La Muse
2005
Vintage
The 2005 vintage was a beautiful year across all three estates—California, Italy, France—something I have never seen before in my career. The cool weather started with rains in the spring and early summer, which helped to nourish the vines. Spring rains lasted into June, which made for a long bloom and a near-perfect crop set. Summer and fall were comfortable and consistent, allowing even ripening. Harvest took place September 22nd through October 6th. – Pierre Seillan, Vigneron
Notes
The 2005 vintage is a very dark, opaque ruby in color. On the nose there are polished, Bordeaux-like aromas of black cherry and licorice. On the palate it is full-bodied, very focused and balanced. This wine shows notes of black cherry and licorice and has a spicy finish with long, elegant and lingering soft minerality. This wine is drinking beautifully now and will continue to age very gracefully.
Composition
88% Merlot
10% Cabernet Franc
2% Malbec
Incredibly youthful, this wine has an opaque purple color and a beautiful nose of espresso roast, white chocolate, blackberry and cassis, with mocha and a touch of oak. The wine is full-bodied, with magnificent structure, texture and density. I could drink it now. That said, most consumers should give this wine another 3-4 years, and drink it over the following 30+ years.