Lyle Fass

Founder Fass Selections

9.1

The nose is intensely ripe and liqueur-like, with kirsch, cassis, blackberry and other dark fruit, along with spice, potpourri, leather, graphite and camphor. There is a polished, expensive-smelling quality to it, but everything feels blurred and overworked rather than focused. The palate is concentrated, juicy and very long, with big tannins and plenty of material, but the alcohol sticks out everywhere and the ripeness keeps pushing the wine out of balance. It tastes expensive, but at the moment that feels more like a facade than substance. I’m absolutely willing to let this improve with air, especially given the wine’s reputation, but right now 8.8 is where it is.

With more air, this has improved from 8.8 to 9.1. The nose is still remarkably blasé and unfocused, basically generic red-wine aromatics without much identity or finesse. The palate has come together considerably, with less obvious heat, better balance, good freshness, serious length and massive tiny-berry fruit concentration. Still highly extracted and overdone, with enormous material but essentially zero finesse, yet at least now it feels like a coherent wine rather than a complete mess. — 8 days ago

Adam Gäfvert

9.2

Full bodied and intensely tannic. Sweet scent but fairly restrained fruits on the palate. Classic Nebbiolo characteristics dominate with cherry, dried strawberries, tar, roses, fine wood, earth, rocks and some beetroot notes. Very long and dry finish. Seems to be in a bit of a tunnel at the moment. — 3 years ago

Lyle Fass

Founder Fass Selections

9.5

Great. More later.

On day 2 the nose is rich and full of gras, exotic fruits and intense minerality. Little bit of new wood peeking through as well. Palate is juicy, round and so clear. Brilliant clarity on this. Lovely finish and stunning purity here. 9.4 to 9.5. — 5 years ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.0

The winery is located in Aymavilles with the cellar lying one mile from Monte Bianco tunnel. Ruby with aromas fresh red fruits and floral notes. On the palate flavors of strawberry and sweet cherry with tea and black pepper. Fine tannins, medium+ finish ending with fruit and spice. Nice! Drink young, no aging benefit. Good value! — 6 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.3

The days when non Special Select Caymus was truly Caymus Classic.

The nose reveals, baked and slightly stewed, ruby, fruits of; blackberries, black plum, black raspberries, dark cherries, boysenberries & blueberries over the top. Dark, melted chocolate bar, dark, Indian/Asian spices, dark fruit cola, clove, nutmeg, cinnamon, phat vanilla, caramel, steeped, dark fruit tea, leather, tobacco, graphite, anise to black licorice, black, rich earth, dry, crushed rocks, dry stones, limestone/sandstone minerals, hints of rubber toy with dark, purple, red, blue candies flowers framed in violets & lavender.

The body is; thick, round, rich, ruby & lush. The tannins are round, sweet tarry, chewy and just starting the growth of adolescent teeth. The structure, tension, length and balance are in a near perfect place. This 08 has another 7-10 years left depending on how you like them and store wine. Baked and slightly stewed, ruby, fruits of; blackberries, black plum, black raspberries, dark cherries, boysenberries, raspberries on the long open & blueberries over the top. Dark, melted chocolate bar, dark, Indian/Asian spices with deep palate heat, dark fruit cola, clove, nutmeg, cinnamon, phat vanilla, caramel, steeped, dark fruit tea, dry & fresh herbs. leather, tobacco, graphite, anise to black licorice, black, light peppery notes, grilled meats, rich earth, dry, crushed rocks, dry stones, limestone/sandstone minerals, hints of rubber toy with dark, purple, red, blue candies flowers framed in violets & lavender. The acidity is round, nicely executed & holds the ABV of the last decade nicely. The very long finish is; round, elegant, ruby, ripe fruits that are well balanced fruit & earth, polish for days and sunsets in dusty tannins with a deep spice end which, is why I love Caymus Classic so much.

This is my 2nd to my last bottle of Caymus Classic (😔) unless I go search for more. Just misses 94.

Note: My definition of Caymus Classic is defined by vintages up to 2011. After the 2011 vintage, they changed the style of the wine with longer fruit hang time which, translated to more sugar in the grapes & a much sweeter wine.

