Aaron Tan

9.8

Those who know me well know just how much I adore the wines, the family, and the place. There’s a certain magic at Keller, one that many fellow Riesling-lovers can attest to. But this bottle, this 17’ Kirchspiel, holds a little more weight than most for me. Not just because it’s an extraordinary vintage, though it most certainly is. But because I was there working harvest that year

Sorting the Kirchspiel fruit was relentless work. Many passes. No shortcuts. We removed anything botrytised and hail-afflicted, every last questionable berry. Pressing was just as meticulous: whole bunch, long and slow cycles, gentle pressures (never exceeding 1.8 bar) to keep the botrytis influence to an absolute minimum. It was all about purity. And purity is exactly what defines the 17’ Kirchspiel.

I’ve had this wine a number of times, but this bottle, slow-oxed since lunch, was something else. A near-perfect showing. Lemon, grapefruit, flint, and white floral, all wrapped up in a saline, chalk-laden precision that feels like liquid geology. Every element in place, nothing extraneous. A dense, electric core of energy, though slightly quieter than its rowdier siblings. The structure is packed, tightly coiled, and unmistakably Kirchspiel.

Effortless energy, but born from backbreaking work. Very worth it. — 9 months 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 — 3 years ago

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. — 3 years ago

Shay A

9.5

I double decanted this for about an hour then consumed from bottle over the next three.

I’ve had most of the Saxum offerings, but I don’t think I’ve had Broken Stones before, yet it’s just absolutely killer like every other Saxum I’ve had. Deeply purple/black in the glass with aromatics of roasted blueberries and blackberries that are then dipped in dark chocolate, alongside smoked meat. I never know how else to describe it, but certain high quality Paso Rhône style blends have this airy/weightless-jammy flair to them, which I love…definitely present here. Coiled up at first but as the evening moved on, the layers kept unfolding with notes of charcoal, spiced dark fruits, cherry jerky. Perfect balance of acidity & tannin.

Best in 2-3yrs, but quite enjoyable with 3-4hrs of air now. — 4 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. — a year 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. — 2 years ago

with Jason and Richard

Conrad Green

9.4

Intense, dense, dark, inky. Dark fruit. Tightly wound. Lead pencil, dark plum, iron. Tightly coiled, to young but good stuff. — 3 years ago

with Chris and David

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. — 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. — 3 years ago

Shay A

9.4

This 2017 is less opulent, more compact, and tightly coiled compared to the 2016. Because of that, I followed this wine over two days.

On day one, this was tart and tangy…almost steely and too powerful. Day two saw this blossom and expand on the palate. The tart/tangy vibe is still there but it’s accompanied by a deep richness. Everything about this Chardonnay is lemon driven…lemon oil, lemon scone, powdered lemon tart bar, especially on the nose. There is a nervy vein of acidity at the core carrying notes of pineapple and white peach, but never pushed too far to the ripe side. One of those wines that retains freshness with the richness. If popping now, decant 1-2hrs or hold another few years, and enjoy the 2016 before opening this 2017! — 4 years ago