Verite La Muse 2012 / 750 ml.

Item#: 41753

RP9797 pts. - Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate - 29th Oct 2015
The 2012 La Muse, which is 85% Merlot, 11% Cabernet Franc and 4% Malbec, is a smaller cuvée of 1,840 cases. The wine has plenty of spice box, cedar wood, Christmas fruitcake and Asian plum sauce, along with black cherry and blackcurrant fruit. Ripe, round, full-bodied and opulent, this is a wine that can be drunk now or cellared for another three decades. Interestingly, the alcohol levels are not all that high in any of these wines, with most of them rarely exceeding 14.3%.
ST94+94–97 pts. - Stephen Tanzer’s International Wine Cellar - May/Jun 2014
Deep ruby. Wonderfully pure aromas and flavors of crushed cassis, minerals and exotic spices. Huge, sweet and plush but utterly primary for a wine with so much flesh. Boasts the chocolatey richness of a topnotch Pomerol from a great year, but the wine’s huge, ripe tannins will require at least five or six years of aging. Finishes with outstanding length.
VN9494 pts. - Vinous - Feb 2016
The 2012 La Muse is plump, juicy and forward; in other words a very typical expression of this vintage. Now at nearly five years of age, the 2012 is beginning to develop pretty aromatic notes that add complexity and nuance. Sweet tobacco, licorice, raspberry jam, mint and anise are all pushed forward. With time in the glass, the 2012 turns delicate and more refined, but it also seems to be going through a bit of a lull today.
VN93+93–95 pts. - Vinous - Jan 2015
Mocha, chocolate, dark plums, smoke and cloves are some of the notes that inform the 2012 La Muse. Dark, sumptuous and impeccably balanced, the 2012 is super-impressive. The flavors are bold and intense, and while there is plenty of size and volume, the wine’s balance is simply impeccable. I imagine the 2012 will reward drinkers with a good 20 years or so of very fine drinking pleasure.

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Red Wine

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Primary Grape: Merlot | All Grapes: 85% Merlot, 11% Cabernet Franc, 4% Malbec

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United States | California | Sonoma County

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Critical Acclaim

RP97 97 pts. / Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate (29th Oct 2015)

The 2012 La Muse, which is 85% Merlot, 11% Cabernet Franc and 4% Malbec, is a smaller cuvée of 1,840 cases. The wine has plenty of spice box, cedar wood, Christmas fruitcake and Asian plum sauce, along with black cherry and blackcurrant fruit. Ripe, round, full-bodied and opulent, this is a wine that can be drunk now or cellared for another three decades. Interestingly, the alcohol levels are not all that high in any of these wines, with most of them rarely exceeding 14.3%.

ST94+ 94–97 pts. / Stephen Tanzer’s International Wine Cellar (May/Jun 2014)

Deep ruby. Wonderfully pure aromas and flavors of crushed cassis, minerals and exotic spices. Huge, sweet and plush but utterly primary for a wine with so much flesh. Boasts the chocolatey richness of a topnotch Pomerol from a great year, but the wine’s huge, ripe tannins will require at least five or six years of aging. Finishes with outstanding length.

VN94 94 pts. / Vinous (Feb 2016)

The 2012 La Muse is plump, juicy and forward; in other words a very typical expression of this vintage. Now at nearly five years of age, the 2012 is beginning to develop pretty aromatic notes that add complexity and nuance. Sweet tobacco, licorice, raspberry jam, mint and anise are all pushed forward. With time in the glass, the 2012 turns delicate and more refined, but it also seems to be going through a bit of a lull today.

VN93+ 93–95 pts. / Vinous (Jan 2015)

Mocha, chocolate, dark plums, smoke and cloves are some of the notes that inform the 2012 La Muse. Dark, sumptuous and impeccably balanced, the 2012 is super-impressive. The flavors are bold and intense, and while there is plenty of size and volume, the wine’s balance is simply impeccable. I imagine the 2012 will reward drinkers with a good 20 years or so of very fine drinking pleasure.

Where It's From

Region / California

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When it comes to US wine production, California is King. California wines account for almost 90% of all wines produced in the United States each year, and is home to the most celebrated vineyards and producers in the country. California is probably best known for its world-famous Cabernets and Chardonnays, many of which hail from its two most-acclaimed AVAs, Napa Valley and Sonoma County. Other prominent grapes used in California wines include Merlot, Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc, Syrah, and Zinfandel (which California made popular).

Country / United States

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The United States now ranks fourth in the world in wine production behind, France, Italy, and Spain. While about 90% of that wine is produced in California, other states like Oregon, New York, and Washington are establishing themselves as prime spots for wine production, as well. Just about any variety of wine can be found in production somewhere in the United States.

