the vintage to give a subtle fleshiness underneath the structure. The palate is all tension and energy. Incredible freshness, mouthwatering acidity, and a long mineral spine carry the wine across the palate. Unlike Baudry’s larger, more powerful bottlings, this is about movement. The fruit feels suspended in the acidity, and every sip seems to pull the next sip forward. After forty minutes of air, the wine became even more expressive. The red currant and herbaceous notes moved to the forefront, joined by gorgeous minerality and tremendous freshness. It is not thick or heavy like Cabernet Sauvignon, nor does it possess the density of Baudry’s biggest cuvées. Instead, it is all acid, tension, energy, and precision. Juicy, vibrant, and effortlessly drinkable, with the kind of electric persistence that makes great Cabernet Franc impossible to put down. — 21 days ago

Stefan Dolhain

9.5

2022 vintage. Deep dark red colour. Raspberries, flowers and cedar. Concentrated, intense. Combines power and elegance. Many Crus Classés would be very satisfied with this quality for their grand vin. Henri Lurton stated that he made his best wines ever in 2022 (which is saying a lot given the track record of this Château), and you can see why with this Baron de Brane. One can only imagine the quality of the grand vin in 2022! Anyway, this is one of the finest wines one could encounter for 30 euros. Abv. 14%. — 3 months ago

Peter van den Besselaar

9.0

Vintage 2019 — 4 months ago

"Odedi"

9.2

Dark ruby in color with a wide reddish rim.

Beautiful nose of red fruits with earth, light wood, coffee, spices, dark chocolates and peppercorn.

Medium bodied with medium acidity.

Dry on the palate with black currants, plums, cooked cherries, spices, chocolates, light oak and licorice.

Long finish with fine grained tannins and tangy cherries.

This 8 year old GSM blend from Châteauneuf-du-Pape is delicious now. Complex, well balanced and entertaining. Elegant and fruit forward.

I had the 2020 vintage not too long ago, and this one drinks so much better.

Will continue to age nicely in the next 5 to 7 years.

Robert Parker 93 points.

Easy drinking and good by itself as a sipping wine.

A blend of 40% Grenache, 40% Syrah and 20% Mourvedre. Aged in large French oak barrels for 18 months.

15% alcohol by volume.

92 points.

$55. — 4 months ago

William Lauder

9.5

One of the best Sauvignon Blancs I’ve ever had. — 6 months ago

Ivor

9.1

Great wine combining southern burgundy richness, use of luxurious oak, great acidity and low alc levels. Wonder how this ages.. Tx @Jan A for pointing this one out!. — 6 months ago

Stefan Dolhain

9.5

2020 vintage. An excellent introduction to the grand vin at a fraction of the price. Highly recommended. Abv. 14%. — 6 days ago

Brian

9.3

1986 vintage, 40 year old wine on our 40th Anniversary — a month ago

Ted

9.4

The oldest of a 4 bottle vertical I bought a few weeks ago. In a perfect window. Made a vodka sauce and wow. Great compliment. Fresh herbs after an hour of being open. Can’t wait to try the other 3 years. — 4 months ago

with Jeni

Doug Powers

9.3

[60% Grenache, 15% Syrah, 15% Cinsault, 5% Carignan, 5% Mourvedre] Still very grapey and primary, I actually tasted this wine in barrel in May of 2019 at the Chateau, and it tastes like it’s barely evolved since then, great acid, ripe, round tannins, long, lingering finish, this should easily age another 10 years based on my history of tasting this cuvée since the 1998!! — 4 months ago

with Jim

Miguel Silva

9.2

Full body, berries mild tannins. Go well with game or lamb. Delicious for a Friday night for 2 — 5 months ago

Ed Chin

9.2

A nice comparison to the Baron though it fell short in complexity and ease to drink. — 6 months ago

Doug Powers

9.2

Lovely aged red Rhone, this wine has 15 varietals (red and white) co-fermented and aged 12 months in oak barriques, 14% ABV, though no hint of too much, great balance and complexity, lingering finish, very fine and Special!! — 6 months ago

with Jim

Paul K

9.6

Blown away — a month ago

Dave

9.1

This is delicious! Not made to age for the long haul, but it has a few years in it. Great cherry and raspberry flavors, smooth tannins. Just yummy, and I am inclined to like it better than the Muga I had earlier 😊
Listening to Gram Parsons — 3 months ago

Michael Tavares

9.3

Sweet fruity and light but w a slight sweet/spicy after taste — 3 months ago

Jeremiah Diaz

8.9

Clear, medium ruby to garnet in color; on the nose, it's clean with pronounced intensity primary and secondary aromas of black cherries, cassis, and graphite; on the palate, it's dry with high acidity, high tannins, medium alcohol, medium body, and intense primary and secondary flavors of blackberries, black cardamom, and wet gravel with a medium finish. This wine is simple, but balanced. Overall, I rate this wine as good. — 4 months ago

with Nellie

Conrad Green

9.7

Wonderful deep and rich wine. This is in great shape. Dark plum and blakcurrant with iron and bloody intensity. Great tension and complexity. So fresh. This is great — 5 months ago

with Bex and David

Nicole

9.3

Light, mineral, oak, berries. Perfect with any food. — 5 months ago

Tony Machi

9.0

Riserva 2011 Baron’ Ugo Monteraponi Chianti Classico, better 2017-2019 — 6 months ago