Lyle Fass

Founder Fass Selections

9.6

Out of bottle this is built like a brick house. Stacked. Nose is lurid spices, cranberry, sour cherry, hint of va, mid season cherry and a gorgeous earthy and mineral sweetness. But has way more to say. Palate is massive. Huge tannins but super sapid and unreal density. But still remains so fine. But drying on finish for now but this will gain so much with air. I’ll be back. Hasn’t budged much after an hour. Back in the drugs it goes and see tomorrow. It’s evolving and there is. deep feel to it but the tannins are still a bit much. This got killer overnight. So juicy and clean and cascading fruit. Tannins integrated and sweet. 9.5 to 9.6. — a year ago

Aaron Tan

9.4

Superb wine to start the evening. The nose was surprisingly open, especially for this producer - pineapple, grapefruit, sea breeze, fresh herbs, and white flowers. Stacked and powerful, you can really feel a pressure weighing down on the palate yet in typical Schäfer-Fröhlich manner, the finesse and elegance of the wine is undeniable, courtesy of the piercing acidity, herbaceous-ness, and long salty finish. While it drank well, I do feel it still needs time to shed more baby fat and bring more seamlessness. For such a strong performance, it was surprisingly not the white of the night. — 4 years ago

Tom Casagrande

9.2

Had forgotten about this one in the cellar. It’s a really nice “aged Southern Rhône” experience. So fragrant, with loads of rich mahogany and leather scents, iodine, sultry rich berries, crushed rock. Intense flavors that still show nice fruit. There is still a whack of tannin in the finish, which isn’t really drying out at all, amazingly. Probably an anomaly because this was a great and stacked and packed vintage when young. — 5 years ago

with Angelo

Daniel McCullough

9.8

22eme - first time trying and boy did this deliver (and it was stacked up against some stiff competition) singing from the first sip — 6 years ago

Jeremy Reuling

8.9

Really solid Cabernet Sauvignon...not overly complex, but very full flavored and leathery in a good way. The best part is that I didn’t even know I had it until last week because it had rolled back into the stacked pallets I used to use as a wine storage system and I found it as I was taking them out of my basement. Probably it was in there a couple of years. — 6 years ago

Mikey T

9.2

$143 not sure how I purchased this, I think online after I found this in France, I remember it being better there. Maybe it’s just too hot here for a Pinot here and honestly it followed The Judge so the deck was stacked against it. — 7 years ago

S.S. Mandani

9.1

This wine’s bouquet brings to the fore memories of the sea. Once I take a sip, I picture a tapas restaurant with mahogany paneling, ambience lighting, and linen tablecloths.

At first taste, well-balanced. Perfect rich and tart berry flavors with a hint of natural vanilla and oak. Not too tannic and light & bouncy on the tongue. For me, I would love this with whitefish ceviche, tacos, and/or pasta.

Versatile and affordable.

Reminds me of a platitude I live by in terms of wine (and life), “If it tastes good, drink it.” I can still hear Larry, the spectacled, fourth generational New Yorker yell from behind the counter, bottles stacked on cardboard boxes, of his boutique downtown wine shop on Maiden Lane.

$6.99 — Trader Joe’s — 8 years ago

Ely Cohn

9.1

Murky and stacked with bramble and minerals in a persistent purple glow.

Cab Franc that doesn't scream Cab Franc. A rocky, chalky wine with some salinity that reminds me more of serious Beaujolais.

Preschool pencil and thick strips of fruit leather with tannins that make you pucker. — a year ago

Lyle Fass

Founder Fass Selections

9.4

Always so good. Opulent and incisive. Deep nose. Lots of amplitude. Huge limestone. Herbal. So complex. German Chardonnay is so awesome. What a palate. Huge core of apple and pear fruit and stacked with minerals and a malo sweetness. So long and nimble. Gorgeous wine. Almost 9.5. — 4 years ago

Aaron Tan

8.9

Again, not a wine that passed the drinkability test for me, but there are things that I liked about it, and some that I didn't. Right off the bat, it was way too heavy for me, both on the nose and palate. Heaps of oak aromas covering some sweet black fruits. The palate also came off as being quite sweet, almost syrupy, but here's where the balancing act comes in - just the right amount of acidity to keep it juicy. It's like biting into a very sweet, ripe, juicy plum with a peppering of cinnamon and vanilla. I enjoyed the tannins most, fine and directional, starting at the tip of the tongue, then swinging under before traveling down the inner walls of the gum. What a cool structure! And then there's the underlying minerality with air, which was pleasantly surprising. The finish took a turn for the worse - medium, rich, and oaky, yet bitter with hints of scorched earth character which I dislike. Also quite warm. Generally, more finessed than the 2011 Troplong Mondot, but less stacked and more stumbling blocks. Has potential. — 4 years ago