More Information

SKU 41753
Product Type Wine
Alternate Name Vérité La Muse
Country United States
Region California
District Sonoma County
Product Location - Location-Appellation Sonoma County
Package Size 750 ml.
Brand Vérité
Bottles per Case 12
Vintage 2012
Can it be Shipped Yes
Premier Pick No
Wine Type Table Wine
Wine - Color Red
Grape(s) 85% Merlot, 11% Cabernet Franc, 4% Malbec
Primary Grape Merlot
Dollar Sale (Y/N) No
More from this Producer
Verite La Joie 2017 / 750 ml.
Verite La Joie 2017 / 750 ml.

2017 / 750 ml.

Item #: 55170

JD100100 pts. - Jeb Dunnuck - 5/21/2020
Tasting like a great bottle of Château Lafite, the 2017 La Joie is based largely on Cabernet Sauvignon and brought up, I suspect, in mostly new French oak. Deep ruby/purple, with a heavenly bouquet of crème de cassis, lead pencil, cedarwood, graphite, and tobacco, it hits the palate with medium to full-bodied richness, an incredible sense of elegance and purity, building tannins, and a great, great finish. This majestic, regal Sonoma County Cabernet Sauvignon is going to require a decade of cellaring to hit maturity (although it’s far from unapproachable today) and will see its 50th birthday in fine form. I followed this bottle for three days and it never showed a hint of oxidation. This is easily my wine of the vintage in 2017. (Jeb Dunnuck)
RP98+98+ pts. - Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate - 29th May 2020
A blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16% Cabernet Franc, 10% Merlot and 4% Petit Verdot, the 2017 La Joie has a very deep garnet-purple color. It opens a little closed and broody, giving glimpses of blackcurrant cordial, espresso, charcoal and black truffles to begin, before blossoming out to a whole array of preserved black and blue fruits, dusty soil, crushed rocks and iron ore scents plus a waft of roses. The medium to full-bodied palate is built like a brick house, with firm, grainy tannins and a lively backbone supporting the muscular fruit, finishing very long and mineral laced. The alcohol weighed in at just 13.9% this year (14% on the label), making for a particularly elegant but no less impactful La Joie! 2,500 cases were made.
VN9696 pts. - Vinous - Apr 2020
The 2017 La Joie is another gorgeous wine in this lineup. Deep, pliant and nuanced, the 2017 is impeccably balanced. Silky and plush, La Joie is especially refined in 2017, and that complements its mid-weight structure so nicely. Hints of rose petal, lavender, mint and blood orange add brightness. The 2017 is a stunning wine by any measure.
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United States | California | Sonoma County

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Primary Grape: Cabernet Sauvignon

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Verite La Muse 2017 / 750 ml.
Verite La Muse 2017 / 750 ml.

2017 / 750 ml.

Item #: 55169

RP9999 pts. - Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate - 29th May 2020
Composed of 100% Merlot for the first time this year, the medium to deep garnet-purple colored 2017 La Muse rolls sensuously out of the glass with scents of black raspberries, Black Forest cake, boysenberries and cinnamon toast, followed by nuances of a garrigue, forest floor, beef drippings and clove oil. Medium to full-bodied, the richly fruited palate slowly builds in the mouth to a crescendo of black fruit preserves and exotic spice layers, framed by exceptionally ripe, round tannins and seamless freshness, finishing long and fragrant. Stylistically, it stands apart from previously vintages, possessing the same magical intensity, but with less weight and more pop. 2,500 cases were made.
JD9898 pts. - Jeb Dunnuck - 5/21/2020
Not far behind, the Merlot-dominated 2017 La Muse offers a big, rich nose of chocolate-covered black cherries, espresso, damp earth, and leafy herbs that gains more bass notes and richness with time in the glass. It tastes like a great Pomerol from La Conseillante. Full-bodied, it has an incredible sense of elegance and purity, plenty of mid-palate stuffing, and a great, great finish. Made from 100% Merlot (this is the first time this cuvée has been all Merlot), it’s another incredible wine from this estate that has the flesh and texture to shine today yet the freshness, purity, and balance to evolve for 30 years or more. (Jeb Dunnuck)
VN9696 pts. - Vinous - Apr 2020
The 2017 La Muse is 100% Merlot for the first time. In this vintage, La Muse stands out for its freshness, energy and red-toned fruit. It will be interesting to see if the 2017 represents a longer-term shift. To be sure, the 2017 is aromatically deep, beautifully persistent and just impeccable in its balance. I liked it more than the 2016.
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United States | California | Sonoma County

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Primary Grape: Merlot

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Verite La Muse 2014 / 750 ml.
Verite La Muse 2014 / 750 ml.

