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. — 12 days ago

Freddy R. Troya

9.4

Saint-Joseph V.2018
Northern Rhône Valley, France 🇫🇷

Overview
Made entirely from 100% Syrah, this wine hails from one of the most celebrated AOCs of the Northern Rhône. The 2018 vintage was a powerful, structured year, known for ripe fruit and depth, making it one of the standout recent harvests in the appellation.

Aromas & Flavors
Nose: blackcurrant, blackberry, plum, and spices (notably black pepper, nutmeg) with floral hints of honeysuckle.
Palate: savory notes of smoked meats, olives, herbs, licorice, chocolate, and a touch of oak, layered beautifully with rich black fruit.

Mouthfeel
Full-bodied, meaty, and concentrated with ripe tannins, round structure, and long finish. Balanced acidity ensures freshness while delivering intensity and elegance.

Winemaking & Style
Traditional Rhône winemaking highlights the terroir’s granite soils and classic Syrah character. The 2018 vintage is built for longevity, with the richness of fruit and structure to age gracefully for another decade.

Food Pairing
Ideal with duck confit, braised short ribs, lamb shank, venison stew, or wild mushroom risotto. Pairs just as well with aged cheeses like Comté or Manchego.

Verdict
A textbook Saint-Joseph: bold yet elegant, savory yet fruity, with the hallmark spice and depth that defines Northern Rhône Syrah. Aging potential of 10+ years, but already showing incredible balance and drinkability now. — a year ago

Lyle Fass

Founder Fass Selections

9.6

I love Hermitage Blanc. Old, young or middle aged I love it. So unique and I also like how polarizing White Rhone is amongst wine lovers.

Nose is intense Marsanne in all it’s unbridled glory. That almost feral, medicinal minerality. It’s so high toned and pierces one’s nostril. Yellow fruits galore but angles. Maybe they will get more gras as it airs. Likely. Palate is so intense. Unctuous and intense but floats as it’s so elegant. Great concentration and mineral sweetness and just insane freshness from the granite soils. This reminds me of Puligny Referts today. It’s so long and regal. Amazing fruit presence. Masterful. — 3 years ago

David D

9.0

Dark ruby, pretty full bodied, stewed red fruit, wet granite, some tobacco, cocoa. From Amaro Spirits and Wine. 03/23/21 — 5 years ago

Aravind A

9.2

Not so much evolution from the last btl. Need to be patient with the last btl. After 1 hr open, slow-ox, and vigorous swirling, a lovely nose slowly emerges: sweet, dark, dark, blackberry, soft charcoal and olive notes, and pure granitic minerality. On the palate: granite, fantastic acidity, sweet blackberry, grapefruit pith, perhaps a touch thinner than I would like, especially given the density the nose suggests, the finish is soft black pepper, mixed with chalky tannin. Still very much in the unfurling stage...maybe try to wait 5 more years for the next btl? — 5 years ago

David D

9.0

Good fruit, dried flowers, baking spice, wet granite, nice tannins. From Perry’s, Provincetown. — 6 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.2

First, cheers to Delectable working again after two weeks on the fritz.

This is our kickoff to the Memorial Day weekend. Hope everyone has a good one on tap with some of your favorite wines. So, happy Memorial Day weekend all!

Then, a garden update. We really enjoy watching it grow. You can see it daily.

The top pictures were taken May 1st. The bottom pictures are from today, May 21st. All that crazy growth in just 20 days. Amazing!!! 🍅 🌱🥬🥒🌽

As for the Ruinart, it is appreciable better using my new Riedel Vintage Sommelier Champange flute. Well worth the investment. These are a late birthday gift from our friends James & Christina. Thank you. The nose & palate much more vibrant. More on that as the weekend progresses. Cheers!🥂 — 6 years ago

Freddy R. Troya

9.8

M. Chapoutier “Le Pavillon” Ermitage Rouge 2011, Rhône Valley, France 🇫🇷

Overview
A legendary single-parcel Hermitage Syrah from the Le Pavillon vineyard, planted on granite soils with vines averaging more than 65 years old. Production is extremely limited, with only a few thousand bottles produced.