Ely Cohn

9.3

Pinotage is a grape everyone loves to hate, but I think it has parts to love. Kanonkop makes an ambitious, bold showy wine that swings big, has to nail it, and mostly does. To me, the Pinotage tell is a thing of smoking wet tar and milk chocolate coffee sludge. That's here. Follows with black pepper, bourbon spice and a curious banana note which I think may just be oak and smoke stacked sideways. Then follow the dark fruits. Blue plums and blackberries, and an underlying mineral saltiness. There's lots here and lots to love. — 5 years ago

Jeffrey Williams

9.5

Excellent blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Malbec. Hugh and complex Meritage blend that’s intense yet so smooth. — 7 years ago

Lyle Fass

Founder Fass Selections

9.7

Wow. Super wow. What a nose. Stunning. Haunting. Elegant. Ethereal. Pungent. Floral. Game. Feral. Meaty. Amazing precision. Just ridiculous. How can a wine this great be only $60! Côte Rotie is such a value. Wow. Palate is stacked like the best 15’s can be. So juicy and structured. What poise, precision and balance. Some wood peeking out but that is expected of young Burgaud. Stunning depth, focus and purity. What finesse. It’s big, it’s rich but it’s also elegant, light and finesse driven, with a stunning, drop you in your tracks granite finish. Wow. Echoes on the palate forever. Just keeps giving more and more. Huge depth, power and concentration but comes off as so refined and pretty. Wow. Just achingly beautiful. What a wine. — 7 years ago

David Shaw

9.0

Dense purple, high pigment extraction. White floral and violet notes in nose, plum and berry flavors as noted on label with some tobacco and vegetal character. Nice smooth mouthfeel and balance. Good candidate for an inexpensive everyday Malbec. Paired well with stacked chicken enchiladas in Hatch salsa verde with oven roasted Brussel sprouts and chopped jalapeños in mustard, garlic and aged Italian cheese. Plum flavor kicks in dominantly after three hours, with blackberry and strawberry notes as advertised. — 3 years ago

LM Segal

9.3

A very nicely packed and stacked Brunello, give it at least another year worth a pt or 2. — 4 years ago

Delectable Wine

Follow to learn about our favorite wines & people.

9.0

The 2018 Palazzo della Torre comes to life in the glass with a vibrant mix of balsam herbs, black cherries and cloves. It’s cool-toned in feel, yet silky and stacked with dark fruits and exotic spices. A tantalizing mix of zesty acids and minerals keeps the energy high, as the 2018 tapers off potent yet completely balanced and fresh. The Palazzo della Torre is fantastic, especially at this price point. After tasting the 2017 last year, I was a little worried about a stylistic change, but talk about making a comeback. This is a mix of Corvina Veronese, Corvinone, Rondinella and Sangiovese, where a small portion of the grapes are left to raisin for three months prior to vinification. (Eric Guido, Vinous, April 2022)
— 4 years ago

Lyle Fass

Founder Fass Selections

9.4

Big, brawny, stoney and wonderfully aromatic nose. So Pommard. Mid to late season cherries. Fresh wood shavings. Stony minerality. So deep. Love that mix of 60% intense Pommard minerality and 40% gorgeous clear cherry fruit. Palate is divine. Gorgeous sweet fruit and glorious purity. Deep and wonderful. This is stuffed. Balanced and pure. Brawny yet elegant. Unreal length. The sun really shined on Pommard in 2019. Stunningly candied after 15 minutes on the nose. Confectionery. Just a stunning village wine. What a value! So fresh, so much energy and just stacked. But so elegant. This is one of the best value Village Pommards I’ve ever had. — 5 years ago

Lyle Fass

Founder Fass Selections

9.3

Stunning nose. Buffet is so great. Deep cherry, deep black cherry, deep berries, plum, spice, lavish minerals, layered and deep. Wow, palate is stacked. Pure fruit, tons of cherries, impressive concentration. Energetic edges but creamy in the middle. Dense, structured and energetic with big, imposing but ripe tannins. The lower wines are terrific for now in 18, but the higher ones once they age will be legend. But they will need age. Wonderful finesse and elegance but big late breaking ripe and juicy tannins. — 6 years ago

Jay Kline

9.1

What a stunner. I’ve been so anxious to try the 2017 vintage from the Southern Rhône and if this is an indicator of the general quality then we’re really in for a treat. The Rasteau from Beaurenard is stacked with the freshest brambles, blueberries and lavender. On the palate the dark fruits are perfectly ripe and wonderfully fresh. There’s a delightful weight about it too. I can hardly wait to try the CdPs! — 7 years ago

Ryan Vento

9.3

The Generous Pour at The Capital Grill. This delightful wine event stacked with Houston Restaurant Weeks was an instant win 💯

Freakin’ delicious as always. — 8 years ago

with Krystal