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. — 12 days ago

Jakub Kalinowski

9.1

Nicely expressive on the nose with red fruit (raspberries, red currant), a touch of black currant leaf and some pleasant earthy undertones.
Light to mid weight on the palate, with brilliant flow. Juicy, fresh, enticing. Nicely framed by the fine, silky tannins. Nice depth here, and a super long finish. Slightly salty, slighty herby towards the end.
This is singing right now and is just delicious. — 2 months ago

David Dorn

8.9

Nice chinon- classic expression and beautiful with food — 3 months ago

Mandi Speidel

City Territory Chicago, Maverick Wine Company

9.0

Attempting to clean the house — 5 months ago

Marlene Ström

9.0

Från systemet — 7 months ago

Rob Krapf

8.9

Nice with a juicy cheeseburger. — 8 months ago

Peter van den Besselaar

9.0

vintage 2017 | Iconic Chinon. True to type. Dark with brown rim. Perfumed bouquet with a combination of minerals and red fruit, cherries and a hint of raspberry. Supple taste. 14,5 Abv. Fine aftertaste. Paired with gigli and funghi. — 13 days ago

Lyle Fass

Founder Fass Selections

9.3

Nose is out of sight and very Chinon. Tobacco leaf, smoke, herbals, light cassis and mineral. Palate is juicy, dark and olivey as the name clarifies. Energetic and sappy but better in 5 years as holding back. — a month ago

David Dorn

9.0

Really nice wine! 👌🏻 — a month ago

Matt Perlman

9.4

Lot of funk initially but on day two this really turned into a stunning wine. Give it some air and be open minded if there’s Brett at first because this is special stuff — 2 months ago

katarina ammann

9.0

Red fruits, raspberries or strawberries in a very not-fresh way. Medium bodied with little tannins. — 3 months ago

Peter van den Besselaar

9.0

Vintage 2018 | Golden colour, much more coloured than I expected. Very balanced taste. Lovely. Needs not to be cellared longer. Diam corked. — 6 months ago

romo

9.2

Put these down and watch the angry tannin melt away. Lighter-bodied right banker. — 8 months ago

JKT

9.0

Michelle balanced though on the acidic side and very well paired with mushroom chicken rice by Evan — 21 days ago

Jay Kline

8.9

Popped and poured; enjoyed over the course of an hour. The 2022 “Le Domaine” pours a deep purple/ruby with an opaque core; medium viscosity with moderate staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is developing with notes of ripe and tart, dark fruits: cassis, blackberries, purple flowers, Poblano pepper, horse blanket and a mix of organic and inorganic earth. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is medium+. I always find this expression to be charming, albeit a bit rustic, and easy to love young while the single vineyard expressions are often backward for many years. Drink now through 2032. — a month ago

David Dorn

9.0

Young but really good! — 2 months ago

David Koenen

9.1

Red, ripe fruit, underlined by chalk. Precision combined with ripeness. Very nice. — 2 months ago

Katie Ross

9.0

(Natural) Bright on the nose, citrus, floral, minerality highly drinkable — 5 months ago

Andrew Schirmer

9.6

Stunning bottle - showed really well after 3 hours or so. Maturing, integrated tannin, structured, a nose you wanna swim in… — 7 months ago

with Alsu

James Everhart

8.9

Textbook Cabernet Frank drinking well eight years after harvest. 2017 vintage purchased in January 2024 $24. — 8 months ago