Aromas & Flavors
Blackberry, raspberry, smoke, licorice, and dark chocolate with subtle notes of spice and tobacco.

Mouthfeel
Deep, powerful, and velvety with extraordinary structure and aging potential.

Food Pairings
Game meats, lamb, venison, or slow-braised beef.

Verdict
One of the most iconic Syrah expressions of Hermitage, combining power, precision, and immense aging potential.

🍷 Personal Pick
An incredibly subtle yet deeply structured Syrah that reminded me why tasting great wines is such a joyful experience. Sophisticated, intense, and beautifully balanced without ever becoming overwhelming. The aging potential is extraordinary.
— 4 months ago

Jay Kline

9.2

From the oldest vines in Clos de la Roilette, the “Cuvée Tardive” is a special example of Fleurie. Popped and poured; enjoyed over the course of two days. Consistent throughout, though it seemed to be a touch more balanced on Day 2. The 2022 “Cuvée Tardive” pours a deep ruby, with a slightly purple tinge and a near opaque core; medium viscosity with moderate staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is developing with notes of black cherry, pomegranate, black plum, red carnations, lavender pastilles, licorice, incense, and granite. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose, the finishes medium+. Ripe and yet remains so fresh! Drink now through 2037. — 2 years ago

Martinez

9.1

Incredibly beautiful, perfumed nose, lots of floral notes (rose petals). Clean, pure, precise, very refined. One of the best Gewurztraminers I’ve ever had, from vineyards around Niedermorschwihr on granite soils (apparently, Gewurztraminer does great on granite…) — 3 years ago

Severn G

9.3

Nose has neverending crushing of flint/granite, warm lemon curd, salted yellow apple slice, cool Asian pear and old, crystalline cheddar.

Palate has ripe pineapple, over-ripe yellow apple, moist chalk/limestone, dried coconut shreds, faint butter notes, table salt with medium acidity. A great wine, slow oxidation for 2H then decanted 3H, so many years in front of this amazing bottle. Drink this 2026-2030 from proper storage.

Pre-birthday dinner for our dear COVID bubble friend; we've only allowed one of our close friends into the house for almost the past year, tonight we're celebrating that he's one year older than me. 😉 — 5 years ago

Bob McDonald

9.5

This won the Trophy for the best White Wine at the Toowoomba Wine Show last weekend and went on to win Champion Wine of the Show. Colour is very pale lemon. Notes of green Apple - skins and flesh, also Lime. The palate has quince and mandarin notes - quite unctuous and fleshy on the palate - low acid and medium plus intensity. Even though the winery is in the Granite Belt/Ballandean the fruit is from Chalmers Vineyard in Mildura in Victoria. The 2020 vintage in Ballandean was probably the most challenging on record with droughts, fires and record low yields. As a result, no Vermentino was harvested at Golden Grove Estate. — 6 years ago

Rhonely Boy

9.5

Fantastic example of why I love wine.
16 years, Beautiful and amazing cherry from Syrah balanced by dark tannin notes of Cabernet. Bravo!

Could use a lil Mourvedre, but thats just me :)

Healthy amount of sediment on glass. — 6 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.4

I have mentally thought about doing this post for quite awhile. Opening this 2003 Verdignan brought on the appropriate moment. I am a believer in paying respects and it’s the basis of this post.

We learn to drink certain wines from the regions we live near or from the people we learn & enjoy wine with as we walk the road to understanding what we really enjoy. I started as an exclusive CA Chardonnay drinker for many years before moving on to nearly every varietal and regions offer. Next was Napa Cabernets which, led me to my true love, red Bordeaux. It was a bit of curve getting there but, once I had them with proper aging, I was hooked for life.

