Lyle Fass

Founder Fass Selections

9.5

This is backwards out of the gates but it’s all there. Huge density, power and concentration while remaining fresh and incisive. Needs an hour and I will be back. Needed way more than an hour. Still on day 2 this is dense and sinewy. Really structured but so fresh. Acts like high end Crozes or baby Hermitage. On day 3 this has finally come around! Like the 18 and 15! Unreal aromas and so expansive. Sweet, dense and long 9.4 to 9.5. But it was like pushing a boulder up a cliff. — 5 months ago

Jay Kline

9.3

Popped and poured to celebrate a personal achievement because we often don’t celebrate the little things enough, right? As a longtime fan of the Champagnes by Paul Dethune, the Cuvée Prestige “Princess des Thunes” pours a brilliant golden color with a persistent mousse. On the nose, loads of brioche and lightly toasted croissant, lemon bar, meringue, raspberries, Marcona almonds, honeysuckle and chalky minerals. On the palate, the wine is dry. Acid is medium+. Confirming the notes from the nose. The texture is creamy, with an almost oily character as it warms, giving this a rich, almost round impression of the fruit. No doubt the generous addition of reserve wines going back the last four plus decades contributes to this richness. The low dosage acts like a bustier giving a very appealing, sexy lift.

This is a really lovely 50/50 blend of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay with 70% of the blend coming from the base vintage (unknown). The other 30% of this cuvée comes from a solera of 34hl oak tuns with vintages going back to the 1970’s. Super delicious stuff that was finished all too quickly. Disgorged in March of 2021. — 3 years ago

Jim

9.3

Costco $22.99->11.99 Better than the usual Pinot. Buy more. — 4 years ago

Mike R

9.7

WOTN - I was impressed - besides always being a crowd pleaser this wine always acts like the postman and always delivers

1 hour decant - was not planning to open but we drank the other bottles like thirsty sailors after 90 days on the boat - color has not changed - the smell has gotten even better - the finish was spot on and the taste was impeccable- remarkable- memorable- a true stunner - blue fruits dancing with black and reds fruits - tobacco cassis sweetness from caramel- tamed but striking how this baby keeps growing - drink now if you want but I will not try again for 5 years or more - this Napa cult classic will last 10 years plus and seems to find a way to get better - bravo — 6 years ago

Chris Zitzman

9.2

Before anything I’m compelled to admit my bias and admiration for Veritas Vineyards. I love the place. And with that out of the way, I’m going to describe my experience with the ‘15 Viognier as I experienced it. No fancy words or “miraculously subtle” sorts of “mandatory praise” that one often comes across when they like what they try. The nose of the ‘15 Veritas Viognier brings about that warm feeling on your shoulders of a sunny day, out in the meadow. The exquisite approach and palate imbue the very essence of spring water in summer- round, lush and satisfying for a long, long way. The juicy finish succinctly acts as a juicy, last look and reflection of that gorgeous, borderline resplendent day in the sun that you NEEDED. As a proper & fitting coda, and as an element that only further drew me into this gorgeously-simple experience- it was a twist-off... which truly and most genuinely completed this wine’s perfection, for tonight. — 6 years ago

with Beth

Hermine Benard

8.9

Completely misleading as a Pinot Noir that acts as a Cabernet. Very rich cherries and smoke. Hard to rate in its category so I rate for enjoyment sake. — 8 years ago

Joho

9.8

Headline: “damn near perfect” not dry, not bitter, not sweet, not watery, just lovely balance all around. If you’re looking for a defining characteristic it’s that there is none. Some would say the greatest designs goes unnoticed. I would also say that the greatest wines should lay in a similar vein. There is no one flavor or characteristic about it that is overpowering the rest. — 2 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.4

There are some acts that are hard to follow. So is the case with the 06 Bordeaux vintage vs. 05. However, that is not entirely the case with the 06 Lagrange. Normally Margaux for rack of lamb, thought I’d try some St. Julien elegance and change it up a bit. Exquisite with the Allen Brothers Lamb Lollipops.

The fruits are, dry, ripe, ruby; blackberries, black raspberries, black plum, black raspberries, bright, dark cherries. Dry clay, semi-sweet lead pencil, charcoal, sandalwood, fresh tobacco notes, limestone powder, dry herb notes-bay leaf, dry river stone, dark, rich soil with dry leaves, a mix of Indian & Asian spices, some black licorice mixed with dark fruit cola, charcoal/volcanic ash, mix of semi-fresh to withering dark, bright florals framed in violets & lavender, really nice acidity and lush , rich, smooth, velvety, well balanced finish that last two-minutes. Happy Labor weekend from #ChateauIsbel — 3 years ago