2014 / 750 ml.

Item #: 47285

RP100100 pts. - Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate - 28th Oct 2016
The 2014 La Muse (2,800 cases ) is a legendary effort. The wine offers an opaque purple color and a gorgeous nose of lead pencil shavings, blackberry, incense, Asian spice, cocoa, plum, and a touch of chocolate and barrique. On the palate, more cassis and blackberry come to the forefront. The wine is unctuous, with adequate acidity and a stunning energy underneath the massive fruit and body. This is a spectacularly fragrant and, at the same time, dense wine, with enough structure (somewhat surprising in this vintage) to last 35–45+ years. The final blend was 88% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc and 2% Malbec.
VN9696 pts. - Vinous - Mar 2017
A huge, opulent wine, the 2014 La Muse wraps around the palate with tons of super-ripe dark red fruit, chocolate, spice and menthol. La Muse often shuts down after bottling, but the 2014 is still remarkably intense and voluptuous, with soft contours, silky tannins and exceptional balance. The purity of the flavors here is remarkable.
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United States | California | Sonoma County

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Primary Grape: Merlot

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6 items or less in stock.

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Verite La Joie 2014 / 750 ml.
Verite La Joie 2014 / 750 ml.

2014 / 750 ml.

Item #: 56111

JD97+97+ pts. - Jeb Dunnuck - 12/29/2017
The estate’s Cabernet Sauvignon dominated release is the 2014 La Joie. It’s an incredible wine based on 78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc and the balance Petit Verdot. Reminding me of a top vintage of Ducru-Beaucaillou (the 2010?) with its classic Cabernet character, it offers thrilling notes of crème de cassis, exotic flowers, liquid rock-like minerality, and graphite and lead pencil nuances. Deep, concentrated, and backward, it has perfect balance, good acidity, and an undeniable Bordeaux-like weight and texture. Nowhere near primetime, it needs 5–7 years of cellaring and is going to keep for three decades. (Jeb Dunnuck)
RP97+97+ pts. - Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate - 28th Oct 2016
The 2014 La Joie has a spicy black purple color and a big, sweet kiss of camphor, black truffle, pen ink, blackcurrants and unsmoked cigar tobacco, followed by layers of fruit and glycerin in an opulent, beautifully savory, pure and multidimensional wine. The final blend Seillan produced in 2014 was 78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot. This is a compellingly great effort once again. It should be given 2–5 years of bottle age, then drunk over the following three decades.
VN9797 pts. - Vinous - Mar 2017
The 2014 La Joie exudes freshness, energy and intensity. Black cherry, plum, licorice, lavender espresso and expressive spiced notes are all beautifully delineated in the glass. Raspberry jam, wild flowers, mint and gently spiced notes are laced into the super-expressive, silky finish. A final kick of Cabernet Sauvignon intensity adds lift in the 2014 La Joie, Vérité’s Cabernet Sauvignon-based blend.
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United States | California | Sonoma County

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Primary Grape: Cabernet Sauvignon

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Verite Le Desir 2016 / 750 ml.
Verite Le Desir 2016 / 750 ml.

2016 / 750 ml.

Item #: 55168

JD9999 pts. - Jeb Dunnuck - 6/14/2019
The 2016 Le Desir checks in as 82% Cabernet Franc, 12% Merlot, and 6% Malbec. Readers looking for world-class Cabernet Franc should beg, borrow, or steal to get hold of a bottle of this. Incredible floral, violet, forest floor, lead pencil, and cassis notes all flow to a medium to full-bodied red that’s flawlessly balanced, has ultra-fine tannins, and a finish that won’t quit. More intellectual and elegant than the La Joie, it’s still a wine of incredible intensity and class that builds incrementally on the palate, has an exotic, singular character, and the class to evolve for 30 years or more. (Jeb Dunnuck)
RP9999 pts. - Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate - 29th Oct 2018
Composed of 82% Cabernet Franc, 12% Merlot and 6% Malbec, the very deep purple-black colored 2016 Le Désir is a little closed to begin, opening out to reveal absolutely stunning scents of potpourri, roses and orange peel over a core of crushed blackcurrants, black cherries and dark chocolate with touches of cinnamon stick and cloves plus a waft of forest floor. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is exquisitely delicate and refined, with super ripe, fine-grained tannins and wonderful freshness, finishing with epic persistence. 3,500 cases produced.
VN9898 pts. - Vinous - Apr 2020
Cabernet Sauvignon takes center stage in the 2016 Le Désir. Graphite, menthol, lavender, spice, pine, dried herbs and licorice give the 2016 striking aromatic depth to match its mid-weight personality. Elegant and nuanced, but with plenty of richness, the 2016 has a ton to offer.
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United States | California | Sonoma County

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Primary Grape: Cabernet Franc

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Verite Le Desir 2017 / 750 ml.
Verite Le Desir 2017 / 750 ml.

