2001 Vérité La Joie
Market price
Buying options
Tasting notes
A bit darker and more minerally on the nose than La Muse but still with a slightly sauvage quality to its aromas of black raspberry, spice cake, underbrush and coffee. Thick and rich on entry, then fairly large-scaled, sweet and deep in the middle palate. A step up in texture, depth and size from La Muse, showing a darker, more medicinal character to its blackberry, black cherry and dark chocolate flavors and perhaps greater potential longevity. Ultimately quite structured and uncompromisingly dry, finishing with slowly mounting, echoing length and serious but nicely buffered dusty tannins that should continue to soften with cellaring. I find this sweeter for a Médoc blend than La Muse is for a Pomerol. A superb showing, and full of life. (ST)
Critic scores
Robert Parker
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
More reviews and scores
Bright ruby. Roasted, medicinal aromas of currant, espresso, bitter chocolate and minerals. Thick, fat and sweet, with compelling opulence for a cabernet-dominated wine (this is Seillan's Pauillac blend) and an almost exotic berry flavor. Finishes with sweeter tannins than the 2001 Muse, perhaps a testament to the superiority of high-quality cabernet sauvignon.
(71% cabernet sauvignon, 19% merlot and 10% cabernet franc) Good deep ruby color. Youthfully austere aromas of black fruits, licorice, shoe polish and maple syrup. Dense, rich and very deep, with sappy flavors of liqueur-like black fruits. This has remarkably lush texture for a cabernet-based wine. The finishing flavors reach every nook and cranny of the palate and go on and on.
About the producer
The winery was the dream of Jess Jackson, the man who founded the incredibly successful Jackson Family Wines. He, however, wanted to produce truly fine wine in Sonoma County.