Lyle Fass

Founder Fass Selections

9.6

Just incredible. Needs 5 mins for sulfur to blow off. Then massive blueberry, granite, clay and so so mineral. The most mineral St. Joseph of them all. Floral. But so much clay and mineral. So unique. Nothing like Fauterie. Complex, fresh and so mineral. Like the energy on this wine is beyond ridiculous. Stunning depth and purity. Ripe and juicy tannins and this is like 80% mineral and 20% fruit. What a wine. Finish is forever and has hints of white pepper and lingering blue fruits. — 5 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.6

Pontet Canet tasting and dinner with Alfred Tesseron.

What a great vintage. Its tannin structure will outlive the 09 and anyone 45 and older. The 2010 is a forever vintage and while different than 09, it will undoubtedly be just as great. It’s just going to take a lot more bottle age than the 09.

The body is full and round. The tannins have rounded but are still big and chewy. It’s more concentrated than 09. The fruit is really beautiful and again perfectly ripe. Dark currants, blackberries, dark cherries, black raspberries, dark plum, poached strawberries with hints of raspberries. Soft soil structure; dry top soil, moist clay, medium intensity dark spice, fresh tobacco, dry herbs, crushed rock powder, with dark, withering florals with violets. The texture is velvety. The structure and tension are big. The length and balance are worthy of its perfect score. For me, it’s just not there, yet! The acidity is really good. The long, lush, ripe, well balanced, polished finish is deliciously persistent.

Photos of; our dinner group, tasting room at Pontet Canet, the horse plows they still use in the fields and Chateau Pontet Canet. — 6 years ago

Dan R

9.5

Awesome. Just want to smell it forever. 2 hours in the decanter helped, wish I had more time. Super complex and intense — 7 years ago

James Forsyth

9.1

A light version of Other Half. Definitely sessionable, as the name indicates, and hits the spot when wanting something refreshing and a notch up from "simple". — 7 years ago

Laura Dickson

9.4

Exquisite! Just goes to show you don’t have to wait forever for an outstanding wine. — 8 years ago

with Keith

Claire Kim

9.6

Dark fruits, cocoa, hint of tobacco, fall/winter baking spices. Already so balanced. Still so youthful--it could easily age for another 10yrs. Amazing finish that just lingers forever. — 9 years ago

Buddy Wilson

9.8

There is nothing not to like about this Zinfandel. Easy drinking, smooth, Jammy, balanced with firm tannins and a long finish. — 9 years ago

Jeffrey Lew

9.8

Man what a nose. Camphor, spice and flowers. Amazing. Dark fruit and leather. Goes on forever. My last bottle. Might have to reload. Great stuff. — 9 years ago

Michael Greene

9.6

Like drinking honey. Apricot. Waxy texture. Finish goes on forever. — 5 years ago

Shay A

9.4

Finally getting around to posting wines from my annual Napa trip from two weeks ago. Always goes by quick! Lots of fun new stops this year.

Here is the other wine that I claimed may have been the red wine of the trip, and also may have been one of the top winery visits of the trip! Loved tasting in the family home and hearing the connecting stories between them and the Macdonalds. I’ll forever be grateful that Carl Fischer introduced me to Detert years ago, and he helped make an intro so that I could visit this time around.

Detert also makes a small amount of Cabernet (but who am I kidding, all the wines are small production). The fruit comes from about an acre next to the old family home in Oakville near To Kalon. There was a wonderful note of smoked meat on the nose here that I loved. Savory up front with added peppercorn, herbal spice and graphite, but lush fruit on the palate such as blackberry cobbler, rhubarb, chocolate dipped raspberries, nutmeg and cedar. At 8yrs, this was drinking well with a couple hours of slow ox’ing. — 6 years ago

MICHAEL COOPER DipWSET

Owner TomeVinos wine shops, WSET Level 3, Blogger www.spanishwinesandmore.com, blog.tomevinos.com

9.1

Pale amber or medium gold? Salty sand and Manzanilla flower or oxidized white wine in a way, some marmalade. On the palate salty, slightly bitter expressive and tart. Just goes to show that these wines that have already passed through an oxidative ageing process can last for almost forever. #amontillado #montilla #perezbarquero — 7 years ago

