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Tasting notes
90% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc, 3% Malbec. Earlier-than-usual harvest began on 31 August. Intense, luscious crimson. Heady nose and a sweet, malty start to the palate. Pretty big! Muscular. Big and rich but pretty well balanced. (JR)
Critic scores
Average Score
Jancis Robinson MW
Antonio Galloni, Vinous
More reviews and scores
The 2015 La Muse is developing beautifully. Ripe, ample and voluptuous in the glass, the 2015 exudes character. Even with all of its obvious intensity, the 2015 has quite a bit of freshness to balance out the ripe, racy Merlot-based fruit. Super-ripe red cherry, plum, mocha and spice notes build into the racy, inviting finish.
Composed of 90% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc and 3% Malbec, the 2015 La Muse sports a very deep garnet-purple color, leaping from the glass with exuberant crème de cassis, blueberry pie and licorice notes plus suggestions of Indian spices, dark chocolate, menthol, sautéed herbs and potpourri. Full-bodied, rich and seductive in the mouth, it delivers tons of black and blue fruit preserves flavors, accented by exotic spices, framed with velvety tannins and finishing on a persistent earthy/mineral note. 3,900 cases were made.
The 2015 La Muse comes across as intensely primary at this stage. Inky black fruit, licorice and sweet spice infuse this racy, flamboyant Merlot-based wine. The flavors are remarkably primary today, and the new oak needs to integrate, but the 2015 holds considerable promise. Of the three Vérité wines, the Merlot-based La Muse is the most unpredictable in how it shows as a young wine.
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.