Lyle Fass

Founder Fass Selections

9.5

Hébrart Special Club 2021 is exactly why hard Champagne vintages can be so compelling. Frost, hail, all the usual misery, and yet this wine came out nervy, precise and alive. No big ripe-year swagger here. — 4 months ago

Manny Abascal

10

30th wedding anniversary dinner in Big Sur. Best wine I have ever tasted. Mint, menthol, herbs, dried flowers, river rock on nose, red fruit (cherry), spices, minerals, and some secondary flavors with such a light, silky texture and endless finish. Ethereal. Such a gorgeous wine. And a special evening celebrating 30 years. — 5 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.3

Starting the long Labor Day weekend in Big Sur the right way with a little N/V Krug Grande Cuvée. @Nepenthe

Happy Labor Day weekend all! 🍾🥂

Noses reveals; heavy bruised red apple, Bosc pear, overripe pineapple, lemon meringue, tropical melons, lime zest, white spice, sea fossils, deep crisp chalkiness, grey volcanics, yeast & bread dough, nougat, baguette crust, limestone, caramel notes, cream, vanillin framed in yellow lilies, white & spring flowers & mixed greens.

The palate is, ripe, lush, fresh and lively. The mouthfeel all Krug beautiful. Bruised red & golden apple with hints of cider, Bosc pear, overripe pineapple, lemon meringue, tropical melons, white stone fruits, lime zest/candy, white spice, sea fossils, crisp chalkiness, grey volcanics, yeast & bread dough, nougat, baguette crust, limestone, caramel notes, cream, cream soda, vanillin framed in yellow lilies, spring flowers & mixed greens. The acidity is near perfect. The long, elegant, well knitted & balanced finish is gentle until the long set when you get a full presence of white spice and minerality that persists for minutes.

This bottle was composed around 2011 and is made from over 120 different wines that span over 10 years. It is 47% Pinot Noir, 36% Chardonnay & 17% Pinot Meunier. — 6 years ago

Andrew Lohse

9.0

Lemon, saline / structure, big bright acid / 18 mo sur lie — 8 years ago

Michael Morris

Wine Director The Park Café

9.2

Big and chewy. Dense fruit core with no flashy new oak treatment. Wears it's 15% well. Showed more meaty/umami nuances along with some minerality on day 2 but still very primary. Fun to drink and should be quite good in a few years. First red from the winery so I don't have a reference point, but I enjoyed it. — 9 years ago

Tom Wood

9.3

Always such a reliable and cheap alternative to the big hitters. Feintly honeyed. Rich, lucious and the palate revolves around this gorgeous biscuity lemon. — 10 years ago

Jake Hajer

9.3

Big for a BdB. Complex. Mellow yellow fruit and coconut toast. — 10 years ago

Pinotman /// Andreas

9.4

14.5%. 🍎 apples, ripe, a big wine. Really well done yet over the top for me. Apple pie. A fantastic wine for asian food! I had a hard time with this one! On one side I was smitten and on the other side I was wondering what could this wine be with this quality grape material picked earlier and therefore less alcohol and more elegance? — 7 months ago

Andrew Schirmer

9.4

2019 disgorged. Big toasty brioche note, citrus, medium finish, beautiful nose. Great texture. — 6 years ago

with Alsu

S.S. Mandani

9.2

Orange blossom honey, pears, funk, good funk, tangerine peels.

Mmm orange blossoms. Enough funk to curl up with some Richard Brautigan short stories and wonder about Big Sur waves crashing against cliff side mountainous triangles rising up from the sea foam.

My idea of a fun wine.