Photos of; Caymus tasting bar/room, Owner- Chuck Wagner, the winery & photo signage and their garden tunnel at their tasting room. — 7 years ago

Kai Zilger

9.1

Love it excellent — 8 years ago

Matthew Cohen

9.6

Maximally delicious. Almost too much but not quite so.

Optimal after 45 minutes.

Nose: yellow flowers. The aroma of a perfect peach whose juice is dripping down your chin. A hint of dried apricot.

Palate: unbelievably delicious. Peach. Apricot. Long. Still some mountain stream here. As this opens apricot nectar. Insane.

It’s a lot of wine but it holds together. One of my favorite wines on earth. If you can’t enjoy this, you can’t enjoy life.

Fass selections — a month ago

Rob van Kalmthout

9.3

Great wine. Blend of Roussanne and Marsanne. Apricot, white flowers, white almonds backed with subtle vanilla. Paired with John Dory and beurre blanc. 2021 is a surprise in northern Rhône white — 3 months ago

David Kline

9.5

Merengue and styrofoam conspire on the tall, popping head which drops egg and dart to ant tunnel lacing. Pointillist plateau. Soda bread nose goes doughy with distinct yeast character, and lemon zest, uncooked cream of wheat, white potato and just-pulled garlic micro-note. Tremendous and astounding entry on sipping! This might be my ‘go-to’ hell!
Orange bread with notes of lemon; Hawaiian bread, evocations of custard and malted milk with brown sugar barley, just minus how sweet that might seem. Very beer core here with dried papaya dusting and candied grapefruit. Incredible.




#Flötzinger #seit1543 #privatbrauereiFranzSteegmüller #hell #hellausRosenheim #Rosenheim #brautraditionseit1543
#deutschebier #germanbeer #RosenheimDeutschland #Bavaria — 4 years ago

with Courtney

Lyle Fass

Founder Fass Selections

9.4

Deep nose of dark berry fruits, dark cherry fruits and chunky earth and wet soil. Somewhat refined which is unusual for MDA. Palate is super concentrated and sleek. Good purity and concentration. Terrific refinement. Velvety tannins and superb finesse. Lovely tiny berry fruit intensity and length. Like if one of the polished traditional Rhone guys (Durand, Tunnel) made MDA. Lovely stuff and lots of upside. Gets more rustic and charming while retaining its sleek fruit. Stoney tannins. Very ripe. Terrific. — 5 years ago

Daniel P. Drake

8.9

Thursday night on the precipice of another closed in weekend. Tonight I have opened the 2017 Domaine Les Grands Bois Les 3 Soeurs Côte du Rhóne. A blend of 65% Grenache, 30% Syrah and 5% Carignan.

On the nose I am getting heavy savory notes, cured meat, black raspberry, black cherry, bacon fat, black pepper, burnt caramel, clove, cinnamon a d smokey oak.

On the palate there is black cherry, black raspberry, savory notes, smokey herbal notes, black pepper, licorice, baking spice and dark soil.

This wine is full bodied with medium + acidity and medium to medium + fine tannins that leads right into a long dark brooding finish. This wine is still very young and needs time to fill out to show it's true self. We are starting to see a light at the end of the tunnel for this pandemic we have been going through. Please continue to stay safe and continued health. Nostrovia!🍷🍷🍷🍷 — 6 years ago

Cindee Atwood

9.8

Valentines Day dinner with Tim. — 7 years ago

Steven Beishuizen

8.9

Literally driving into their cellar in the Burgundy countryside through a tunnel in the side of the hill was an experience I won't forget. We did a nice underground tour of the operation and tried three or four of the wines. This one I found to be a very approachable style. I won't get into what it's not, which is tempting here. This is a sparkler that would be suitable for most any party. The focus is on the fruit here while still a dry style. I don't pick up much from the yeast, but for a dry, simple style at a reasonable price, this one's a winner! — 7 years ago

with Anita

Lee Pitofsky

9.3

Nose of smoked meat and bacon, rich mouth coating blackberries, red currant and a hint of cracked pepper on the palate — 8 years ago

Lyle Fass

Founder Fass Selections

9.8

Started broad, warm and slightly all elbows, then within minutes transformed completely. The palate became astonishingly elegant, serene and weightless, with enormous concentration, tiny-berry tropical fruit intensity, tremendous granite minerality and extraordinary texture. The warmth never fully disappears, but it integrates into the wine and somehow becomes part of its aristocratic character. Juicy, feral, mineral and profoundly refined, with the kind of effortless authority I associate with truly great wine. One of the most interesting whites I have had all year.

