Matthew Cohen

9.7

Man this is so young. 3-5 years at least from an early peak. But you can see the greatness. Man this is going to be a wine of a lifetime.

Nose is pungent cranberry flowers. An assault on the no trial. Nose petals peeking through. Some lilacs.

Palate is stunningly fresh. So delsignore. You get the amazing Nebbiolo fruit you’d expect from 16 but it’s as fresh as just picked grapes. Bright cherry. A bit of darker red cherry. A hint of licorice. Some cranberry fruit.

A beautiful wine.

On the swallow this is starting to show that “oh my god I can’t believe I’m drinking this” perfect balance of truly great wines.

As this opens piercingly intense. Pure pure pure. A hint of elegant brick like you get in old burgundy. Intense Dried rose petal extract.

Finish is so profound you leave it on the palate for like a minute sucking in air and mumbling “mmmph. Mmmph mmmph” it’s so good you do t want it to stop.

Bought from fass selections — 5 days ago

John Howard

Harvest production at Hirsch and Cobb Wineries

9.1

Silly label, great wine. Like a good NV champs but better QPR. 5 years on the lees! — 4 days ago

Lyle Fass

Founder Fass Selections

9.0

Here we go! Great nose of spice, florals and mid season cherries. Also ripe but not as bad as the 09. Really really floral and spicey. But still that hint of tomato. Grrr. Wild mint as well. Even some rosemary. Tree bark. Citrus zest. Great depth. Palate is the most youthful and tannic of them all. Big structure and mouth coating tannins. Good structure. Seems like a Ghemme in body and rusticity. Nice length. Solid — 5 days ago

Pooneet K

9.4

Wonderful wine. Decanted 4 hours and this certainly needs it at this point - will try the next bottle in 3-4 years. I actually had the 09 of this wine in Milan 4 years ago, fun to try it again through Fass Selections (and with a new label to boot). Just a great reminder of why nebbiolo is such an amazing grape when tended well. Amazingly aromatic, such depth, great fruit, nice long finish, excellent acid, and a bit of that cooling menthol note. Perfect pairing with some garlic and fennel rubbed pork chops on a rather significant night…

Editing up to a 9.4 after a few more hours of air (total 7+ hours). Also realized this is 15%! Would not have guessed it, but had a nice chill on it throughout. — 11 days ago

Severn Goodwin

9.2

Just the best Moscato d'Asti money can buy, you'll never have more enjoyment packed into another bottle!

Our final bottle of the 2017 vintage.

+

On the Lawn at Tanglewood this evening with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, without orchestra or conductor 😉. Three humble souls playing an all BEETHOVEN program (Piano Trio No. 3 in C minor (Opus 1, No. 3) and Symphony No. 2 in D (Opus 36, arr. for piano trio by Beethoven)) with a few of the best players of instruments containing strings, Yo-Yo Ma (cello), Leonidas Kavakos (violin) and Emanuel Ax (piano). A true delight for lovers of Classical music this evening! — 6 days ago

Bob McDonald

9.4

Ruby red with a tawny rim. Aromas of menthol, mint, black and red fruits with a touch of licorice and tar. Similar notes on the medium to full bodied palate. Finishes with chalky, fine, drying tannins. This producer was one of the early adopters of using small French oak Barriques. This influence was noticeable 4 years ago in my first Delectable note on this wine but now it has all come together and in balance. Looking forward to trying the 3rd one in 2 or 3 years time. — 4 days ago

Ericsson

9.1

This is a translucent, pale garnet color to the eye.

On the nose there’s tobacco, leather and earthy flavors and slight red cherries scents.

The palette is equally rustic with notes of mushroom, tar, and some heavy oak; the fruit is present but most everything is overpowered by the acidity and the locking tannings. This tasted much much better when paired with a citric creamy tagliatelle than on its own.
— 5 days ago

Aravind A

9.4

Popped on Monday this week. Amazingly open: perfumed red fruit, rose hips, spicy orange peel, just lovely perfumed intensity. On the palate: lovely acidity, fantastic density and velvety, but soft tannin.

Today (day 3 open): unrefrigerated on the counter since opening. Just a pure, spicy nebbiolo nose; rose, orange peel, soft tar, and loads of spicy red fruit. On the palate: fantastic acidity, so soft, with lovely red fruit, good acidity, supple and silky tannin on the finish. — 3 days ago

Mike Saviage

9.5

Mostly amber in color, translucent and with clear rims. Great old Barolo nose. Notes of tea, anise, red roses, some tar and some cherry cola. Very thin in the glass at first, so not much impact in the mouth. But it needed LOTS of air to open up. By hour 6 this had improved dramatically – gaining weight and complexity. Saved a glass to go with the cheese course, and was rewarded since this wine so desperately needed food next to it. Great showing for a pretty old bottle of Nebbiolo. (Bday 11 of 12) — 4 days ago

Severn Goodwin

9.3

Nose has dried roses, white pepper, crushed cherries, loose tobacco, dried orange zest and dried mud.

Palate has dried tart cherry, black cherry, blackberry, wet leather, anise and very dry garden soil. Medium+ tannins not overpowering, more savory/earth notes than fruit expression on the palate; a very nice bottle with a unique expression of terroir.

Opened for slow oxidation of 6H then +3H decant, expect this to show better tomorrow. Paired to local beef short ribs (Kinderhook Farm; Valatie, NY) in an Asian-style braising sauce, plated on top of Parmesan polenta, so yum.

85% Nebbiolo, 15% Neretto & Ner d'Ala

Anyone approaching the 2016 vintage, please wait until 2024-26 until opening, and likely still too soon even then... — 11 days ago