Lyle Fass

Founder Fass Selections

10

This was perfection. Full stop. Ten points, 100, A plus, whatever scale you want to drag into the room, it all collapses under the same truth: it does not get better than this. The 2016 Ar.Pe.Pe. Sassella Rocce Rosse Riserva was so achingly beautiful, so complete, so internally right, that halfway through I stopped even trying to “evaluate” it and just gave in. What makes it unbearable, in the best way, is how nothing sticks out and yet everything glows. The wine has lift, detail, soul, delicacy, authority, all of it moving at once, all of it perfectly proportioned. It just stands there in complete command of itself, and the longer it sits in the glass the more it seems to reveal that perfection and grace are not opposites. They are partners. Words really do start to fail with a wine like this, because the whole point of the experience is that it reaches past language. — 10 days ago

Jay Kline

9.3

Popped and poured; enjoyed over the course of two days. Gorgeous on both days. The 2019 Grumello “Rocco de Piro”pours a brilliant, ruby color with a transparent core and a slightly watery rim; medium viscosity with no staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is developing with gorgeous notes of cool, fresh raspberries, roses with babies breath, Alpine herbs, cedar chest, and rocky earth. On the palate the wine is dry with medium+ tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is medium+ and the texture is silky. Such a beautiful and elegant expression of Chiavennasca. Drink now through 2034. Thanks for the assist @Lyle Fass — 2 months ago

Matthew Cohen

9.7

Effed up on pop and pour. Needs an hour. Then it’s Magic.

Nose: dusty pink roses. 90 minutes in - black truffles. Liquid sex.

Palate: sweet pink roses. Savory. Juicy. So good.

So distinctive. A must own.

Fass selections — 3 months ago

Fabio Franchella

9.3

Wieder mal ein Sforzato. Dies, nachdem ich mich bei den letzten etwas „sattgetrunken“ hatte. Dieser…ist….anders. Harmonisch, elegant balancierend zwischen klarer himbeerfrucht, leicht animalischen noten und….alk (16%!!). Traumhaft gut eingebunden. Also…den hier…würde (nicht nur) ich auf eine insel mitnehmen ;) — 24 days ago

John Hagood

9.0

Red Hen 1/11/2026 for Gregg. — 2 months ago

Jay Kline

9.3

Popped and poured; enjoyed over the course of three days; better after an hour of air and best on Day 2 but held up well through Day 3. The 2017 pours a pale garnet with transparent core; medium viscosity with no staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is developing with gorgeous notes of bright red brambles, rose bushes, alpine herbs, rocky earth and a wonderfully balanced combination of cool and warm spices. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is medium+. Remarkable stuff. Drink now through 2037. Thanks for the assist @Lyle Fass — 2 months ago

Marc Karetsky

9.5

Love this maker. Classic Nebbiolo. — 14 days ago

romo

9.2

First bottle three years ago had more energy. Went sour on day 2. — a month ago

Jason Sliwa

9.1

Really elegant and a nice surprise find - never had Sforzat before. — 2 months ago

Seth Masterson

9.2

Delicious Chocolate over dried fruit notes with nice dry floral notes. A very nice nebbiolo without face ripping tannins- a good sipper but also would pair well with the lighter side of Italian foods. — 2 months ago