2007-2009 Limited Library Vertical Release
From the time of our first vintage in 1998, we have curated a library of each wine ever made at Vérité. From this library, we are delighted to present three very rare and exquisite vertical sets of La Muse, La Joie, and Le Désir, each containing bottles from the celebrated 2007, 2008, and 2009 vintages. Meticulously crafted by Vigneron Pierre Seillan, these now-mature wines from exceptional past vintages have garnered critical acclaim, including multiple perfect 100-point scores. We have cellared these wines with impeccable care since the moment they were bottled, and they are now drinking to perfection. We hope that you will enjoy them with family and friends.
2007-2009 La Muse Vertical
3-Bottle Set in a Wood Box: Includes one bottle of each vintage of La Muse
2007 Vintage
85% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc, 5% Malbec
A wine of great intensity with notes of black fruits, well balanced, with a long finish of mature tannins and elegant oak. The bouquet and the palate will continue to develop over the next 5-10 years.
100 Points
“A perfect wine… its extraordinary sweet notes of caramelized herbs, mocha, coffee, blackberries and cassis are followed by a multilayered, full-bodied wine revealing a seamless integration of acidity, tannin, alcohol and wood, and an opulent, voluptuous finish that goes on and on. It is thrilling to smell, taste and drink…”
Robert Parker, Jr., Robert Parker Wine Advocate, May 2011
2008 Vintage
90% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc, 3% Malbec
Very beautiful color of black cherries with a bouquet of spices, mustard seed, cloves and a hint of toasty oak. The complex palate opens with spices in harmony with the toastyness; the elegant oak will soften over time. There is a long finish with very fine tannins. Needs eight years of cellaring and can age at least 30 years.
100 Points
“2008 may have even greater intensity and richness than the 2007. Still young and unformed, it exhibits phenomenal richness and equilibrium as well as a finish that lasts nearly a minute. Its dense plum/purple color is accompanied by notions of black fruits, forest floor, truffles and spring flowers. It should age for 25-30+ years.”
Robert Parker, Jr., Robert Parker Wine Advocate, May 2011
2009 Vintage
85% Merlot, 9% Cabernet Franc, 5% Malbec, 1% Cabernet Sauvignon
Discreet nose on this very young La Muse, classic for a grand Merlot, but already showing notes of black cherry, currants and plum compote. Deep, rich, intense color. On the palate, an overwhelming entry with its power and strength, with a very long finish of beautiful, strong tannins. The complexity is incredible, with notes of licorice, white pepper and black cherry.
96 Points
“…the 2009 La Muse gives a deep garnet color and delivers pronounced, profound notes of cigar box, baked cherries, dried mulberries and crème de cassis with hints of truffles, dusty soil and Chinese five spice. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is strutting a lot of exotic spice and savory layers with a chewy frame and mineral-tinged finish.”
Lisa Perrotti-Brown, Robert Parker Wine Advocate, January 2020
2007-2009 La Joie Vertical
3-Bottle Set in a Wood Box: Includes one bottle of each vintage of La Joie
2007 Vintage
68% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc, 5% Petit Verdot, 4% Malbec
An intense color in the glass, aromas of red and black fruits from a big, powerful wine that is lush and balanced with round tannins. The bouquet and the palate will continue to develop over the next 5-10 years.
100 Points
“…This utterly perfect, flawless wine reveals great intensity along with a wonderful perfume of roasted coffee, blueberries, blackberries, spring flowers, forest floor and crushed rock. Full-bodied and viscous without being heavy, the wine possesses admirable precision as well as good acidity and balance...”
Robert Parker, Jr., Robert Parker Wine Advocate, May 2011
2008 Vintage
71% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc, 4% Petit Verdot, 3% Malbec
Very dense red-black color. The bouquet will develop over time. Opulent, rich and complex palate with powerful tannins, it is similar to Château Latour/Saint-Èstephe in style. It is a perfect blend of Cabernet Sauvignon for long ageability—a wine for cellaring.
