Wine Advisor
Verite, La Muse 2000
Description
Profound and sophisticated, La Muse delivers the incredible depth and texture with a Merlot-based blend from the top micro-crus of eastern Sonoma County. Like a graceful swan, it embodies elegance, softness and strength.
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
Composed of 86% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc and 4% Cabernet Sauvignon, all from Sonoma, this totally mature, soft, round, fruity red offers up hints of underbrush, fruitcake, black currants, sweet kirsch and licorice. By no means the most complete or concentrated La Muse, it is the fastest to hit full maturity. Drink it over the next 5-7 years.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
The 2000 La Muse (87% Merlot, 9% Cabernet Franc, 2% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 2% Malbec; 2,000 cases) is a wine of undeniable complexity. It is more evolved aromatically than the 1999, revealing notes of minerals, licorice, coffee, black fruits, and smoky oak. Although it can not match the 1999's sheer volume and intensity of flavor, the 2000 is full-bodied and rich, with hints of roasted tobacco, sweet blackberry and espresso-tinged fruit, and a long, opulent finish. It should drink well for 15+ years. (Release date 5/03) Tel. (800) 273-0177; Fax (800) 600-5895
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
This appears slightly more ‘stalky’ on the nose than the 2001 with a touch of green pepper and smoke. Very similar to the 2001 on the palate: this is very impressive, with great weight and persistency, imbued with velvety tannins and notes of raspberry and blueberry towards the finish. It is just a tad shorter than the 2001, but still an excellent wine. Tasted September 2005.
About the Producer
Verite is a local boutique winery located in Sonoma County, California, USA. Verite Winery is a winery owned by Jackson Family Wines. The winery name "Verite" means "truth" in French, which means that the wines produced by the winery can faithfully show the local terroir characteristics. The winemaker of the winery is Pierre Seillan, a famous winemaker with 22 years of winemaking experience in Bordeaux, France. (Haut-Medoc) winemaker and technical guide of 7 Bordeaux wineries in the production area. In the 1990s, Celine, who was a winemaker at a winery in Bordeaux at the time, met Jess Jackson, president of the Jackson family wine business, and the two hit it off. Soon Celine accepted Jess' invitation to come Sonoma County makes great wines. With the joint efforts of the two, Winery Truth released its first vintage in 1998. Over the years, the winery has been adhering to the winemaking philosophy of interpreting the truth of the soil and showing the unique terroir. The winery’s vineyards are located in the Alexander Valley, Bennett Valley, Knights Valley and Chalk Hill appellations. These appellations vary in terroir and hill topography, elevation and slope orientation, resulting in a diverse range of micro-vineyards under the estate’s entire vineyard. There are more than 40 different types of soil in the vineyard, among them, rocky and red volcanic soils provide ideal conditions for the growth of Cabernet Sauvignon (Cabernet Sauvignon) and Merlot (Merlot). In addition, the vineyard is also planted Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. During the grape growing process, the winery precisely controls the differences between different vineyards, the characteristics of the grape plants and even the subtle differences between each spore or tendril, so that the wine produced can reflect the characteristics of the local terroir. Currently, the wines released by the winery are Verite La Muse, Verite La Joie and Verite Le Desir. Among them, the creation of the Muse of Truth is inspired by the Pomerol wines and made from the quality Merlot of Sonoma County, which is balanced and elegant; the Joy of Truth has the depth and elegance of a good Cabernet Sauvignon. Strength, reminiscent of Pauillac-style wines from Bordeaux; Desire of Truth red wines with the suppleness of Saint-Emilion Cabernet Franc. The three series of blends, Le Desir, La Joie and La Muse, have all been awarded full marks by the Robert Parker Points.
