Lyle Fass

Founder Fass Selections

9.6

I adore 2021. Insane wine. Nose is feral, herbal and gamey and so expressive for a young Berceau. Red fruits galore with unreal clarity and depth. Granite aromas but expressed in a floral way as they are so expressive. Quite layered and so elite. A knockout nose and that’s just as the bottle is opened. Maybe 3-5% black fruits but barely black. Wow what a palate. Rich yet focused and with maybe 75% red and 25% black fruits but beguiling freshness and velvety, high quality tannins. Wow the nose after a fresh pour is 9.8. Palate has substantial grip, tannins and structure and is imposing but not like a warmer vintage expression of Le Berceau. It’s got velvety, molten tannins that are perfectly ripe and the fruit is mid season red berries and such incredibly realized red fruits with just insane clarity. Infused with herbs and crushed granite and the finish goes on forever. But needs air and my score will go higher.

Nose is now smokey and meaty. Wild flowers and mint. So complex and intense. Palate is so fresh and energetic with red cherry and classic flavors and loads of mineral intensity. Really elegant and stunning texture. So much energy. Wow. 9.5 to 9.6. — 6 months ago

Jay Kline

9.2

This was presented to me double-blind at Tasting Group. The wine appeared deep ruby with a nearly opaque core. There’s slight staining of the tears and the viscosity appears medium+. On the nose the wine is intense. It’s slightly funky with an almost cheese rind sort of thing going on. There’s a combination of red and dark fruits with some purple flowers, dried tobacco leaf, something that sort of resembled pyrazines and a little bit of baking spices which suggests there’s some French barrique being used. On the palate, the wine is bone dry and fiercely tannic. Acid is medium ++. It’s definitely on the darker fruit side with some black berries and blue berries, black pepper and baking spices which all but confirms French barrique at this point. Long finish. I’m scratching my head with this one. It’s wild. Clean and fresh…but wild.

I could see this in a few places: Moulin-à-Vent is one possibility considering all the darker fruit and firm structure. However, I find some real Italian sensibilities to this wine. Despite the monumental structure, I cannot place this in northern Italy. Given the presence of French barrique, I could see this being a Cabernet Sauvignon-based Super Tuscan with a little Syrah and Sangiovese for good measure. So that was my call: 2015 Super Tuscan.

Wow…what a lovely surprise. I mistook the Rotundone for pyrazines (a recurring issue for me) which had me thinking Bordeaux varieties instead of Syrah. And to be fair, we don’t see a lot of Côte Rôtie at Tasting Group. This was my first time tasting the 2016 “La Chavaroche” and while it was a real treat (big thanks to the generous member of the group), it was also a reminder as to why I cellar my bottles of “La Chavaroche” for so long. This is a wee babe and frankly, pretty tough for me to love right now. That being said, the quality and character is unquestionable. I say give it until 2030+ and these will light up your right prefrontal cortex like a supernova.
— 2 years ago

Casey Curbow

Sales Associate Windsor Wine Merchants

9.1

Polished fruit & rhubarb against wild herbs. In a really good spot and perfect with prime rib & horseradish — 6 months ago

Douglas Braun

9.0

2015 Vintage - slight red/brown brown sugar , cranberry , wild fruit , butler spice , medium bodied — 2 years ago

Scott E. Becker

9.0

[Tasted on November 23, 2021 at Home]

Red plum and wild cherry fruit, with minerality, spice and nice acidity. — 3 years ago

David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.5

If you have not had this producer of Shiraz from Barossa, you are missing out on some special wines from very old vines. In the case of “The Relic” 100 year old vines. We walked the Standish Estate vines w/ Dan in April 2017. They yield a paltry 500 pounds of fruit per acre. Normally, very high quality wine are around 2,00-2,500 pounds of fruit per acre. So, his wines are from small concentrated berries.

You won’t find his wines in the US except on the secondary markets. He doesn’t have or need a US importer as he sells everything he makes through his mailing list. However, worth seeking out. Also, his wines need to age and you can find them this old. I have numerous times.

Dan started out in Barossa and then gathered much of winemaking knowledge working his way through Europe for several producers and a majority of them in France.

When he returned to Australia, he became the Winemaker at Torbreck before starting “The Standish Wine Company.”

I’ve posted several of his wines with detailed notes and will let them speak here. Cheers!

— 3 years ago

Joe DAscoli

9.2

Super funky. This wine is WILD. It’s got some super ripe fruit AND it has some really pungent mushroom and dirt. It’s got an exotic flair to it. We only had about a 1.5 decant but it sorta popped between an Amarone, a Turley, and a sherry. Paired with lamb in the grill. WILD. — a year ago

Adriana Fabbro

9.3

Levet is always one of my favorites. unfortunately these wines are getting harder and harder to find.

Black pepper, pastille, “Australian licorice”, black currant, black cherry, dried thyme/sage. It’s showing more fruit than I remember (this vintage? The point in its development?), but the fruit is pretty and lifted and not overripe. Of course, this wine is still showing the dirt under its fingernails—just enough barnyard filth to make it a proper syrah. Ripe, silky tannins. So much finesse.

Cote Rotie was the perfect red to pair with everyone’s entrees: duck, pork chop, wagyu, roast chix. — 2 years ago

ace

9.0

Fruit forward with a hint of spice. Very nice Zinfandel for having with dinner. — 3 years ago

Gregory Fulchiero

9.1

Better on day 2&3. Very refined. Less wild and gamey than other producers. Less oak influence as well, which was refreshing. Pepper notes were hidden amongst layers of blue and black fresh fruit. — 4 years ago