Lyle Fass

Founder Fass Selections

9.8

WE ARE SO BACK! Best Beliando since 15 and is it better? Maybe! Haunting nose of blackberry and blueberry but so crystallized. Unreal fruit character and depth. Crazy granite. Such a deep nose but 10.0 on the clarity. Gorgeous herbs like lavender, rosemary and thyme and just unreal soft clay is only way I can describe it. Unreal decaying leaves and so much granite. 9.9 nose. Just insane. Palate is massive and initially it’s brutally closed but man what a wine. Powerhouse of a palate with raspberry/blueberry/blackberry crystallized fruit. Big tannins and so primary now but wow this is so so good. Unreal concentration, depth and complexity but showing 5% of itself. 9.6 now but as this wine and frigid night in NYC develop@it will get higher. Getting sappier with air and the fruit is so 19. Decadent yet crystallized. Now some sweet green olive on the nose. Ethereal violets, the level of crystallized, clear fruit on the nose is the most precise ever on any beliando. Nose is 9.9999 now. Huge power, depth and concentration and just outrageously rich, decadent yet energetic black raspberry, with almost a pastille element and just outrageous concentration. The finish just echoes and echoes with that ethereal finesse. This is a benchmark Beliando. 9.6 to 9.8 now. — 7 days ago

Lee Pitofsky

9.5

Not sure there are better 13 whites than Raveneau. Lafon also comes to mind. It’s an early drinking vintage (by Raveneau standards) while you wait for 12 and 14. Also, no Chapelot this year so it’s blended in here. A multi hour advance decant has it rocking, stunningly aromatic, soaring with layers of créme fraîche, baking spice, crushed stones and a whisper of botrytis influenced saffron. The palate shows immense power, concentration and depth of waxy yellow fruit chiseled with Chablisen minerality. Brilliant tension and racy lemony acids provide a seamless balance to its power and richness. MDT always hits 🫰🏻 — 9 months ago

Mike Saviage

9.6

From a great looking bottle with a fill almost into the neck. Double decanted and left in the bottle for 5 hours before attacking it. Amber color. Good weight and haunting nose. Notes of old cedar, mocha, plums, cola, dark fruit, molasses and some sweet red cherry. Early on it’s all about the amazing nose. But with time the wine gains weight and you have a gorgeous old St Estephe in front of you. Still giving its all, and although the fruit is somewhat faded, this has complexity and structure that still drives the experience. And that nose is simply stunning. Great showing. — 3 years ago

Aaron Tan

9.7

I’m on a roll with Côte de Beaune reds lately! This 13’ Rugiens was absolutely incredible. Still brimming with youthful energy - it demanded patience, taking three hours to unfurl, but when it did, what unfolded was a wine of breathtaking purity, intensity, and drive. Dark cherries layered with musky florals and a whisper of spice mingled with a strikingly mineral core. It grew in stature across the palate, building to a finish that was both super long and fine, leaving a resonant, stony echo. Another profound lesson in weightless intensity! — 2 months ago

Conrad Green

9.7

Very pretty. Soft strawberry and roses. Steeliness. Haunting and delicate. Still. Vivacious. From mag — 4 months ago

with Amanda and Matt

Conrad Green

9.8

Supple floral nose with soft raspberry and a gorgeously expressive and enticing nose. Long, haunting and light. Oh lord. — a year ago

with BOT, Matt and 1 other

Lyle Fass

Founder Fass Selections

9.5

Gorgeous nose. Some sweet wood initially with an unreal haunting Volnay ethereal quality. Yowza minerality and a gorgeous floral streak. Expansive and just so pretty. I love the mineral depth here. Wow. Sweet fruit, elegant and so complex with awesome purity and depth. Sweet and energetic and lovely lift. Beats 19. By a lot. Terrific inner mouth aromas and sweet, crunchy and velvety tannins. Awesome length and structure. Super mineral driven finish. This is tremendous. Let’s see what air does. The wood blows off so quickly! Just so complete. Stunning value here. Extra juicy. Real complexity here. The fruit on this is divine. — 3 years ago

Conrad Green

9.4

A hint of tar, dried roses, tangy plum. Good soft fruit with a haunting quality Clearly aged but relatively fresh given it’s almost a centurion Pretty and memorable — 4 months ago

with Matt and Paul

Conrad Green

9.7

What an extraordinary nose. Wild strawberry, violets, cherry pop, plums, mushrooms. This is enchanting and dynamic. On the palate light and subtle. Delicate., quite haunting with a pretty spring sweetness. This is lovely. — 8 months ago

with Tony and David

Byron Fuller

9.4

Stunning. I often find I prefer LdH reasonably younger (GRs at the 10-15 year mark). This was vigorous, gorgeous, and very fine. Tiny bit of bricking but really still dark-core garnet color right on pour. Lovely nose of warm red fruit, flowers, that iconic snap of VA, and some forest floor action. But much less mushroomy & evolved than many other 70s GRs from the same house. Haunting, long palate true to nose— structured, crunchy fruit with no hard edges. Exceptionally long & evolving the whole time. All in all this has decades ahead and is evolving slowly and marvelously. No rush to drink up just to drink. — 2 years ago