Lyle Fass

Founder Fass Selections

9.6

Black fruits galore with huge granitic expression. Super mineral, earthy and clean, with major concentration and real freshness. So alive and energetic, the fruit has incredible vigor. Has that classic ashy Cornas thing. From 6 different plots, with granite and some limestone. Fantastic. — 2 days ago

David Samples

10

Beyond beautiful! Immediately soft upon opening—had planned to decant for 4-6 hours but decided against. Open and had small taste with Maggie Harrison around noon. Decided to re-cork it and decanted at 4PM.
At noon I got (very unexpected) cranberry notes on the nose and the palate was considerably more gentle than expected.

After two hour decant: Soft (cat tongue), integrated tannins, pomegranate, black cherry begins to emerge. Herbs, smoky/meaty notes emerge


Tasted: 5.20.26
Attendees: Mark Cerimele, Maggie Harrison, Steve Pfancuff, Lorne McClelland, Andy McCray, Denise Casino, Randy Nelson — a month ago

Ron Siegel

9.4

Dark fruits with notes of meat, graphite, spice, licorice, mineral & violets — 2 months ago

Jake Hajer

9.2

Clean fruit. Mixed peppercorn. Tasty old world Syrah. — 2 months ago

D W

9.2

100% Syrah from the bottom of slopes of the Combe, Les Saveaux, Cayret, Les Mazards, Chaillot and Chapuzes. — 2 months ago

Ming L

9.3

Aromas of ripe apricot, honeyed peach, and white flowers are layered with subtle hints of hazelnut, spice, and subtle tropical fruits. The palate is lush and rich yet never feels weighty, and offering stone fruit, candied citrus, and a touch of minerality. The long, harmonious finish leaves notes of almond and soft honeysuckles lingering delicately. A mature, refined Condrieu at its expressive peak. — 3 months ago

J Choi

9.3

Should decant. Finesse. — 3 months ago

Ron Siegel

9.3

Dark red cherry, berry fruit with notes of meat, savory spices, licorice, violets & tobacco — a day ago

romo

9.4

The 99 Chenin was oxed but the Clape was glorious. - at Archer — a month ago

Jay Kline

9.6

Splash decanted immediately before service; enjoyed over the course of an hour. The 2018 pours a deep ruby/purple color with an opaque core; medium+ viscosity with significant staining of the tears and some sediment. On the nose, the wine is developing with gorgeous notes of blackberry, fig, black pepper, bacon fat, lavender, aromatic wood resin, warm spices and minerals. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is long. This is already an absolute banger and hides its 15% alcohol as well as any wine I have ever encountered. I almost gasped when I saw the ABV on the label because I couldn’t believe it. This is beautifully balanced, and I feel privileged to try this wine in its relative youth. Drink now with a splash decant and through 2052+. Bottle No. 15902. — a month ago

romo

9.4

Anti-roast, all tart cherry and white pepper, gentle tannin, faint horse hair. Wow. — 2 months ago

Jay Kline

9.5

Opened prior to dinner and enjoyed over the course of a few hours. The wine pours a deep ruby/purple color with an opaque core; medium+ viscosity with significant staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is developing with notes of ripe and desiccated black and red fruits: mixed brambles, Flintstone vitamins, spiced meat, olives, purple flowers, black pepper, dried herbs, rocky earth, a mix of cool and warm spices. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is long. Similar to the 1997 we tasted alongside, with all of the same notes except this brought back the familiar Flintstone vitamins that I have encountered in La Mouline from the past. The structure was also more substantial. I preferred this to the 1997 tonight…but I’m splitting hairs! — 3 months ago

Howard Greenfield

9.5

89 Magnum — 3 months ago

Matthew Cohen

9.0

N game

P bright. Cherry.

Grapex 192 btg — 3 months ago

Peter van den Besselaar

9.0

vintage 2015 | spicy, pepper, morelcherries, strict, good acidity — a month ago

Shay A

9.5

94-95

This was one of the wines I served for my annual WWC hosting. All wines served blind.

93 syrah/ 7 viognier

The third syrah in my lineup was a wine I've enjoyed a few times over the last five years. Bangin' vintage and in a style I enjoy (syrah and vio). Purple-black in the glass, it offers up killer aromatics of rich, dark fruit, some baking spice, and smoked meat. Even with nearly four hours, this was a monster in structure with tannin that paired beautifully with an herb crusted lamb rack. Powerful on the palate with smoked berries, bacon, espresso, vanilla and a savory finish. Still on the upswing with lots of wonderful Cote-Rotie fireworks in store. Wish I had another! — a month ago

romo

9.2

Surprisingly light on its feet, which are wearing muddy boots. — a month ago

Harvey Raben

9.6

Still strong with bramble fruit herbal characteristics that flow into a long finish. For a 43 year old this is spectacular example of Syrah in the northern Rhône. Complexity without off flavors from aging. — 2 months ago

Adriana Fabbro

9.7

1985. 40 years young. Gave it an hour to open up before dinner (paired orange ginger glazed duck with pistachio apricot farro). Thankfully my partner is a master of the Durand. There’s very little for me to compare this too - most aged whites are preserved by acid; Chave relies on glycerol here. It gives the wine gravitas but also life and freshness. Pleasant wood veneer/wood shop notes, dried apricots at first (become fresher with time), yellow plum, truffled earth. Salty poached apricots and timelessness. In a perfect world, we’d be sharing this with my dad. Strange & sensational. — 3 months ago

Jay Kline

9.9

What a special treat to have an entire flight dedicated to the one and only Noël Verset. All three wines were opened prior to dinner and serially enjoyed over the course of a few hours. Stylistically, all three wines were similar and most importantly, sound! The 1998 pours a garnet color with a transparent core; medium viscosity with light staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is vinous with ripe and slightly desiccated, wild red bramble berries, dried purple flowers, cracked black pepper, black olive, garrigue, spiced meat, coffee, old leather bound books, exotic eastern spices and inorganic earth and minerals. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is long. Bro…this bottle left me speechless. It has all of the things I could possibly want in Cornas plus, it has the staying power of Barry White. For me, this was the wine of the flight (and WOTN), overshadowing the more heralded 1999 and giving more than the relatively demure 1992. Drink now through (???). This has the characteristics of an immortal. — 3 months ago