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. — 17 days ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.5

Birthed the year we were married and one of the more stunning producers we learned to embraced.

Love you endlessly Sofia! ❤️

Just picked when we were married & likely still in tank.

I can’t tell you enough how much you need to find a well aged & stored bottle. — 2 years ago

Atticus Honore

9.4

This is bizarre but excellent, very dry, traditional out of a unique varietal — 4 years ago

with Hallie

Paul T, Missing My Beautiful Wife 24/7

9.7

On my fourth experiment with this winery for 2019-20. This is my favorite so far, other vineyards were good but a little sweet. This has perfect balance at this early stage
Parker 96 review as follows.

The 2020 Vouvray Le Haut-Lieu Demi-Sec is clear, pure, subtle, deep and fresh, with highly refined chalky/sandy lemon aromas. Rich and intense yet silky textured and refined on the concentrated palate, this is a juicy, highly elegant, perfectly balanced, persistently salty and mouth-salivating Haut-Lieu with very fine tannins and a long, firm and pretty powerful but elegant and complex finish. Still more stringent than the Le Mont Demi-Sec in the beginning, but after aeration, this is not just a greatly finessed Chenin but one of the finest Haut-Lieu's I have tasted from Huet. Tasted as a tank sample in April 2021. — 4 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.4

@Delectable this is 2014 Jean-Paul & Benoît Droin, “Blanchot”

The nose reveals; candle wax, lemons, green apple, overripe pineapple, kiwi, lime pulp, pear, white peach, apricots, peach, topical melons, beeswax, honeysuckle, vanillin, creamy butter, fresh herbs, caramel, subtle chalkiness, sea fossils, limestone, grey volcanics, the lemon in Lemon Pledge, green grass, dry straw, glazed, brown butter, with fruit blossoms, yellow lilies, jasmine & spring flowers.

The palate is; rich, lush, round, waxy and elegantly smooth. Excellent viscosity. Glorious as it slips over the beautiful mouthfeel. Sour lemons, green apple, overripe pineapple, kiwi, lime pulp & candy, pear, white peach, apricots, peach, guava, topical melons, beeswax, candle wax, honeysuckle, vanillin, creamy butter, fresh herbs, caramel, subtle chalkiness, sea fossils, saline, limestone, grey volcanics, the lemon in Lemon Pledge, green grass, dry straw, glazed, brown butter with fruit blossoms, yellow lilies, jasmine & spring flowers. The acidity is; round, phat & lively. The finish is; polish, rich, lush, balance fruit & earth and has no hiccups. Great wire to wire.

Photos of; one of their Vineyards, Benoît Droin tasting through his wines & Domaine Jean-Paul & Benoît Droin,

Producer notes; The Droins have been producing wines in Chablis for nearly 400 years (their history as vignerons goes back at least to 1620). Benoît is the 14th generation guardian.

The Domaine has 13 hectares of vineyards and produces 14 different wines, including Petit Chablis, Chablis, 7 Premiers Crus and 5 Grand Crus. They prune specific to each vineyard. The wines are fermented differently by vineyard.

All their wines are fermented in mature oak. The Blanchots are all fermented and matured in tank. Vaillons, Mont de Milieu and Montée de Tonnerre receive 25 per cent of barrel fermentation and maturation, 35 per cent for Vosgros and Vaudésir, 40 per cent for Montmains and Valmur, peaking at 50 per cent for Fourchaume, Grenouilles and Les Clos. However the age of the oak and the choice of tonnelier may vary according to the cuvée. The maximum new oak is ten per cent in the Grand Crus. — 6 years ago

Severn G

9.1

On the Lawn at Tanglewood this afternoon with the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Our conductor Andris Nelsons is leading BEETHOVEN (Symphony No. 4), HK GRUBER (Aerial, Concerto for trumpet and orchestra) with the amazing Håkan Hardenberger as the trumpet soloist and then STRAUSS (“Dance of the Seven Veils” from Salome). Andris and Håkan happen to be friends, and both are trumpet players, I expect to see some playful nature to their interaction this afternoon. Mr. Hardenberger is a world renowned and virtuousic player, we're always glad to hear him, this will be his 4th Tanglewood appearance in 5 years. We expect various mutes to be employed over the work, a cow horn (yes it is want you think) and then finishing with piccolo trumpet, exciting to have a soloist work multiple instruments over his appearance

Nose has strawberry-banana smoothie, light crushed red raspberry and freshly washed cherry.

Palate has red currant, red raspberry, slight grassy note and faint wet sandstone.

