La Muse
2001
Vintage
The lack of spring rain in March and April caused an early budbreak in March and was followed by a very cold and somewhat frosty April. But then the beautiful weather in May and June made for a perfect bloom with small berries. Throughout the summer months and into September we had mild and consistent weather, which provided a very rich, even ripening of the grapes with beautiful fruit and velvety soft tannins. Harvest took place August 30th through September 14th. – Pierre Seillan, Vigneron
Notes
A blend comprised primarily of Merlot, La Muse demonstrates the elegance and finesse of a Pomerol style wine. This wine begins with a deep purple color, followed by a blackberry nose that is enhanced by a hint of chocolate and polished wood. The full, soft mouth is distinctly elegant as each layer has unique flavor and texture. Red berry flavor prevails, including raspberry and notes of huckleberry. Cabernet Franc provides structure and, coupled with well-integrated tannins, results in a long, graceful finish.
Composition
87% Merlot
12% Cabernet Franc
1% Malbec
2001 was the first truly great vintage for Jess Jackson and Pierre Seillan, and that is evidenced by the utterly perfect 2001 La Muse. Over three-fourths of it came from the Alexander Mountain Estate of Jess Jackson, and the rest from Chalk Hill, Knights Valley, and a tiny bit from Bennett Valley. This dense purple-colored effort exhibits notes of licorice, crème de cassis, plum sauce, violets and truffles. Full-bodied with magnificent density, overall equilibrium, stunning purity, sweet but abundant tannin and a fabulous finish, this profound wine remains a baby at age ten. Give it another 5-6 years of bottle age and drink it over the following 35-40+ years. It is very French in style even though one could argue that this level of concentration can only be achieved by a handful of wines from Pomerol and St.-Émilion.