Lyle Fass

Founder Fass Selections

9.5

Stunning and utterly singular. The nose is intensely mineral and almost impossible to categorize, with desiccated leaves, yellow fruit, green banana, plantain, wheat field, stones and crushed rock. The palate is opulent but incisive, with tremendous concentration, density and chew, almost carrying the structural energy of a red wine while remaining remarkably alive and fresh. The fruit is difficult to identify in any conventional way, which is part of the fascination, and the inner-mouth aromatics are thrilling. The finish is long, mineral and deeply resonant, with this uncanny honeycomb character, not honey itself, but almost the greatest ice-cream cone imaginable without the ice cream. Juicy, powerful, complex and beautiful in a way that feels unique in the world of wine. There is simply nothing else quite like Château Simone. — 16 hours ago

Lyle Fass

Founder Fass Selections

9.4

Fascinating evolution. The wine opened beautifully and for a while was clearly in 9.5 territory, even flirting with 9.6, with classic Meursault aromatics of brown sugar, lime zest, hazelnut, sweet oak, salinity and terrific mineral depth. The palate initially showed real richness, sap, purity, density and elegance, but then the wine gradually shut down and never really reopened. By the end it was obvious this is simply far too young. Excellent material, but I would not touch another bottle for seven to eight years. The 2024 is in another league right now. — 7 days ago

Lyle Fass

Founder Fass Selections

9.5

Gorgeous, deeply terroir-driven nose of wet earth, wax, green herbs and green fruit, with a faint natural-wine wildness that adds complexity without sacrificing clarity. This is almost Silvaner made through a Burgundian lens, so focused on place, texture and mineral architecture rather than overt fruit. The palate is opening beautifully, becoming more complex as the acidity comes forward, with tremendous purity, juiciness, earthy minerality and a long, salty finish.

After an hour, I’d move this to 9.5, teasing 9.6. The big change is finesse. It has gone from mineral, earthy and architectural to something much more elegant and complete, with terrific sap, intense flavor concentration and a thunderous, salty finish. The wine is still almost entirely about terroir rather than fruit, but now the texture and acidity have knitted together so beautifully that it feels genuinely profound for an entry-level Silvaner. — 9 days ago

Lyle Fass

Founder Fass Selections

9.3

Gorgeous, classic Burgundy nose of red cherry, sour cherry, spice, sous-bois, wet earth, fresh moss and desiccated leaves. The palate is opulent yet remarkably light on its feet, with terrific concentration and density, that beautiful 2023 progression from sour to mid-season cherry, and barely sweet, velvety tannins. Pure, clean, juicy and wonderfully balanced, with real depth despite the featherweight feel. Just a terrific, immensely drinkable Pinot. — 3 days ago

Lyle Fass

Founder Fass Selections

9.6

Gorgeous, deeply classical Hermitage that keeps gaining structure with air. The nose opens into clay, loam, herbs, lavender, black and green olive, blackberry and dark berry fruit, while the palate is lush and juicy in that unmistakable 2017 way but still remarkably refined, linear and aristocratic. The tannins become increasingly substantial and chewy without ever disturbing the balance, and the fruit stays vivid, pure and beautifully delineated. Tremendous sap, freshness and granite underneath everything, with an electric, incredibly long finish. Clearly still opening and could easily go higher with more air. — 7 days ago

Lyle Fass

Founder Fass Selections

9.5

GK. Day three and still absolutely gorgeous. Opulent nose of peach, apricot, ripe pear, vivid green apple and fruit skin, with slate, mineral and a touch of vulcanized rubber adding complexity. The palate is rich and creamy through the middle but still racy and highly structured, with tremendous purity, sap, acidity and freshness. Huge mid-palate presence, beautifully balanced sweetness and a long, energetic finish. — 9 days ago

Lyle Fass

Founder Fass Selections

9.5

Tighter than my previous bottle and needed a solid 45–60 minutes to really come alive, but once it did the wine was beautiful: dark cherry, a hint of licorice, florals and tremendous purity. The palate is velvety, sweet, haunting and ethereal, but still carries the amplitude, richness and density of a great 2018, with that distinctive Clos des Chênes sweetness and depth. Brilliant now, but I would still give it another three or four years if I had more bottles. — 10 days ago

Lyle Fass

Founder Fass Selections

9.7

Absolutely stunning out of the gates, with a deep, creamy nose of mid-season cherry, dark cherry, black cherry, raspberry spice cake, leather and a faint birthday-cake sweetness, all framed by beautifully integrated wood and a very clear limestone signature. The palate is a nuclear detonation of tiny-berry fruit, with extraordinary clarity, juiciness, freshness and energy, plus velvety, beautifully articulated tannins and outrageous inner-mouth aromas. There is an almost holographic intensity to the wine, as if every liquid molecule explodes with fruit and mineral detail. The sweetness and freshness are in remarkable balance, the finish is long and limestone-driven, and this has enormous upside potential toward 9.7 or even 9.8 as it continues to open.

After about 75 minutes this moved higher. The finish is epic, nearly two minutes long, with beautifully hierarchical layers of dark cherry fruit, limestone and serious, perfectly articulated tannin. Tremendous clarity, intensity and structure, with the fruit still absolutely detonating through the finish. Remarkable wine with easily another decade ahead of it. 9.6 to 9.7. — 4 days ago

Lyle Fass

Founder Fass Selections

9.5

Initially restrained on the nose, with faint tar, roses, chestnut, macerated mid-season cherry and a touch of classic Nebbiolo funk. The palate is already beautiful, silky, sweet and elegant, with tremendous purity, juiciness and vivid cherry fruit. Late-breaking Nebbiolo tannins build steadily across the palate, while the finish explodes with intense mid-season cherry and remarkable persistence. Aromatically still closed, but the finesse, balance and sheer length are already superb. — 7 days ago

Lyle Fass

Founder Fass Selections

9.6

Stunning, vividly three-dimensional nose of red cherry, tar, roses, sweet spice, desiccated leaves and orange rind, with extraordinary complexity and purity right out of the gates. The palate is juicy, complete and deeply terroir-driven, with explosive tiny-berry fruit intensity, painful concentration, unbelievable finesse, velvety sweet tannins and tremendous length. Still needs around 30 minutes to fully knit together, but the depth, clarity and architecture are already remarkable. — 9 days ago