Shay A

9.3

Compared to the 2018 Lancel Creek I opened last year, this was a bit more coiled and shy (and this is already my second check-in with this wine). As a fun side by side, I had a 2019 Arista UV-Diablo Chardonnay open (same winemaker)…not the same vineyard, but the Arista showed more expressive fruit earlier on.

As is typical for this wine, it was faint straw colored in the glass with honeysuckle, sea spray and bright lemon pastry aromatics. Signature nervy acidity is apparent right off the bat without being a detractor. Yellow fruits abound alongside herbs and faint meringue with texture that straddles the middle beautifully. Long finish with mineral notes and nice weight (oak use is balanced).

Followed over two days and it certainly fleshed out and presented more “soft” (in a good way). Healthy decant now or keep tucked away a bit longer. — a month ago

Conrad Green

9.4

Coiled and fresh. Some dried fruit. Edges of sherry notes but still a core of mineral and balance. Relatively low on fox but still dynamic. Old school. Excellent — 2 years ago

Shay A

9.5

After visiting here last Fall, and leaving with more wine than any other visit (mostly due to their incredible white wines), this has been a fun wine to follow. This is my second to enjoy, and I think I have one left. For a 2014, this was pretty tightly coiled.

76 cab/24 cab franc. Love those percentages, especially from To Kalon. It certainly sports the classical powerful To Kalon flair with dominant black cherry and plenty of fragrant aromatics of violets and potpourri. Even after a few hours of bottle air, this remained tannic and slightly unyielding (very uncommon for 2014 valley floor Napa). At the end of the evening, it gave way to sweet pipe tobacco, black currant, dark spiced red fruits, and savory herbs. Hard to deny the powerful black cherry core that To Kalon normally sports. I’d hold for another 5yrs or decant 3+ hrs. — 2 years ago

Lyle Fass

Founder Fass Selections

9.8

Huge spice on the nose. Cinnamon and allspice. Very Volnay 1er cru. Palate is high acid and so juicy but with semi decadent sweet, mid season cherry, stunning freshness. But closed and coiled initially. Now the nose js getting that 4d aspect. High acid, grainy texture, tannins are refined, they come across as lacey, and there is a restrained intensity, So insane. But needs 3-4 hours to get there. I will be back. Finish is epic. After 7 hours this is so epic. Nose is allspice, deep cranberry. Palate is so red fruited and spicey. Very long and unreal tannins but it’s still holding back. — 2 months ago

Ira Schwartz

9.4

A lunch for the folks who have been extremely generous and influential in my wine journey. Salon always needs 20 + years from vintage. As expected no where near maturity.A shy nose of apple , pear and flint. On the palate more round than linear. Acidity is very good but not as assertive as some previous vintages .A coiled spring. — a year ago

with Jason and Richard

Lyle Fass

Founder Fass Selections

9.5

Showing very young with notes of lemon, porphyry, some florals but faint and barely ripe apricot. Some confectionary comes through as well. Tightly coiled on the palate but has terrific freshness and just insane acidity. Electricity. Tactile impression of minerals and faint fruit on the backend which dissipated gorgeously. So pure and so sappy. Exceptionally long. Needs to open a lot. But 9.5 for now. Getting more confectionery on the nose after some air. More elegance as well. But fiercely mineral. Almost no fruit. A contrast to last time I had this. — 2 years ago

Alan Weinberg

9.4

damn fine but so young. Like an incredible coiled spring draped with acidity and fruit—orange, apricot, apple, so much potential. It’s so tight it’s almost scary to drink. Like handling TNT. A wow wine. — 2 years ago

Roberto Carli

9.4

Really serious stuff. Tightly coiled earth and mineral. Needs time — 2 months ago

Jay Kline

9.0

As far as I’m concerned, these School House Mescolanzas are like, the anti-Napa Zinfandel. They are just so different from anything else out there. Until they get close to 10 years from vintage, they are backward; lean, green and mean. But if one has the patience, they eventually become quite charming. For this bottle, I did not follow my own advice.

Popped and poured, consumed over four days. On Day 1, this was completely coiled and the oak seemed a bit out of balance. I finished my glass and placed the cork back in the neck of the bottle. I checked in for a small taste on Day 2 and 3. By Day 4, it had opened enough to really enjoy. The 2016 School House “Mescolanza” Zinfandel Blend pours a deep ruby color with a near opaque core. Medium viscosity with moderate staining of the tears. There appears too be some very faint signs of sediment. On the nose, the wine is developing. Expressive of dark bramble fruits, stone minerals, and baking spices. On the palate the wine is dry with medium(+?) tannins and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes on the nose. The finish is medium(+). This has all of the trappings for very nice expression of this wine but it’s a little young to my taste. Best after 2025 and these will drink well through 2037…and possibly longer. — a year ago

Conrad Green

9.4

Intense, dense, dark, inky. Dark fruit. Tightly wound. Lead pencil, dark plum, iron. Tightly coiled, to young but good stuff. — 2 years ago

with Chris and David