Verite Las Muse 2008

Verite Las Muse 2008, rofound 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. Great wines are often created in difficult years. The 2008 is no exception: at times it was hot, at times it was cool and at times it was humid. These three conflicting elements have resulted in great wines with balanced acidity, fruit, body and alcohol. Harvest took place September 4th through September 25th. – Pierre Seillan, Vigneron

Verite Winery is a wine producer based in Sonoma County in California. It is most famous for its three Bordeaux-styled blends: La Muse, La Joie, and Le Désir, which have all received 100-point scores from American wine critic Robert Parker over several vintages.

Winemaker Pierre Seillan got his start working with Bordeaux varieties at his family’s estate in Armagnac. Before moving to the United States, he worked at Château de Targé in Saumur-Champigny in the Loire Valley, and at several châteaux in Bordeaux. Upon meeting California wine pioneer Jess Jackson in the 1990s, Seillan was convinced to move to Sonoma to make Bordeaux blend wines.

Each vineyard block is vinified separately before a final blend for each wine is created. In a slight departure from the standard approach, Seillan made a 100 percent Tannat from Alexander Mountain Estate (which sits on the western Mayacamas Mountains overlooking the Alexander Valley) in 2010, although it appears this wine was a one-off.

The three Vérité blends are dominated by a different Bordeaux variety. La Muse is Merlot-based, La Joie is Cabernet Sauvignon-based, and Le Désir is primarily Cabernet Franc. Due to the wines’ success with the press, they are only available through a mailing list. The wines are still made by Seillan, although he is now joined by his daughter, Hélène, who has taken over assistant winemaker duties. Jess Jackson died in 2011.