99 Points
“How much fun collectors will have comparing the 2007 and 2008 La Joies over the next three decades… Wonderful notes of roasted herbs, asphalt, black truffles, blackberries, cassis, camphor and subtle oak are present in the majestic aromatics. In the mouth, the wine is extraordinarily concentrated, pure and dense with amazing length. It is another 30–40-year wine that confirms the confidence the late Jess Jackson had in both his vineyard sources and his winemaker, Pierre Seillan.”
Robert Parker, Jr., Robert Parker Wine Advocate, May 2011
2009 Vintage
78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Cabernet Franc, 9% Merlot, 2% Petit Verdot, 2% Malbec
Very intense color, a dense, deep red-black. Powerful and complex on the nose, with notes of blond tobacco, blackberries and pepper spices. On the palate, very heavy, intense and persistent, with notes of black fruits, spice, licorice and white pepper. The oak is very discreet and integrated into the richness of the wine. Very long finish of silky tannins. Age for 20 years.
96 Points
“…The 2009 La Joie sports a very deep garnet color. It opens with baked plums, licorice, and blackcurrant cordial notes—on steroids—with an undercurrent of oolong tea, aged meats, fragrant earth and new leather plus a waft of black olives. Medium to full-bodied, it delivers mouth-filling evolved black fruits and earthy sparks with a foundation of firm, chewy tannins, and soft freshness, finishing long with some herbal accents coming through.”
Lisa Perrotti-Brown, Robert Parker Wine Advocate, January 2020
2007-2009 Le Désir Vertical
3-Bottle Set in a Wood Box: Includes one bottle of each vintage of Le Désir
2007 Vintage
44% Cabernet Franc, 44% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Malbec
A wine that is concentrated black fruits in a glass, it is very spiced, dense, complex, and long with discreet oak notes. The bouquet and the palate will continue to develop over the next 5-10 years.
100 Points
“A profound blend … of unbelievable intensity. It boasts a deep blue/purple color as well as notes of acacia flowers, graphite, licorice, blackberries, blueberries and a hint of burning embers/charcoal, superb intensity and purity, and abundant tannin in the finish…”
Robert Parker, Jr., Robert Parker Wine Advocate, May 2011
2008 Vintage
61% Cabernet Franc, 31% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Malbec
Cabernet Franc is the star in this wine. The bouquet is complex and spiced, the color dense and rich. In the mouth, the balance is perfect with a high center of gravity and a long finish. A grand vin of the world.
100 Points
“…exhibits an extraordinary perfume of blueberries, toast, licorice, camphor, incense, crushed rocks and cassis. The prodigious aromatic profile is followed by a super-intense, full-bodied wine that is relatively light on its feet, no doubt because of the high Cabernet Franc component. This pure, textured, rich wine offers up hints of tobacco leaf and spice box as it sits in the glass. It admirably continues the remarkable progression in quality being achieved by this great name in Bordeaux-styled wines.”
Robert Parker, Jr., Robert Parker Wine Advocate, May 2011
2009 Vintage
74% Cabernet Franc, 13% Merlot, 9% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Malbec
Intense, deep inky color. Already expressing an aroma that is well integrated, silky and refined but powerful. On the palate, an immediate explosion of complexity, where the Cabernet Franc shows its personality, its signature, its finesse, with power that makes the finish infinitely long. Very ripe currants, blackberry, plum, anise, licorice, white spice, and discreet oak. A magnificent bottle.
97 Points
“The 2009 Le Désir is mostly Cabernet Franc and is another wine drinking beautifully today. Classic cassis and dark fruits as well as notes of bay leaf, sandalwood, and spice all flow to a full-bodied, elegant, concentrated red that has fine tannins, perfect balance, and one great finish. Drink it over the coming 20-25 years.”
Jeb Dunnuck, JebDunnuck.com, June 2019