Lyle Fass

Founder Fass Selections

9.4

Crazy fruit on the nose. 70% whole cluster. Floral, with inner-mouth florals, grip, structure, freshness and purity. Has that 2024 velvet. So clean and pretty. Awesome. — 8 days ago

Conrad Green

9.7

The purity is great. Lovely clarified fruit. Glossy and perfectly balanced. Wonderful stuff. — 2 months ago

with Walker and David

Freddy R. Troya

9.4

Château Canon 2023 – Saint-Émilion Grand Cru, 1er Grand Cru Classé, BDX, France 🇫🇷

Overview
A poised and beautifully balanced Saint-Émilion showing depth of fruit, polished texture, and quiet structural authority, driven primarily by Merlot 70% with Cabernet Franc 30% support. Dark fruit concentration is layered with mineral tension and refined oak, delivering a wine that feels complete yet still evolving in the glass, inviting extended exploration.

Aromas & Flavors
Black cherry, ripe plum, blackberry compote, crushed stone, violet, subtle cocoa dust, graphite whisper, gentle spice and refined cedar.

Mouthfeel
Medium-plus body with supple entry, fine-grained tannins, excellent mid-palate density, seamless acidity integration, and a long, resonant finish that lingers with freshness and precision.

Food Pairings
Roast duck, lamb loin, mushroom risotto, beef tenderloin, truffle pasta, aged Comté or Gruyère.

Verdict
A composed, terroir-driven Canon showing purity, balance, and textural polish rather than brute force. The finish is especially compelling, signaling strong aging potential and classic limestone-driven Saint-Émilion finesse.

🍷 Personal Pick
This one pulls you back for a second lap, deep fruit framed by elegance, not excess, with a finish that keeps unfolding. It feels confident, grounded, and quietly powerful, exactly the kind of wine that rewards patience and attention. — 5 months ago

Lyle Fass

Founder Fass Selections

9.5

No wine for 5 days while recovering from a canker sore. Coming back strong. No formal notes but mineral and so focused. Great Rheinhessen weight and density. Nimble though. Super long finish. Unreal purity. — 9 months ago

Conrad Green

9.6

Really pure and light and lifted. Soft floral notes and a steely spine underpinning it. Long and tense and perfectly balanced with a purity and deftness that is gorgeous. The best 96 I’ve had from them. — 2 years ago

with BOT, Matt and 1 other

Lyle Fass

Founder Fass Selections

9.4

Haunting and ethereal aromas of roses, tar, leather and so much more. Classic old school pedal to the medal Neb. Smokey and hickory aromas as well. Stunning. Palate is mega juicy and mega structured with amazing purity and depth and just exquisite fruit and lovely length. This has many decades ahead of it and is really a value when compared to what $40 gets you in the Langhe. As this airs i’ll be back. — 4 years ago

Ming L

9.3

This Valtellina Superiore opens with crushed wild strawberry, tart cherry, and subtle dried rose, showing remarkable fruit purity and freshness. Medium-bodied, silky juicy red berries infused by fresh herbs dance across the palate with poise and ease. No oak heaviness; just transparent, elegant precision. Lingering finish of redcurrant and mineral dust.

A very pretty and charming alpine Nebbiolo. — 14 days ago

Willie Carter

9.5

Already so lovely, but still so young. Medium ruby red in the glass with long, lusty legs and a wide brim. The nose is exactly what you think a classic Left Bank Bordeaux should be. Cassis, plums, and tobacco immediately upon opening. New leather and oak with just the right amount of earth. Very nice.

Big, powerful, and virile. Amazing balance and purity for a wine so young. Still a bit tannic at times but decanting certainly helps with that. Pretty fruit on the palate with blackberries and cherries. Soft vanilla undertones from start to finish along with licorice and more earth on the tongue.

Very impressive with such depth and such personality. As good as this is today it will be so much better if you can show patience. Put these away and try your best to forget about them and you will be rewarded. — 4 months ago

Zach D

9.5

My first of the 2023’s. Really spectacular. Pours a medium yellow with some viscosity. On the nose such purity. Lemon pith, white flowers, mixed citrus, high toned and pure, the palate is silky like crème brûlée but with a lightness; beautiful oak framing. I think I’m a Brissett junky. The winemaking highlights everything I love about Chardonnay. @Lyle Fass — 6 months ago

Steven Heydemann

9.4

Showing so beautifully right now. Density and purity of dark berry fruit, olive wood smoke, sage and thyme notes. Terrific.  — 9 months ago

Jakub Kalinowski

9.1

Aromatic and so pure.
Honeysuckle, peach pie, a touch of lanolin and mandarin peel. And yet - this is retrained & quite cool. Warm slate emerges.
On the palate this is impeccably balanced, so poised. Juicy, just ripe, with purity of fruit and amazing tension. Finishes off with a slightly creamy mouthfeel (very Burgundian!) and a beautiful long mineral finish.
Drinking perfectly right now. Simply delish!
— 2 years ago

Lyle Fass

Founder Fass Selections

9.6

Ridiculous Rhini! What a nose. Red cherries and berries galore. You can smell the density. Gorgeous soil and limestone tones. Unreal expansiveness and so so aromatic. Just a crazy nose that has so much breadth. The clarity, purity and pinosity are off the charts. Palate is tangy and tense and as usual at chez Ziereisen it needs mega air but the structural architecture is there. A very red fruited expression of Pinot which seems to be the new direction this estate’s Pinots are going in which I am here for. Lovely bitter herbals on the nose now. Great freshness and acidity but needs to fill out. It will. I’ll be back. Fruit getting sweeter with air that classic hidden Rhini structure. Now with air the nose is super spicy and complex . Herbal and spicey. Fruit is so much sweeter and is like a squeegee on the palate and clings to the palate. So clean on the backend. Huge quality change on day 2. Nose is denser and cleaner with rich cherry fruits, pine resin, black forest vibes and spice. Wow. A 9.7 nose today. Palate is elegant and dense with that unreal Rhini elegant yet substantial structure and crazy complexity. Big but very very fine tannins. 9.5 to 9.6 overnight. — 3 years ago