While my curiosity got me to Bordeaux wines, there one person that helped shape my Bordeaux palate and I agreed with more than anyone else’s, including every well known wine critics at that time and even today after spending 10 weeks learning from several Master Sommeliers on my way to passing the Court of Master Sommeliers exam and becoming a Sommelier myself. This person is Clyde Beffa Jr., Owner of K&L Wine Merchants.

Clyde has been traveling to Bordeaux for over 40 years and sometimes multiple times in a year. His palate and experience are second to none. Especially, when it comes to Bordeaux.

I owe him a lot. He taught me the importance of letting good Bordeaux’s age 20 years plus. What were the jewel value producers. Brought in Bordeaux wines direct from the Chateaus that had 10 years of bottle age and older. Bordeaux’s that critics did not like young but, he knew something special had taken place over time as he was tasting them much later in their lives and often. I bought and drank a lot of these wines. They also kept temptation at bay in me reaching for my too young and more expensive wines.

He is very kind and kind enough to allow me to travel with him & key staffers to the 2014 En Premier to taste what was a very difficult 2013 Bordeaux vintage. You can go to En Premier and then there is going with Clyde. You have all the key appointments, Chateau accommodations/dinners and taste somewhere around 1500 plus wines in 6 days. He is loved by the Bordelais and for good reason.

So, I dedicate this post to him. He is the one who told me to buy this little known 2003 Verdignan at the same “Affordable Bordeaux Tasting” I mentioned in my Chateau de Candale post on Friday. As of Friday, that was the wine of the tasting. Well…until I coravined this slowly over the weekend. This 2003 was under $25 and it is one of the very best Bordeaux’s I had in some time. As well, perhaps the best QPR in my over 20 years collecting wine. Clyde knew that day just how good it would become. He said, forget about this for 20 years. So, I am a little early here.

Clyde has recommended more great Bordeaux’s to me that most people don’t hear about, let alone try. He told me to buy the poorly reviewed 91 Pichon Lalande when he brought more into the store seven years ago Chateau direct. It was a very difficult vintage with spring frost, hail storm and a difficult growing season. He described as “Heaven in a Bottle” and It most certainly the case. To this day, Pichon Lalande is my favorite steak wine and the 91 is still my favorite vintage. I purchased a 3L from him recently that he brought in direct from the Chateau for my 60th next year. Can’t wait to open that with our good friends and celebrate.

As for the Verignan, the nose reveals; dark brooding & slightly bake fruits of; blackberries, black raspberries, dark cherries, black plum, some poached strawberries & haunting blue fruits. Black tea, forest floor with leaves, anise, limestone, moist clay, dry crushed rocks, dry stones, beautiful, mid intensity dark spice, dry tobacco, graphite, mixed dark berry cola, understated, well layered baking spices; clove, nutmeg, cinnamon & vanilla, dry herbs, mint with candied; dark, red, blue and purple florals.

The body is full, rich, lush, satiny with plenty of well rounded, soften tannins. The tension, structure, length and balance are excellent and will continue to improve. This will last another 15 years and beyond with proper storage. This is a very classic Bordeaux well balance in fruit and earth. It is sheer elegance on the palate. It’s why I love Bordeaux more than Napa and I love Napa Valley Cabernet. Dark brooding & slightly bake, ripe fruits of; blackberries, black raspberries, dark cherries, black plum, boysenberries, some poached strawberries & haunting blue fruits. Black tea, dark chocolate bar, touch of mocha powder, light caramel notes, Expresso notes, forest floor with leaves, anise, limestone, moist clay, dry crushed rocks, dry stones, beautiful, mid intensity dark Asian & Indian spices with just right amount of palate heat, dry tobacco, graphite, dry twigs with a little sap, mixed dark berry cola, understated, well layered baking spices; clove, nutmeg, cinnamon & vanilla, dry herbs/sage, mint with candied; dark, red, blue and purple florals. The acidity is round and nearly perfect. The long finish is, classic, elegant, well balance fruit and earthy Bordeaux that persists softly on the palate for minutes with just the right amount of spice.
This is a heady wine that you really think about as you slowly sip and it affects your whole body. Can’t wait to have another in five years.