Enjoying the new couch/coffee table setup. — 6 years ago

Mark

9.5

At Ventana Big Sur. Big oaky buttery. Kelly and I both loved it. Paired very well with our oyster mushrooms — 7 years ago

Will Rogers

9.1

Big Sur dinner — 7 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.3

A wine I’ve enjoyed mostly upon release or near it. I vowed to wait six years and nearly made it. At least it is 2018...just! It’s worth waiting this/that long for it to develop. On the nose; sweetly, baked fruits of; dark cherries, strawberries, black plum, plums, blackberries, and notes of blue fruits. Cinnamon, vanilla, very light clove & nutmeg, caramel, soft, medium, beautiful spice, black fruit tea, limestone minerals, loamy, dry, brown top soil, fresh dark florals and violets. The mouthfeel is full, rich & lush. The tannins are round, still have some teeth and possess velvety round edges. It’s fruit driven but not a bomb and showing elegance & grace. Fruits are perfectly ripe; dark cherries, strawberries, black plum, plums, blackberries, notes of blue fruits and dry cranberries dip in and out. Cinnamon, vanilla, very light clove & nutmeg, caramel, soft, medium beautiful spice that is more pronounced on the palate, black fruit tea, touch of melted brown sugar/molasses, limestone minerals, touch of rich dark sweet turned soil, loamy dry brown top soil, soft understated eucalyptus/mint, dry fresh florals and violets. The round acidity is just right, just a slight very small alcohol burn, the length, structure, tension and beautifully balanced finish are in a very good place. Even better in 2-3 more years in bottle; which is when I’ll have my next one. Photos of; the winemaking duo of Gary Franscioni (left) and Gary Pisoni, Rosella’s Vineyard on the right. As well as, Garys’ Vineyard at the bottom. Producer notes and history...The Santa Lucia Highlands appellation is known for its rich, vibrant Pinot Noirs. However, that wasn’t always the case. The first Pinot was planted in 1973, but results weren’t all that great. Chardonnay was the appellation’s early star. Much of the area’s current fame for Pinot Noir arguably can be traced to Gary Pisoni, a free-spirited wine enthusiast who grew up in a Salinas Valley vegetable farming family. Pisoni decided to plant a few acres of Pinot Noir in 1982 on his family’s horse ranch, at the southern end of what was to become the Santa Lucia Highlands appellation but his horses started eating the grapes. So, they had to go. His initial planting were limited by a lack of water until he dug a well on the property. Pisoni started planting even more Pinot Noir. The vineyard is now around 45 acres and nearly all of it Pinot. By the late 1990s, word had spread about the success of his vineyard, and a number of Pinot specialists from around California had started lining up to buy his grapes. He started producing his own wine in 1998. Pisoni isn’t the only Gary who has become a force in the Santa Lucia Highlands. Gary Franscioni, a childhood friend, followed Pisoni’s lead by planting grapes and started Roar Wines in 2001. The two of them now have five vineyards between them...all farmed meticulously with the same crew. They are best of friends...sort of a Mutt & Jeff. They have become a formidable presence in the Highlands, attracting interest from top winemakers and Pinot Noir lovers from all over. Franscioni is also from a vegetable farming family; Pisoni figures they’ve known each other since they were 3 or 4. Franscioni saw his friend’s success and once he got some money together, decided to plant grapes of his own. Franscioni’s property is farther north and cooler as it’s closer to the Monterey Bay. He was going to plant Chardonnay. He woke up and Franscioni recalls imitating Pisoni, and shouted, “plant Pinot!” Franscioni planted what became Rosella’s Vineyard, named for his wife, in 1996. He took Pisoni’s advice and planted four acres of Pinot Noir, although he still planted 12 acres of Chardonnay. It’s now a total of around 50 acres with three-quarters of it Pinot Noir. The next year, they decided to become partners and planted Garys’ Vineyard, a 50 acre parcel where they grow Pinot and a little Syrah. Since then, Franscioni has developed Sierra Mar, 38 acres of Pinot, Chardonnay, Syrah and a tiny amount of Viognier. The two teamed up again to establish Soberanes Vineyard, 35 acres of mostly Pinot Noir, with a little bit of Chardonnay and Syrah. That last vineyard was developed by Pisoni’s son Mark. The Garys might seem an unlikely pair. Pisoni is colorful character to say the least and has an outspoken manner. Franscioni comes across as more serious- minded. However, the collaboration between the two, who often address each other as “partner,” clearly works well. The two are good on their own, but better together. Pisoni being more gregarious acts as the frontman. He is the Ambassador. He’s a check on the rest to keep the quality high. Franscioni and Mark Pisoni run the farming on their own vineyards and work together on the joint ventures. The family involvement doesn’t stop there. Jeff Pisoni makes his family’s wines, which are under the Pisoni and Lucia brands. Franscioni’s son, Adam, joined the family business in time for the 2011 harvest. He handles sales for Roar and helps his father manage the vineyards. The grapes from all five vineyards are in huge demand, because the two families are such careful farmers, constantly tweaking and improving. Prominent customers include; Testarossa, Siduri, Kosta Browne, Copain and Bernardus. When a new vintner approaches them about buying grapes, the partners examine the winery’s track record and the Winemaker. If they like what they see, the winery is put on a waiting list. There’s not very much movement in their vineyards. When Franscioni planted Sierra Mar, he and Pisoni had 62 wineries waiting to buy fruit. Soberanes was developed with the idea of working with some new winemakers. There was some concern, even among the two families, that quality might suffer as the vineyard operations grew. However, there’s no indication that’s the case. In fact, with each new venture, they build on what they’ve learned in their older vineyards. Eventually, there will be even more vineyards. The Pisonis and Franscionis have purchased a 100 acre cactus farm in the Santa Lucia Highlands. There’s still a lease on the property. So, prickly pear cactus will continue to be grown for five more years. But at some point, the land will be planted with vines. Both families understand the importance of continuing to build for the future. The Garys looking back tell a story of being in the same spot some years ago and looking at a field of broccoli out back. He told Franscioni that the field would look a lot better with Pinot Noir vines. Now that parcel is part of Rosella’s Vineyard, and it’s planted with Pinot. Everybody thought he was crazy...most people usually think that when someone makes a bold decision. He’s a person who has always had vision and creativeness. He also has tremendous passion. Good things only happen when a person possesses all three of these qualities. Their wines are primarily available by mailing list. However, Nepenthe in Big Sur, CA acts as a quasi tasting room for some of their wines. — 9 years ago