Even better integrated on day two, with the 14.5% alcohol completely disappearing into the wine and classic Marsanne gras, vanilla extract, enormous density, purity, sapidity and Grand Cru authority. Unbelievable finish and still the wine of the night. — 2 months ago

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.5

2017 vintage. @ Mister A’s Restaurant, San Diego-Les Caves de St. Charles CDP dinner. Initially, an absolute ballbuster. Massive tannins with a modicum of velveteen fruit at the end of a long tunnel. After two hours? Surprise! Change partners and the nearsome, fearsome tanninfest coalesced into the velveteen fruitfest. Remarkable concentration, tho, from start to finish over the course of the dinner. Best newer-vintage CDP, out of roughly 200, that I’ve had in the last two years. Just a remarkable chameleon. Supposedly 50/50 Grenache/Syrah. Worth the hunt. 11.16.23. — 3 years ago

Fin Jams

8.9

Restrained but lovely...hints of citrus — 4 years ago

Ellen Clifford

9.1

F-ing delightful, Pegasus, take me away. Well first let the Pegasus catch its breath (aka let the vino breath), then hop on. Smells a little earthy as a winged horse is want to be, but take sip and the steed takes flight. Fly through hella raspberry…orchards? Descend enough to grab those and some cherries fresh off the tree then accelerate through a tunnel of (politefully chill) oak barrels and chill. Oh! But this flight didn’t have turbulence rather (abandoning metaphor) it is supes silky but while it punches with fruit and pepper it then smooths itself across your tongue like a lace tablecloth. Aka achieves smoothness with texture and the flavors and sensations seem to pop all over my tongue prior to my hopping on my metaphorical pegasus who is (describing the finish) descending into a cherry orchard (not just cause I’m doing a stage reading of Chekhov’s “Cherry Orchard” soon) and lovingly (as lovingly as a creature with wings and hooves can) sending me to find my way back through the barrels to who knows? It’s like I’m Alice in Wrinkle in Time-land. Cool Pinot from NZ I’d like to take another flight on a different Pegasus Air line. Just to see. — 5 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.0

The nose reveals slightly sour & bruised fruits. Bruised golden apple & pear, overripe pineapple, lemon meringue, green apple, lime zest/candy, melted, salted caramel, honeysuckle, white & yellow peach, brown butter, caramelized brown sugar, hints of mint, sea fossils, grey volcanics, whiff of white spice, vanillin, bread dough, yellow lilies, spring flowers with mixed floral greens.

The palate is rich, lush, round, a touch gluey & full. Nice mousse, micro-oxygenation, slightly sour & bruised fruits Bruised golden apple & pear, overripe pineapple, lemon meringue, green apple, lime zest/candy, melted, salted caramel, honeysuckle/honey comb, white & yellow peach, inside banana peel, brown butter, caramelized brown sugar, nougat, hints of mint, sea fossils, gritty, penetrating chalkiness, grey volcanics, some white spice with nice lighter heat, vanillin, bread dough, yellow lilies, spring flowers with mixed floral greens. Excellent acidy. The long, even, fresh, well balanced finish persists nicely and is delicious.

Nice bottle and well priced at $38 w/ deluxe gift box.

Photos of; House of Roederer, caves with A-Frames for the hand Riddlers, walk through tunnel and marquee Grand Cru vineyard. — 7 years ago

Lyle Fass

Founder Fass Selections

9.6

Rocking Roussanne. The freshness on the palate of these micro cuvee St. Perays is just unreal. They drink like nothing else in the Rhone. If Pur Blanc is the Montrachet of the lineup then this is the Chevalier as this is an awesome elegant Roussanne. Like Grand Cru level. Stunning nose. So complex, yellow fruits, pear, mineral, tree bark, earthy, quince but so refined and clear. Amazingly clear actually. Yellow plum. The palate is masterful. Concentrated yet so elegant with such texture and just awesome balance. This is next level Roussanne made in tiny batches. What finish. Fruit is plum, yellow peach, mango, papaya, but so fresh and not vulgar. All class. Just nuts. — 7 years ago