Lyle Fass

Founder Fass Selections

9.7

Insane nose. Floral like nothing else. Only Cote Rotie gets this pastille like florality that is dense and layered. Stunning. Some judicious and restrained sweet oak, blackberry, even cassis and so much more. Just sicko complexity. Unreal palate that needs some air for wood to integrate more but wow it’s so stunning. Treacly texture, insane energy, purity and ridic balance. Super. concentration and finesse and terrific granite styled finish. So classy and this will gain so much with air. So juicy, silky and long with air and great refinement. — 4 days ago

Ericsson

9.0

Value Bordeaux without a doubt from one of the best places to find value wine. Good vintage. — 7 months ago

David Kline

9.4

Soft, lovely, bread-y nose of black currant fur, licorice, light mint forcing upward, sprouting through potting soil. Cinnamon and blueberry warmly embraced by dark bread and small specks of black pepper. Fruit tannins thickly house-painted across your front teeth in a real sense. Muscle. Licorice-charcoal, bitters, blackberry, black currant, graphite-smoke halo, black cherry, oak and cedar, wound up and closed in places, but powerhouse lurking in the shadows.



#lajota #lajotavineyardco #lajotahowellmountainestate
#howellmountain #oakville #napa #napavalley #cab #cabernetsaugvinon — 2 years ago

with Courtney

Rebecca Burgess

8.9

Oh, Paco y Lola, how I have missed you. Moving from SF to PDX, I could not find you in any of the usual places and believed that, perhaps, Oregon didn’t permit you to be imported. But SURPRISE, here you are in rainbow Pride colors. You don’t quite live up to my memories (2020 wasn’t a good year for any of us) with a bit too much grapefruit pith, but still, you are lovely. Purchased at Zupans — 3 years ago

Ron R

9.5

I beg to differ on my prior rating. With some airtime, this comes into its own. Places merlot on a different level. The cab franc gives this structure and presence. No rush to consume. Nice acidity and cherry compote on the mid palate. Finished luscious and moderately sweet. — a month ago

with Anne-marie

Severn Goodwin

9.1

NV | Champagne
(100% Pinot Noir)
Marie Demets; Tradition
Extra Brut-Blanc de Noirs
Côte des Bar; Gyé-sur-Seine, France
Tirage 5 March 2022 / Disgorged 7 June 2023
Lot No. T-22/2
(90-92; Drink 2024-30)

On the Lawn at Tanglewood this afternoon with the Tanglewood Music Center Orchestra (the overly talented youth!). Our conductor Andris Nelsons is leading IVES (Three Places in New England, Orchestral Set No. 1), BEETHOVEN (Piano Concerto No. 3 in C Minor, Opus 37) and STRAUSS (Also sprach Zarathustra, Opus 30...aka 2001: A Space Odyssey, Stanley Kubrick❤️).

One of our local treasures, Emanuel Ax on piano for the Beethoven Concerto! — a year ago

Shay A

9.2

I debated giving this a NR for its rating as this tastes like a wine that is made to taste a certain way rather than a wine made to express its region, but there is a tasty factor in play. Bordeaux blend. Michel Rolland consulted on the winemaking. 2nd vintage.

This is real suave and sexy in style, but I could see this being from a multitude of places. Ripe and decadent fruit that seems to just now be calming down 13yrs later. Mostly red and black fruits (black cherry compote), and cherry vanilla pipe tobacco both aromatically and on the palate. Stops short of being hedonistic, but the mid palate is dense. Finish brings some currant and herbal flair to tie back to Italy. Tannic but not a monster.

Decanted an hour and finished the next day, it didn’t experience much change. I’d consume these in the next 3-5yrs. — 3 years ago

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.5

1999 vintage. This review a bit of a mixed bag. “Inherited” this bottle and had been looking sideways at it for the better part of three years. Fill decent but both the front and back labels pretty trashed. The foil up top a tad crimped in places. Ugly duckling syndrome. See a ton of this at work and occasionally able to resuscitate what appears to be an abused bottle. Cut off the foil and there was some seepage at the top trapped between the cork and the foil. Not good. Extracted the cork in three passes (3!!!) with the Durand. Cork was half saturated and dunzo. Did not decant. Color was on point at least. 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. 14.1% ABV. Less than expected sed. Poured out a fifth of a glass and let sit for 2-3 mins. Nose was big white pepper, roasted cashews and white sage…three notes that I don’t come across often over the years with Napa cabbage and flavors were hidden beneath for a spell. Gave it 15 minutes. That initial nose dissipated and a bit of magic unfolded. Light-medium body, cocoa powder, graphite, feminine, sumptuous milk chocolate, a little sweaty, dried legumes, spearmint, supremely resolved tannins. Echoes of Haut-Brion/La Mission Haut-Brion. This old-school, Stags Leap District Napa cab came through in the clutch. Seemed to gather strength the longer it was open. Given that this particular bottle was not exactly mint, more than a bit curious as to how a decently stored example of this wine would perform. Van the Man was right. Wild night is calling. Come on out and dance. 05.16.25. @Shay A — 20 days ago

Sharon B

9.3

On a girls trip enjoying all the wine places. Very nice bubbly to match the cute place! The Bubble Bar St. Simon Island — 2 years ago

with Julie

Andrew Schirmer

9.6

Mineral and no flab. Fabulous texture. Going places. — 3 years ago

with Lyle and Alsu