Exciting to get back to this bottle. Our last experience was directly off tank (Fall '18) which was tapped by Morten for us, very cloudy then, but flavors were beginning to come together. 100% Pinot Noir. — 7 years ago

Tom Garland

9.5

1 hour decant(lots of sediment). A gorgeous purplish garnet color. On the nose: Intoxicating musky notes of dark fruit, potting soil, worn leather, truffles, stewed meat, slight menthol. Taste: velvety, seamless, balanced, intense wine with dark fruit, cassis, earth, tobacco, mineral, herbs, and a chocolate graphite long never-ending finish. YUM! This wine has aged gracefully and has more gas in the tank. Enjoy. — 3 months ago

with Brenda

Cathy Levy

9.3

Very nice — a year ago

Tom Garland

9.3

Annual Cliff Lede valentine's dinner in their tank room.  Always a great time with wine, food, live music (plenty of pours on the wine)

WINES:
2015 FEL Brut sparkling
2021 Cliff Lede Marla Blanc(semillon)
2020 FEL Pinot Noir
2019 Cliff Lede High Fidelity cab
2009 Cliff Lede Songbook cab
2019 Cliff Lede Songbook cab

DINNER:
Appetizers of Kumamoto oysters, Maine lobster arancini, goat cheese coquette.
Beet Salad
Potato gnocchi with truffle
Prime beef tenderloin with truffles
Chocolate framboise and red velvet cake — 3 years ago

with Karin and Brenda

Severn G

9.2

Incredibly consistent, 2018 notes fully apply. We love this wine, so fresh, so fun, so inexpensive via the Wine Club.

Nose has warmed green apple, lemon-lime seltzer, stainless steel and dry sandstone.

Palate has dried apple chips, frozen peach, tart green apple flesh with light sweetness and a dry finish.

Manually carbonated via soapstone bubbler in a pressure tank. — 5 years ago

Shefali Upton

9.5

Bold and smooth. Just how I like em. — 5 years ago

Shay A

9.6

Finally getting around to posting wines from my annual Napa trip from two weeks ago. Always goes by quick! Lots of fun new stops this year.

Theorem was one of our highlights last year, so we made sure a return visit was lined up this year. Base of Diamond Mtn with one of the most beautiful properties I’ve seen. Over the last 12 months, they’ve added a couple new wines (with more to come from Moon Mountain). TRB is the winemaker.

In the running for red wine of the trip. When visiting last year, I preferred the ‘14 (ripe, balanced, savory) over the ‘15 (more acidity, touch lighter, high toned)...this ‘13 takes the best of each and marries them. This is a classic high end TRB Cabernet from a stellar vintage. Truffles raspberries, candied black cherries, cocoa dusted mixed berry pie and graphite aromatics accompanied by sweet blueberries, freshly squeezed blackberries, toffee and espresso, baking spices, and fine grained tannins. Built like a tank. Superb. — 6 years ago

Lance E. Farman

9.3

The 04' is giving it's all right now. Incredibly perfumed with brambly berries and Earth. Acid and fruit nicely integrated and firm but elegant tannins add depth and structure. Excellent and has plenty more in the tank. — 7 years ago

Doug Powers

9.2

Spicy red fruits, trace of green vegetal aromatically, but blows off quickly, great freshness and acidity, layers of flavors, long, lingering finish, really a terrific Loire Cabernet Franc, which drinks tonight as if it has 10+ years left in the tank, excellent!! — 4 months ago

with Jim

Dave Schneider

9.2

Beautiful wine I had last night. Still has a few more years left in the tank. Seamless with no hard edges. — 3 years ago

Sipping Fine Wine

8.9

Deep Violet color with aromas of dark fruit, licorice, floral and earthy herbs, non-oaked aged from dry-farmed vineyard planted entirely to Tempranillo at high elevation, tank fermented and bottled without fining, filtration or SO2. On the palate flavors of ripe blackberry, licorice, earthy herbs and tobacco notes. Drying fine tannins, medium finish ending with earthy notes. Drink now! — 4 years ago

Delectable Wine

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9.1

The 2020 Soave Classico wafts up with enticing notes of kiwi and sour melon contrasted by savory herbs. It’s deeply textural and round in feel, with a tart interplay of lemon and lime that’s nicely offset by a pleasant inner sweetness. There’s wonderful harmony here, as the 2020 tapers off with green botanicals and a flourish of minerality. This “entry-level” Soave Classico from Pieropan punches well above its price point. Since Pieropan makes three different bottlings, one from each tank, of their Soave, I thought it prudent to add the lot number for reference. (Lot# 26.10.21) (Eric Guido, Vinous, April 2022)
— 4 years ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.0

100% Tank Vinified! Pale lemon with aromas of stone and tropical fruits with slight floral notes. On the palate flavors of apple, peach and melon with a lemon citrus tang. Medium finish, lively acidity, ending with citrus mineral character. Good value! — 6 years ago

Philip Patston

9.0

Taking a Kansas beer to a Super Bowl party hosted by SF fans. Perfect. And the beer is good too! — 6 years ago

John B

9.5

I am a big fan of Chateauneuf-du-Pape, and every bottle I’ve enjoyed from Beaucastel has been a wonderful representation. However, this is my first time trying the Hommage as they can be hard to find and come at a significantly higher price-point. The Hommage, as the name states, is made in honor of Jacques Perrin and comes from the best vines on the property.

Our wine today is opaque medium ruby in color with pale ruby variation toward the edges of the glass. Slightly tight on the nose, we let this decant while my friend and I enjoyed a different bottle. Once the wine opened, the nose offered aromas of dusty pomegranate, graphite, sous bois, wet gravel, mushroom, and cigar ash. This is another wine I could smell all day. Since that’s not the main point of wine, the palate showcases notes of chewy cherry, red licorice, tobacco, soggy earth, and green underbrush. A beautiful bottle with plenty of gas left in the tank, this is full-bodied with moderately high acidity, fully integrated mild tannins, and a long finish that really made me wish we had more with my last sip. — 7 years ago