Lyle Fass 
Elie Bancel
Cornas Syrah 2023
Super young and grapey nose to start with but also more generous than the 2022 with olive (green and black), violets, lilacs, meatiness, granite and really high tones. Mint and blackberry fruit with gorgeous red berry tones intermingled. Seems riper than 2022. Wow that nose is a 9.7-9.8. Wow, holy crap this is amazing. The palate is a masterpiece. Still has those Bancel Bordeaux like tannins and such a granitic footprint but more generous and round on the palate. Fruit is blackberry and red berry with some blueberry as well. So juicy and has great width. Huge concentration and structure but all the pieces are there. Seems more complete than 22 out of the gates but they both have something so unique. Just exquisite purity and freshness and so classic. Wow. Wow. The fruit is unconscious as are the olive, granite and meatiness. This is genius. So complete. Deeper than Sozet. Like Sozet crossed with 20% Beliando. Just brilliant. Now after some hours nose has intense cinnamon, mushroom, a real earthy feral living aroma thing. Beyond a sense of place. Smells like an ecosystem. So unique. That palate is just crazy. Unreal juiciness and silkiness. That rich opulence but only a component and never dominates. Just integrated. That black olive tapenade slick. But that granite is still there but softer. It’s so good. Really no other Cornas like jt. Such an amazing appellation.
Day 2 - Nose is bright and red fruited with that herbal, earthy ecosystem smell that smells like a scene in nature. Wow so juicy and generous and a loose texture and such purity. Much more forward than 22. Generous. Good tannins but sweet and voluminous. Excellent length. — 7 days ago
Weingut Josef Walter
Centgrafenberg Franken Trocken Pinot Noir 2015
Have not had in 4.5 years Stunning nose of mid season cherry, sour cherry, some dead leaves, tree bark, old wooden barrel and wild mint. A nose one can sink your teeth into. Palate has awesome freshness and acidity. So clean and pure. Nimble and wispy. So much energy and very velvety tannins. Needs to open up but great stuff. As it opens it gets so much sweeter and is so elegant. 9.3 to 9.4. Oh wow did this get good. Silky and sweet. Deeper. Lusher. Juicier. — 2 days ago
Domaine Jean-Jacques Girard
Les Serpentières Savigny-lès-Beaune 1er Cru Pinot Noir 2023
I love what Girard does with this cuvée. Gorgeous nose of sour cherries, wet moss, flowers and mid season perfectly ripe cherries. Little earthy, feral vibe as well on the nose. So Savigny. Palate feels so alive and has terrific fruit and texture. Sweet, silky, gritty and feral all at the same time and has that stunning balance that is a signature of the 23’s from Girard. The best vintage here since 19. So fresh and sappy with great acids and remarkably sweet and velvety tannins. Let’s see what air does but man this is good on the pop and pour. Long, chewy finish. The energy here is top notch. Love the mid palate opulence here. — 6 days ago
Caillez-Lemaire
Pur Mennier Brut Nature Champagne Blend 2017
What a showing. Nose is all brioche and yeast Bur refined and so fine. Gorgeous spice bazaar as well. So airy and mineral. Palate is just insane. So dense and concentrated with super fine bubbles. Palate is feral and bright with terrific spice and flavor intensity. So clean and pure — 3 days ago
Domaine Jean-Jacques Girard
Les Narbantons Savigny-les-Beaune 1er Cru Pinot Noir 2023
Killer nose that is deep and resonant. Unreal dark red cherries that border on black. Such purity. Just stunning. Nose is airy and so deep. Sick. Better aromas than 19 Narbantons. Blueberry, flowers, so lush, so deep. Just wonderful. 9.6 nose. Palate has insane energy and just absurd fruit. Sapid, energetic and so concentrated. Wow this is so good. The depth is off the charts and the tannins cut like a saber but remain velvety and sweet. What a wine. Stunning depth and freshness and red/blue/black fruits. My god the tannins on 23 Girards are stunning. This is a remarkable year for Girard. Unreal wine. — 6 days ago
Elie Bancel
Cornas Syrah 2022
The last remaining unicorn in Cornas. The great Elie Bancel. He is finally coming to America. The new Sozet. What an amazing wine. Nose is superb but a bit reticent upon opening. Meaty, red berry, blackberry, some olives but what stands out is the absolute harmony of the aromas. Just elite. Gorgeous granitic background and some flowers as well. This is a 9.8 nose and it’s not barely aired out. This is old man Cornas at its best. My god how aristocratic this nose is. That palate is like if Noel Verset and Louis Sozet had a love child. Juicy and wow the granite. More Beliando on the palate now with some air. Big, granitic tannins and some major structure. Gorgeous sleek fruit and some wildness as is par for the course for old man Cornas. This needs air but my goodness this is wonderful wine. Authentic as they come and full of character and soul. So juicy and intense with stunning energy and slate like granitic tannins. Toothsome. Nose now getting more floral with violets and some lilacs. This smells like history. Terrific inner mouth aromas and balanced between olive and meat. Juicy and so deep. This is more structured than Sozet and reminds me of a Bordeaux, structurally speaking. It’s got a finish that doesn’t quit but will expand mightily once it’s given air. This seems like it will greatly improve with an unlimited amount of air. Seems almost like an “oxygen-proof” wine. I will be back. Oh man the tannins and fruit are separating and wow this is getting insane. Now the nose is crazy. Super granite and much more Beliando than Sozet. So stoney and aristocratic. So elegant now. Wow has this gained finesse and the olives are like an oily deep olive slick that is so pure. Really insane wine. What a texture and energy. Really not like Sozet at all now on palate as the mineral is so much granite. Unreal. Still more to come.
Day 2 - Nose is all black fruits, granite shavings, burnt charcoal, and some dark blueberries. The stoniness is unreal. Palate is rich and ripe with stellar concentration and purity. Nice hit of opulence and so elegant and generous now. Huge concentration and depth. Unreal. — 7 days ago
Lyle Fass
Founder Fass Selections
An amazing vintage here. Nose is a bit funky out of the gates but wow once it gets going it’s all red cherries, sour cherries, and wild herbs. So so good. Really lifted. Palate is mega closed but my goodness rhys is super precise and focused. Like a laser. Unreal freshness and acidity and barely ripe sour cherry and early season cherry fruit. Insane velvety and sour/sweet tannins. Wine as sweet tart. This needs air. It’s got the bones but I will check back in an hour or two. Oh this is getting better but it’s gonna be slow. Angular and dense but so balanced. That Rhini structure abounds. — 2 days ago