Lyle Fass

Founder Fass Selections

9.5

Tank sample. A clear step up in complexity and scale. The nose combines classic Chablis minerality with a deeper fruit profile than the Côte de Léchet, showing green apple, Granny Smith, sweet lime, crushed stone, and remarkable purity. Still unmistakably old-school Chablis in style, but with more flesh and breadth wrapped around the mineral core.

The palate is spectacular. Concentrated, sapid, and intensely structured, with tremendous depth and persistence. Where Côte de Léchet feels like a mineral storm, Vaillons presents similar intensity through fruit, texture, and architecture. The fruit is layered and juicy, but the structure is impossible to miss, carrying the wine across a long, powerful finish that feels built for decades rather than years. The minerality remains firmly in place, but everything is broader, deeper, and more complete. Still extremely young, but already showing the balance, concentration, and authority of a serious Premier Cru. A brilliant Vaillons and one that should reward long-term patience. — 18 days ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.0

Fall is here and it’s the season I love to drink port. Dow, producing Ports for over 2 centuries. One of the first to establish its own vineyards, acquiring Senhora da Ribeira, in the remote Upper Douro, in 1890 & Bomfim, in the heart of Alto Douro, in 1896. Aromas of ripe fruits, fragrant spices and sweet notes. On the palate flavors of candied apple and jammy blackberries with cacao and honey. Firm dusty tannins, good balance, long finish. Perfect now. Tasting Sample. — 5 years ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.0

Deep Ruby with dark berry fruit nose with floral and cedar notes. On the palate complex berry flavors, with cacao, toasty oak, herb and black pepper. Fine tannins nice mouthfeel, full-bodied, long finish ending with a spicy mineral character. Nice! Tasting Sample! — 5 years ago

Dennis P.

9.1

Revisiting Spotted Cow for the Labor Day weekend. Naturally cloudy, some yeast left in the brew for richness, and a slightly fruity flavor.

Employee owned, brewed and distributed only in Wisconsin. 4.8% abv.

Paired with bbq. baby back ribs, Sweet Baby Rays Sauce , and my special rub. — 6 years ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.0

Quilt pays tribute to Napa Valley’s wines, sourced from a patchwork of prime Napa Valley vineyards. Met Joseph Wagner a few times & tasted his wines. Tried ‘14 & ‘15, now ‘16. Deep Ruby with aromas of dark berry fruits, sweet spice and cedar. On palate flavors of blackberry and cherry, slight jammy notes, smooth, with vanilla, oak and leather notes, well balanced. Dusty soft tannins, nice mouthfeel, on long finish ending with espresso tones. Consistent quality, has room to age. Tasting Sample. — 6 years ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.1

The signature wine from the exquisitely tended Puente Alto vineyard, deep Ruby with aromas of dark fruits and espresso notes, a blend of 91% Cab Sauv and 9% Cab Franc, aged for 15 month in French oak (66% new). On the palate pronounced flavors of black cherry and plum with herb notes. Firm grippy tannins, long finish ending with herb tobacco notes, still tight needs time. Tasting Sample! — 6 years ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.5

Blend of about 50% Cab Sauv, with Merlot, Cab Franc & Petit Verdot, Deep Ruby with aromas of berry fruit aromas and herb notes. On the palate black raspberry and blackberry, currant-like, with tobacco, cacao and smoky oak notes. Fine polished tannins, long finish ending with fruit and earthy mineral tones, drinks well now and will last for the next decade+. Tasting Sample! — 2 years ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.5

Deep Ruby, evolves with spectrum of aromas, berry fruit, dried herb, complex spice, notes of cocoa dust. Blend: CabSauv/Franc/Merlot/Malbec/PetVerdot. Palate, ripe blackcherry/blackberry flavors, rich tones, subtle oak, espresso/black pepper. Graceful/elegant, displays super fine “dusty” tannins, perfectly balanced, pleasing length, complex ending with fruit/mineral edge. Ultra-premium fruit, world class hand-crafting, limited production exceptional wine. Wonderful now, get better with age. Tasting Sample! — 4 years ago

Mitchell Krieger

9.6

Mitchy’s feelin witchy — 5 years ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.5

Medium gold with pronounced aromas of ripe fruits, honey, juicy citrus and floral notes on a rich sweet nose. On the palate flavors of ripe apple, peach, honey and apricot with lime vanilla notes. Rich full-bodied, syrup like, Botrytis at its best. Long finish, vivid acidity, luscious, great to drink now, but will age. Tasting Sample. — 5 years ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.0

A blend of 80% Syrah, 10% Petite Sirah, 5% Grenache, and 5% Mourvèdre, aromas of big ripe fruits with herb pepper spice. On the palate fresh fruit flavors with cherry and plum flavors with sweet notes of cacao, licorice and toasty oak tones. Fine tannins, vivid acidity, medium length ending rich with smoky spice. Very nice! Tasting Sample! — 6 years ago

Sipping Fine Wine

8.9

Dark Ruby with aromas of berry fruit with sweet spice notes. On the palate cherry, plum and strawberry with tobacco and cacao notes adding sweet spice. Dusty tannins, long toasty finish ending mineral notes. Tasting Sample! — 6 years ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.0

Blend of 85% Garganega & 15% Trebbiano di Soave, from the heart of Soave, the Winery of Leonildo and Teresita Pieropan dates back to 1860. Pale lemon with green edges and aromas of fresh stone fruits, floral blossoms and herb spice. On the palate apple and pineapple with lemon citrus juice notes. Well balanced with vivid acidity carrying through to a pleasing finish. Tasting a Sample. — 6 years ago

Paul T, Missing My Beautiful Wife 24/7

9.6

A nice summer brew with 10.2 abv. We’re not in Mexico anymore Toto!
Even though I do enjoy a nice Modelo during the heat, but it’s just not very strong or flavorful compared to a bourbon barrel aged beer — 4 years ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.3

A blend of 53% Sauvignon Blanc, 46% Semillon and 1% Muscadelle, medium lemon color with aromas of tropical and stone fruits adding some herb citrus notes. On the palate flavors of peach, mango and citrus with and white floral notes, lively acidity. Long finish ending with ripe fruit and mineral tones. Nice, tasting sample. — 4 years ago

Stefan Dolhain

9.0

2020 primeur sample. Fresh and balanced, great value. — 5 years ago

Kris Tucker

9.0

One of my favorites especially of the Apothic line. — 5 years ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.0

I met winemaker David last year. A blend of 70% Pinot Nero and 30% Glera with 6 months of fining. Fresh fragrant fruit aromas with slight mousse and bubble flow. On the palate stone and berry fruit flavors on dryer crisp side, good balance between fruit and crispness, (I prefer a dry Prosecco) ending clean and elegant. A very nice Prosecco, one of the best I have tasted, worth the price. Tasting Sample. — 6 years ago

Lo Lo

9.5

Holy fucking delicious — 6 years ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.1

A blend of 50% Merlot, 25% Cab Franc & 25% Cab Sauv, aged in 100% new oak, deep Ruby with aromas of dark fruits, sweet oak and spice. On the palate flavors of blackberry and plum with sticky cacao and woodsy spice. Big firm grippy tannins, medium+ finish ending with notes of tar and tobacco on a tight finish. Needs time in the bottle. Tasting Sample! — 6 years ago