Delectable Wine

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9.1

Les Romains is a vineyard with its feet in flint to the east of the fault line in Sancerre. The 2020 Sancerre Les Romains begins with a fruity and open welcome, blossoming and silken in the mouth before tying the wine up; the flint influence acts like the belt on a pair of trousers tightening up the middle and leaving a sensation of sinew and length with a fine nettley fragrance. (Rebecca Gibb MW, Vinous, August 2022)
— 4 years ago

Chris Zitzman

9.3

Right off the pop of the cork, Tuck Beckstoffer’s entry-level “1975” California Cabernet acts as a simple-yet profound introduction to a whole series of extremely highly-regarded wines from one of the most legendary names in all of California. The nose provides a lush and surprisingly broad array of flavors from stewed cherry to a Smokey- bit of charred oak- and its caliber is defined by how those aromas find their way to melt together- even as young as it be. As it breathes and evolves the structure softens and the tannins begin to more gently explain as well as reveal the flavors that are, sip-by-sip, emerging on the palate. Medium-bodied but with plenty of structure to spare, the (just unbelievably) inexpensive 2018 Beckstoffer “1975” Cabernet is one to try. Then buy, by the case. — 6 years ago

with Beth

Severn G

9.1

On the Lawn at Tanglewood this evening with the Tanglewood Music Center Orchestra, the youths (mostly college)! Our conductor Andris Nelsons is leading one operatic work from WAGNER (Die Walküre, Act I). This is our WAGNER weekend with the BSO, Acts II & III will be performed tomorrow afternoon and evening.

Acidic yellow apple, oxidized green apple, lime wedge, fun stuff. — 7 years ago

Tim Eller

9.5

Until I caught the silky tannins after the first sip, you couldn't have told me this was a cab. Plum, leather and lavender coat the mouth - this is a cab that acts like a Merlot or Petite Syrah. Decadent and delicious. — 7 years ago

James Forsyth

9.1

Gallow Green is a gorgeous rooftop restaurant on top of the venue that hosts Sleep No More and several music and variety acts. As with these attractions, the aesthetic is on point. The salads are tasty if tiny. The pizzas are delicious and taste like they are hiding a wood fired oven round the back somewhere.

$25 corkage is a good thing too.

The wine I brought along has black fruit, supple tannins, tar and leather. It more than held up to the pizzas and, like the food, disappeared very quickly. — 8 years ago

Alix Oconnell

9.0

Very nice rose that tastes and acts like a white wine. — 2 years ago

Tom Elliot

Founder Northwest Wines

9.5

One of the hottest vintages on record in Europe was handled quite well, if not exceedingly well, in Germany. This Saar Auslese 375ml acts more like a Gold Cap, if not a BA without botrytis. Coconut milk, mango, and papaya. Offering silky, supple texture with adequate acidity to keep it fresh and harmonious these past 20 years, with many more ahead. — 3 years ago

Theresa Babiak

9.3

We found this at Costco in Sarasota, Fl. Was pleasantly surprised at the depth of flavor. Would buy again. Nice finish. — 3 years ago

Fredrik Finn

8.9

70% Cabernet Sauvignon 30% Sangiovese. 8 months in french barriques, some previously used to age Sassicaia, but you already knew that of course...
Good concentration of the nose with a mix of dark and red, sun drenched berries, black plums, cassis a whiff of strawberries and lavender. Sweet licorice, cedar wood and spice acts in the background.
Palate maintains a fresh (high acidity) spine through solid but fruity tannins, boils fruit intensity through the mid palate with a modest complexity but a sold finish. Good performance for the 3rd wine of Tenuta San Guido but overall a bit to average — 5 years ago

Stephen Redenbaugh

9.2

Opened for Zoom tasting with Mike Officer. 66% Semillon, 24% Muscadelle, 10% Chasselas! Bone dry, medium clear gold in the glass. Unmistakeable wooly/lanolin notes on the nose from aging Semillon; pungent savory herbs and sweet, ripe pineapple. The wine takes on weight and nuance as it warms. Drinks more like a white Bordeaux blend. The wine acts like a shape-shifter...dry apricots one moment, then crushed almonds, then quince or kiwi. A fun roller coaster ride impeccably balanced with plenty of fruit and acid verve. — 6 years ago

Fredrik Finn

9.4

The 2017 Le Mont Demi Sec is youthful and will be a keeper for the long run, yet its so enchanting already. Near 20 g/ sugar has been left behind and acts as a gentle stroke of sweetness followed by its fresh acidity embedded into its ripe and honey tinged, waxy profile that keeps on pushing and evolving all the way down to the mother rock. — 7 years ago

Ron R

9.4

Picture is from a great street vendor in NY. Focus is on flying rats. The wine is in a great spot. The nose displays kitsch and hints of tobacco. Palate is a power-play of pristine fruit, and slightly underripe tannins. Acidity acts as a counterweight to the tannins. It’s multi-layered with a seam of minerality. Leave this a little while longer if you have it, but it’s excellent now, if you like palate domination. — 7 years ago

with Anne-marie