Lewis Chester

10

1979 Clos Du Mesnil. What do you do when you are confronted with a legendary wine? You hope it doesn’t disappoint. At Pages in Paris today, Tomo delighted us with this outstanding bottle. Medium golden hue. The nose was to die for: fresh, white flower, chalk and honeyed - alluring and forever changing in the glass while keeping its freshness. Hints of truffle wafted away within minutes. What seemed like an impossible dream of the ultimate Champagne remained intact. Fine but persistent bubbles, huge but balanced concentration with a refreshing, zesty acidity and a finish I can still taste an hour and a half after having drained the last few precious drops of this legend. Wow, wow, wow. Incredible. 100 points. Don’t be afraid to open now or in 20 years. — 8 years ago

Erik Helms

Sommelier/Wine & Beer Buyer Whole Foods Oakland

9.1

Considerably better and with a tripled case production from the prior vintage. Juicy grapefruit, lemons, and orange zest rush to greet you on the palate. Tangible acid is rounded by gentle sweetness from 5% muscat. Solid nose and finish, but the palate steals the show here. Nice wine. — 9 years ago

Paul Woolls

9.4

Wow. What a metamorphoses Started with a funky Bret and anise. Opened in the glass beautifully. Stood up to Elk with a rich Demi. Forever finish. — 9 years ago

Mireya Jurado

9.0

We mulled it for Halloween and it turned out really well — 9 years ago

Mike R

9.8

The BEST EVER hundred acre ever- smiles forever — 6 years ago

Ellen Clifford

9.6

Sometimes you visit friends at restaurants and sometime STUPID people leave behind some Krug (morons) and you friend gives you a sip of their discarded magic. So...everything. I forever love Krug. Dunno if I love it or Dom Ruinart better I guess it depends on the style I desire. — 7 years ago

Mike K

9.0

Nice and light. — 7 years ago

Shay A

9.6

4th Friday of the month means another monthly Classic happy hour! Great wines, great people.

This was my contribution last night. One of the more profound Cali chards I’ve come across. Powerhouse! The richness and front palate power is very similar to Kongsgaard. Viscous. The notes are honeyed, but not lean...not even compared to the Aubert that was on the table with it. Not overly buttery, more just high quality chard that commands your attention. Mexican vanilla, toasted almonds, and honeyed brioche. The finish goes on forever...lots of cashew, melon, and coconut shell. No stone/tropical fruits here. An absolutely KILLER bottle, @Martin G Rivard , thank you for the intro here! — 7 years ago

with Dan, Mark and 1 other

Martin G Rivard

10

What a beautiful person inside and out! I'm blessed beyond measure to be able to call him "Dad". Words can't adequately express how much I Love him. We opened a few bottles last night that I will hold near and dear to my heart forever. We are celebrating his completion of 6 rounds of chemo therapy in his battle against Prostate cancer. This is his 3rd time in the ring against this opponent and it appears that he's won with a unanimous decision by knockout at this time!!!!!! Love you dad!!!!! So proud of your strength through this process. My Father was born in 1940. A difficult year to say the least:
Germans entered Bordeaux in June of 1940. As dictated by Hitler himself, it was the sworn duty of each and every commander to search and seize whatever could be used for the advancement of the German cause. Bedlam broke out. Chateaux' were ransacked, wine cellars were looted if not used for target practice. The Chateauxs were forced to continue producing wines. It's poetic justice that Mother Nature provided the Germans with the worst growing season from 1940 to 1944!!!! The Germans left Bordeaux in 1944 to the cheers of the residents "Au Revoir Les Allemands"!!!! The 1940 bottle that we enjoyed this evening survived World War II. It Survived the ransacking, pillaging & plunder of countless German soldiers. It's outer capsule showed evident signs of its struggle but it's inner beauty was unblemished and glorious. I've had many, many vintages of Latour from 1928 and on but none have ever tasted as perfect as the one we enjoyed tonight. This 1940 was perfect. It was a fighter, it never gave up, it never relinquished in the face of adversity. That's my Father, that my role model. He's a beautiful person inside & out. I think 1940 is the best vintage that I have ever had the privilege to enjoy. Special thanks to my good friends Michael Troise whom provided me with much of the insights in regards to the incredibly difficult vintage and David Page whom gifted this bottle to me for our celebration this evening. I will never forget your generosity. It was a glorious evening to say the least!!! Wine has a way of bringing people together and encapsulating an evening and event. I couldn't think of a better way to rejoice in his victory than to open a Father & Son birth year wine. — 9 years ago

with Ryan, Christine and 1 other