CaptainVino!

9.0

Fantastic! Great fine mousse. First impression: big yummy yeast and not much fruit. Med+ acidity. After opening up for 45 minutes, less pronounced (but still significant) yeast, apple, pear, bell pepper, honey and cinnamon. Complex and very nice. — 2 years ago

Manny Abascal

9.7

2010. Complex, yet weightless. Brilliant. Photo is from internet. We drank this in Big Sur - which may be the most beautiful place I’ve ever been. — 5 years ago

Lyle Fass

Founder Fass Selections

9.4

Man I love 2018. Huge pungent lipstick like fruit. Gorgeous mid to late season red and black cherries. Stunning. Such purity and aromatic depth. Has a gamey depth as well. Palate just has “crank it up” fruit. Juicy, dense, complex and full of big ripe velvety tannins. Amazing density and purity. What a finish. This is so epic. Such tiny berry fruit intensity. So good. Amazing concentration. Long, succulent, tangy and sappy. So fresh and energetic. Long. What a version of this. Sickness! — 6 years ago

Raj Harb

9.3

Big, powerful, opulent. Baked bread, honey, ripe fruit. Also quite lively and interesting. Strikes a nice chord for mature champagne. — 7 years ago

thibaut bourtembourg

9.5

Creamy, buttery, brioche. Big mouthfeel and mineral and savouryness. Great finish. ++ 66 — 8 years ago

Matt Sterr

9.3

Aged Sur Lie. Big and rich. Pure and clean. 60 second finish. '13 drinking perfectly RN — 9 years ago

Dan R

9.4

Big, full flavored, savory, chalky. Not quite the cut of the Pierre wines, a richer style, but the pedigree come through big time. Talcy, earthy, rich, this works really well with cured meats. Fine value for the $43 US that I paid. Disgorged 7/15/15, this is tight and could use some time, last glass was the best — 10 years ago