2014 Vérité La Muse 2014 1500ml

100 POINTS

Robert Parker - Robert Parker Wine Advocate

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.

97 POINTS

Jeb Dunnuck

A gorgeous effort as well, the 2014 La Muse is a Merlot-dominated cuvee blended with 10% Cabernet Franc and 2% Malbec. This deep ruby/purple-colored beauty boasts a terrific perfume of black raspberries, cassis, graphite, chocolate, and a beautiful earthy minerality. This isn’t your over the top, opulent Merlot and shows incredible class and purity, as well as full-bodied richness, high, yet integrated tannin, impeccable balance and a great finish. It’s not anywhere close to primetime (which is rare for a 2014) and needs 4-5 years at a minimum. It’s going to be incredibly long-lived. 97+

96 POINTS

Antonio Galloni MW - Vinous

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.

94 POINTS

Wine Spectator

Powerfully structured, with a deep well of dark currant, dried blackberry and plum flavors, framed by concentrated notes of dried green herbs. Cedar and cigar box accents show on the finish, revealing some sanguine hints. Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Malbec.

94 POINTS

William Kelley - Decanter

Of all the Vérité wines, La Muse, a Pomerol-inspired blend, is the most in need of time in the cellar. A bouquet of spicy black fruit, plum, clove and rich barrel toast is still quite marked by its elevage at this early stage. On the palate the wine is ample and full-bodied, with fine-grained, polished tannins, good acidity and a deep, savoury core. Give this a few years to harmonise, as it reliably does.

94 POINTS

James Suckling

Aromas of blackberries and pine needles. Blackcurrants, too. Very perfumed. Full-bodied, very tight and linear. Firm and silky tannins. Closed up now. Shows beautiful potential. Better in 2021.

94 POINTS

Antonio Galloni MW - Vinous

The 2014 La Muse is dark, fresh and beautifully nuanced in the glass, with more red fruit nuances than are often found in the Vérité wines. Bright red cherry, pomegranate, mint, spice and flowers all add notable lift to balance the intensity of the fruit. The flavors are really popping today. This is a gorgeous showing from Vérité and Pierre Seillan. Points: 93-96

Richard Hemming MW - JancisRobinson.com

87% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc, 3% Malbec. Strong toasty oak on the nose, dense and layered black fruit on the palate. The toasted, burnt spice aroma from oak dominates the palate, but there is delicious fruit succulence too. Score: 17/NaN