2017 / 750 ml.

Item #: 55167

JD98+98+ pts. - Jeb Dunnuck - 5/21/2020
Lastly, the 2017 Le Desir is 80% Cabernet Franc, with the balance mostly Merlot mixed with a splash of Malbec. It has a wonderful Cabernet Franc floral character as well as awesome black raspberry, cedarwood, forest floor, violets, rose petals, new leather, and who knows what else. Incredibly complex, it takes lots of air to show at its best and is medium to full-bodied, has a bright spine of acidity, fabulous tannins, and a great, great finish. The elegance of this wine paired with its richness and depth is something to behold. It’s another damn near perfect wine from this estate, and to see this quality from a challenging vintage like 2017 boggles the mind. Hats off to the father-daughter team of Pierre and Hélène Seillan. (Jeb Dunnuck)
RP9898 pts. - Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate - 29th May 2020
Blended of 80% Cabernet Franc, 17% Merlot and 3% Malbec, the 2017 Le Désir has a medium to deep garnet-purple color. It comes galloping out of the glass with all the grace and precision of a thoroughbred, sporting notions of kirsch, potpourri, warm plums and wild blueberries plus hints of chocolate box, cardamom and star anise. The medium-bodied palate (just 13.9% alcohol) is at once powerful and wonderfully elegant, with firm, very fine-grained, exquisitely ripe tannins and bold freshness supporting the red and blue fruit layers, finishing with incredible length and depth. Wow! 2,500 cases were made.
VN9898 pts. - Vinous - Apr 2020
The 2017 Le Désir is off the charts fabulous and also one of the most compelling wines I have tasted from Vérité. Mocha, chocolate, licorice, leather, menthol, pine and spice soar out of the glass. The 2017 is vertical, heady and extravagantly rich yet not at all overdone, a hugely appealing combination in my book.
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United States | California | Sonoma County

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Primary Grape: Cabernet Franc

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9 items or less in stock.

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Verite Le Desir 2012 / 750 ml.
Verite Le Desir 2012 / 750 ml.

2012 / 750 ml.

Item #: 41758

RP100100 pts. - Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate - 29th Oct 2015
The 2012 Le Desir (64% Cabernet Franc, 24% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Sauvignon and 4% Malbec) reminds me of a young vintage of Ausone, such as 2005. The wine has amazing minerality and an explosive blueberry nose intermixed with blackberries, new saddle leather, charcoal and camphor. It is full-bodied, with espresso notes emerging on the palate. There are 1,900 cases of this super-endowed, prodigious wine that should drink well for 35–40 years. How fun it would be for mega-millionaires to put this in a blind tasting of a great vintage of Ausone in 10, 20 or 30 years from now.
ST95+95–98 pts. - Stephen Tanzer’s International Wine Cellar - May/Jun 2014
Bright, deep ruby. Seriously dark aromas of cassis, violet, bitter chocolate and espresso. Hugely rich and ripe but with uncanny energy and definition to the flavors of black raspberry and musky bitter chocolate. This has the density of a top vintage of Chateau Ausone. Finishes with a boatload of ripe tannins that are buffered by the wine’s palate-staining fruit. Another monument in the making.
VN9595 pts. - Vinous - Feb 2016
The 2012 Le Désir is striking. It is also the richest and most powerful of the Vérité 2012s. An exotic, alluring bouquet melds into layers of dark red fruit as this ample, voluptuous wine shows off its personality. The 2012 simply oozes with Cabernet Franc floral and spice notes. Although the 2012 is quite expressive today, it will be even better with more time. Over the last few years the Désir has clearly emerged as Vérité’s top wine. Today, it is absolutely gorgeous, although it needs time to be at its best.
VN94+94–96 pts. - Vinous - Jan 2015
The Cabernet Franc-based 2012 Le Désir is the most aromatic and nuanced of these three 2012s. Savory herbs, mocha and spices meld into a core of punchy pomegranate and red stone fruit in a wine that is both silky and powerful. Here, too, readers can look forward to a long drinking window that will last two decades or so. In 2012, Le Désir is all about finesse.
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United States | California | Sonoma County

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Primary Grape: Cabernet Franc

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