Lyle Fass

Founder Fass Selections

9.8

Glory is this wine. Just one of the best wines in Burgundy now. After the 22 I had large expectations and this surpassed them. Nose is just bananas. Not literal bananas. The other type of bananas. The most complex cherry diaspora. Sour, mid season, late season and black. Spice galore and florals up the wazoo. Earth, limestone, dead leaves, living leaves and wet leaves. The nose is a 9.8 on the pop and pour. Just insane. Wild mint. What stands out the most is the layering and the clarity. Also the breadth. Wow that inner mouth perfume and endless, boundless energy that has the same fruit energy as La Tache. What I mean by that is this wine, yes can be about minerals as CDC is rocky, but man the fruit in 22 and now 23 is just in another register. Sappy, poised and clear as the sky is blue on a cloudless day. Yes the tannins are firm but you know with air they will melt into the fruit. The nobility of this site never fails to blow me away. Unreal concentration and density and just insane length. The tannins are velvety, sweet and intense but so so high class. Nose has so much florality, spice and red cherry fruit one cannot believe it. This is just insane. It’s almost a perfect wine. The balance is just beyond and the structure is incredible. This is a 50 year CDC. What a finish. Let’s see where this goes. After an hour the nose is remarkable. So deep, so nuanced, so spicy, so floral. Provocative. Palate is silky, sweet and so dense. Pumps the fruit out like an old set of Wilson Puppies. Unreal balance and purity. But this is built like a brick house. Let’s see where this goes. Will unfurl more but it’s a slow one! The concentration and tiny berry fruit intensity is off the charts. Now after 17 hours open its nose is full blown complex and flat out stunning. The cherry trifecta of sour/mid season and black. Mint and bramble plus wonderful and gorgeous sous bois. Stoney as well. All velvety bramble and such elegant and ripe tannin. A wave. Stunning inner mouth aromas, tiny berry fruit intensity and stunning purity. This seems like it’s more classic than the 22. Even on day 3 this is stunning. Lost nothing. — 6 days ago

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.2

2015 vintage. Herbs, soy sauce, mocha, raw beef, dark cherry and blackberry in the nose. Light/Medium body with the wine exhibiting a little pinot/burg style with introductory leaner tannins and then fattens up with the plum/cherry/cassis trifecta. A Burgundy drinker’s Bordeaux that finishes earthy and herbal. Deliciously different. — 4 years ago

Randy Fuller

9.1

A Pinot trifecta: Noir, Meunier and Pinotage, the South African grape. The wine bubbles up vigorously, but the festive nature disappears quickly. The nose is earthy, but fairly muted in that respect and in that of the red fruit. Palate-wise, the wine disappoints a bit. It does have a tasty, savory flavor and a nice shot of acidity, but I wanted a little more fruit expression. Maybe I should stop complaining and just enjoy what is a thoroughly drinkable, but slightly underwhelming bubbly. — 7 years ago

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.3

2012 vintage. From Coravin. Light-medium body. Coming at you, in both nose and flavors, with the earthy, leathery, darker fruits trifecta. Ample tannins and definitely dry but enough balance lingering, long-term concerns under the rug for now. Had I been blind-tasting this, likely woulda guessed Pomerol. Definitely lacking any betraying trace of St. Émilion fleshiness now. 5.9.24. Really nice, affordable bottle of BDX with 10+ years of age on it. I'd hit this again. 5.9.24. — a year ago

David Peifer

9.7

So yummy. What’s better: Lone Tree, Acacia or 2012 - the trifecta for the win. — 2 years ago

Gilbert Van Hassel

9.3

Coche, Ente, Roulot; the trifecta — 4 years ago

Jenny Hanniver

9.0

Less aggressive than I was expecting, but still had some nice acid and the tobacco/berry/stone trifecta of yumminess. Tannins were pretty shy. Pretty a jewel-bright. — 7 years ago

Severn Goodwin

9.4

1991 | Cabernet Sauvignon
Freemark Abbey; Sycamore Vineyard
Napa Valley; Rutherford, California, USA
(93-95; Drink 2023-31)
Decanted 8H, more time appreciated.

Bought winery direct about 15Y post vintage.
We've always found the Sycamore as the more understated of the FAW Cabernet trifecta, but mostly over delivering each instance, and today is no exception. Some funky raspberry/cherry lead the nose, fruit leather, rich garden soil, shaved tanned leather; palate extends with dried Bing cherry, tobacco, dried raspberry, faint cedar notes. Tannins banished.

Possibly an ultimate burger wine when gratuitously paired with USDA Prime ground beef from Allen Bros. — 2 years ago

Billy L.

9.2

Excellent w/marinara pasta entree; pre Turkey 🦃 day wine. QPR
Hi-Times Costa Mesa Note:
“Every once in a while, a wine walks through the door (not literally, but you get the idea...) and just blows the room away. This is definitely one of those wines. Our Hi-Times-Italian Wine Buyer, Patty Quick, believes this is the best Brunello she's ever had in terms of quality-to-price ratio. The juice is outstanding, the price reasonable and the critics are effusive in their praise— creating a fortuitous trifecta for those with access to it.” — 4 years ago

Andy Hall

9.4

Wow, what a night!! The Diamond Creek trifecta (Red Rock, Gravelly Meadow and Volcanic Hill) and Masseto. Oh my. They are all great! Masseto has to be one of the strongest Merlot’s made. The Red Rock Diamond Creek is a such a strong expression of terroir with a strong iron minerality. The Gravelly and Volcanic are much softer and approachable. Much like trying to pick between your kids! — 6 years ago

with Jerry