Photos of; Chateau Vergignan in Medoc near St. Estephe, their vineyard that reveals where Bordeaux gets its earthiness, Owner Jean Miaihle who acquired the property in 1972 and a wide shot of their vines. — 6 years ago

Jay Kline

9.6

Popped and poured; due to the setting, this was enjoyed over the course of an hour but I would have really preferred to have taken my time with this. I had my first experience with the 2021 Barbaresco’s from Cigliuti last December when I enjoyed the Serraboella. I found that wine to be stunning. As one could probably imagine, I was therefore, really excited to try “Vie Erte” which is sourced from the family’s modest (only a few acres) holdings in the Bricco di Neive MGA. To my palate, this takes things to another level.

The 2021 “Vie Erte” pours a beautiful ruby color with a brilliant, transparent core; medium+ viscosity with no staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is developing with sensational notes Morello cherry, strawberry, stone fruits, pink roses, talcum powder, camphor, sub-Alpine herbs, exotic Eastern spices, dry gravelly earth and minerals. On the palate, the wine is bone dry with high tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish lasts for minutes. This is a drop dead gorgeous Barbaresco. The nose alone is enough to send me to Elysium. There’s impeccable balance. Possibly the best Barbaresco I’ve ever had. Drink now through 2061+. — 9 months ago

Jay Kline

9.3

Oh…how I adore Elisabetta’s wines and getting to drink Granato with some age is a huge treat! Popped and poured; enjoyed over a two hour time period and it evolved very nicely in that time. The 2010 Granato pours a deep ruby with near opaque core. Medium+ viscosity with moderate staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is developing with notes of cassis, fresh sage, mild funk, granite rock and a soft expression of warm spices. On the palate, the wine is dry with good structure still. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is long and there is a drying sensation of almost licking a rock. As mentioned earlier, this opened up beautifully after about 30min and continued to shine. Admittedly, I don’t have a lot of data points on decade+ Teroldego so it’s hard to say for sure how long this could last however, when I consider that this is still developing and doesn’t show much in terms of secondary characteristics, I would say this still has a long life ahead. Drink now with a short decant or through 2030; possibly longer. — 3 years ago

Lyle Fass

Founder Fass Selections

9.4

One of my favorites wines. Perfume of smoke, gritty smoked meats, lavender, herbs and granite. Just an insane nose. 9.6. The herbs are a knockout. This is the best aromas I’ve ever had from this bottling. Palate is so rich., bright and deep. Such luscious and bright fruit. Bursting with blackberries and red currants. Lovely incisive depth here. Long and velvety. Has structure to burn and a long life ahead of it. Very primary but awesome today. — 4 years ago

J Choi

9.5

Great find! Wine from cult. Shopping by label. — 5 years ago

Bob McDonald

9.2

Inky black in colour. Dusty and savoury. Tastes European - made from the little known and ancient Saperavi grape which originated in the former Russian state of Georgia. Ballandean Estate at Stanthorpe , the Granite Belt, have been growing Saperavi successfully for some years now. Dusty cherry/plum flavours with much savouriness. Barb loved it. — 6 years ago

David L

9.4

17’ Granite Cru Albarino From the winery- Brilliant straw. On the nose, high toned and mineral driven aromas of lemon peel, green apple, lemongrass and seashells. On the palate, impressive weight combined with laser-focused acidity. Incisive flavors of lemon, unripe peach, green apple, green mango are at the core, with focused & pervasive mineral notes.

Aged in oak barrels. A bit pricey for the varietal. Worth seeking out. @Mike R Yet another exceptional wine from Mike’s cellar. — 6 years ago