Lyle Fass

Founder Fass Selections

9.3

Have not had since 2019. Nose is brambly with a cherry melange. Very earthy. Some wood shavings. A bit aromatically closed for now. Palate is juicy, very concentrated and sappy with great purity. Really long but also seems backwards. But terrific fruit and intensity. Very very sappy. Needs a few more years but you can the low yields of 16 gave this wine density and tons of material.

After an hour this has softened up and is super juicy and the tannins have calmed down. 9.2 to 9.3. Lavieres is such good terroir. — 4 years ago

Conrad Green

9.4

Very dense and pure. Quite forequarter for Margaux but full of life and intensity. Great purity and length. — 24 days ago

with Paul and Ara

Lyle Fass

Founder Fass Selections

9.6

Another great, albeit young vintage of Zach. The palate has depth, purity, minerality and more but it’s a bit ‘all over the place’ but the bones are there. Super complex and long. Nose is blackberry, red cherry, red berry, super clear, floral and complex. 9.6. nose. Will get better. Palate is super concentrated but boy does it need air but oh man what promise. Calmer, sweeter today but still a bit backwards. Gorgeous inner mouth aromas and a spicy granite finish. This has really come alive on day 3. Best day by far. — 3 months ago

Lyle Fass

Founder Fass Selections

9.5

One of the best Girard 23’s. First time since April and it’s just as I remember. What a wine. Lush, giving cherry nose that just exudes purity and generousness. So inviting. Palate is lush and generous with unreal fruit. Black cherry, red cherry, blackberry. So dense, so explosive and fresh. Gorgeous, diamond cut tannins. Unreal wine. Wow. — 6 months ago

Freddy R. Troya

9.6

Chappellet – Signature Cabernet Sauvignon – 2022 🇺🇸
Pritchard Hill (Mountain Fruit) – Napa Valley AVA – California, USA

Overview
A cornerstone of Chappellet for over three decades, the Signature Cabernet Sauvignon continues to define what Napa Valley mountain Cabernet is all about: power, elegance, and longevity.
The 2022 vintage carries a subtly adjusted blend of 82% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Petit Verdot, 7% Malbec, 2% Merlot, featuring a touch more Cabernet Sauvignon and slightly less Petit Verdot and Malbec compared to the 2021 (see my v2021 notes).
This shift gives the 2022 an extra dimension of muscle and purity, heightening its mountain-driven character.

Aromas & Flavors
Undeniably dark and expressive. Notes of blackcurrant, dark cherry, plum, and cassis rise first, followed by cedar, sage, aged tobacco, thyme, and beautifully integrated toasted oak.
As it opens, deeper nuances emerge, espresso bean, cocoa, graphite, and subtle mountain herbs.

Mouthfeel
Full-bodied and impeccably structured.
The increase in Cabernet Sauvignon amplifies its power and linearity, while polished tannins deliver a glowing richness across the palate.
Flavors of black cherry, currant, chocolate, espresso, and warm spice saturate the mid-palate. The finish is long, confident, and built for aging.

Food Pairings
Prime rib, grilled ribeye, lamb with rosemary, venison, black-truffle dishes, or aged gouda/cheddar.

Verdict
A formidable yet seductively elegant expression of Pritchard Hill. The 2022 is slightly more commanding than the 2021, with enhanced Cabernet purity and structural depth. A true benchmark in Napa’s hillside Cabernets, age-worthy, expressive, and unmistakably Chappellet. Cheers!

Did You Know?
Pritchard Hill’s volcanic, iron-rich soils and elevation create Cabernets known for density, refinement, and remarkable longevity, which is why so many iconic Napa producers source or plant here.

🍷 Personal Pick Highlight
Among my personal favorites in the mountain Cabernet category. The 2022 delivers that unmistakable “whoa” moment, especially when shared with friends and family. — 7 months ago

Lyle Fass

Founder Fass Selections

9.5

Hugely reduced out of the gates. Wow huge sulfur. Palate is red fruited, silky and so supple. Needs mega mega air. Wow what a nose now with air. Olive explosion. feral, meaty, charcuterie and so classic. Palate is so fresh, energetic and silky. So so supple. Amazing purity. Nose still not quite there but it’s going to get there. So silky and such refined tannins. Substantial but refined. Amazing presence. — 2 years ago

Lyle Fass

Founder Fass Selections

9.3

No formal notes. Love 2020. So classic and mineral. Huge wet earth nose that developed into a mineral nose with crystalline purity. Palate is round and electric at the same time. Some fruit but more mineral driven — 3 years ago

Lyle Fass

Founder Fass Selections

9.6

Nose has the classic porphyry aromas and are just wonderful. It’s so expressive. Such mineral precision. Insane clarity of wet stone aromas. Nose is a bit quiet as well as it’s too cold. Palate is hauntingly elegant with unreal rockiness and sappy minerality. Not much fruit right now but the underlying architecture is perfect. Stunning purity. This is a rock star. Literally. What intense minerality on the finish but so so elegant. Just stunning. Some apricot now on the nose. Crystalline purity and just so well made and everything in its place. A stunner. — 4 years ago