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.

The 2010 La Muse (14.4% alcohol) is a blend of 84% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Franc and 3% Cabernet Sauvignon. One of the more soft, opulent, precocious wines I have tasted from this estate, it exhibits abundant notes of spicy oak, plum, Asian soy, new saddle leather, barrique, black cherries and black currants. Round and generous with considerable fat and succulence, it can be drunk in 2-3 years or cellared for 15-20.

The 2006 Le Desir (900 cases) is a combination of Cabernet Franc (49%), Merlot (41%), Cabernet Sauvignon (8%), and Malbec (2%). The most forward and complex of this trio at present, it offers up sumptuous aromas of fruitcake, black fruits, pain grille, chocolate, earth, and truffles. The complex aromatics are followed by a wine with an inky/ruby/purple hue, excellent fruit, dense, full-bodied flavors, and softer tannins and more accessibility than its siblings. It should be drinkable in 2-3 years, and keep for 25 thereafter. With Bordeaux winemaker Pierre Seillan in charge, owner Jess Jackson has clearly positioned Verite as one of the two or three flagship wines in his impressive empire. These cuvees represent California versions of Bordeaux appellations, with the Merlot-dominated La Muse very Pomerol-like, the Cabernet Sauvignon-dominated La Joie a hypothetical California version of a Medoc, and the St.-Emilion look-alike, the Merlot and Cabernet Franc blend, Le Desir. These wines are fashioned from the finest Sonoma vineyard sites owned by Jackson, and are meant for long-term aging. In 2007, the Bordeaux varietals (Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, and Petit Verdot) grown in California’s North Coast exhibit sweet tannins as well as superb fragrance and purity. Yet, Verite’s wines are among the more structured, dense, and powerfully backward of the vintage.

Lots going on in this mountain-grown wine. It's perfectly dry and strong in tannins, with an elusive quality of excellence that testifies to the best terroir. Showing blackberry, black cherry, mineral and oak flavors, it should develop bottle complexity for at least the next decade.

Dense, ripe and spicy; dark and concentrated, juicy and youthful with rich texture; supple, balanced and complex.

Rank Number 11 - 94 Points

2004 VERITE LE DESIR Verite's spin on Bordeaux St.-Emilion, the 2004 Le Desire (again sourced from the same three sites as its siblings) is a blend of nearly equal parts Merlot and Cabernet Franc with a small amount of Cabernet Sauvignon and even a touch of Malbec. The deepest of this trio, it boasts a plum/purple hue along with a big, sweet nose of Christmas spices intermixed with black currant jam, sweet cherries, incense, Allspice, Licorice, and herbs. Powerful, full-bodied, and opulent, in terms of its phenolics, it is as tannic and extracted as La Joie. However, the fruit seems to be more noticeable, and there is a degree of opulence present that La joie will not reveal for a few more years. The beautiful Le Desir combines full-bodied power with the sweetness of mountain-styled, cool climate California fruit and French savoir-faire when it comes to structure and......

Peppery, spicy, tobacco, meaty, saddle leather, coffee, orange peel, chocolate, green olive, spicy, savoury aromas. Rich, round, full and supple with fresh acidity and grainy tannins. Coffee, leather, licorice, orange, vanilla, peppery, spicy, black tea, plum jam and black cherry flavours. Good finesse, intense with good fruit and complexity. Young and a bit hot, needs 5-7 years but very good potential

(84% merlot, 8% cabernet franc, 5% cabernet sauvignon and 3% malbec) Bright red-ruby. Enticing aromas of plum, licorice, iron, mocha, tobacco and sexy nutty oak. Plush, spicy and sweet, with a lovely light touch to the silky flavors. Very suave wine, finishing long and firm, with noble tannins and lively acidity. Balanced to age but already accessible. Winemaker Pierre Seillan notes that the cabernet sauvignon component is to add shoulders to the wine, while the malbec contributes a spicy element.

Attractively aromatic, this has ripe dark fruit scents with a touch of smokiness. The sumptuous mouthfeel is energised by exemplary Cabernet Franc freshness, while the liquorice-infused finish is long, elevated by an ethereal airiness. 52.7% Merlot, 41.2% Cabernet Franc, 5.1% Cabernet Sauvignon and 1% Malbec.

Boasts a sweet nose of chocolate-covered blueberries, blackberries, melted licorice, smoked herbs, and earth. This opulent, full-bodied, luscious 2002 conceals plenty of tannin behind its voluptuous personality. Anticipated maturity: 2008-2020+.

Full ruby color. Smoky aromas of currant and roasted tobacco. Lush, sweet and rich; a huge wine with a silky utterly mouthfilling texture but also plenty of underlying structure. Finishes with very fine tannins, superb sweetness and lingering notes of black cherry and violet. Built to age but distinctly user-friendsly today.

A blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon and 30% Merlot (85% Sonoma fruit and 15% from Napa), this fully mature 1998 should drink well for another 10-15 years. Notes of cedar, tobacco leaf, Christmas fruitcake, black currants and loamy soil emerge from this beautifully constructed, rich, full-bodied effort. It comes across like a serious Pauillac from Bordeaux.

The 2017s From Sonoma Fully mature yet still with ample life and longevity ahead of it, the 1998 La Joie reveals a ruby color as well as classic tobacco, bay leaf, saddle leather, and cassis aromas and flavors. Possessing full-bodied richness, a layered texture, good purity, and plenty of length, drink it any time over the coming decade or so.

Dark cherries, smoke, graphite, licorice, menthol and plums are some of the notes that open up in the 2012 La Joie. Here the flavors are bold, intense and incisive, with notable freshness and intensity. Give this large-scaled Cabernet Sauvignon-based red another few years in bottle. The finish alone is striking.

Right now this is not typically soft and lush like a cult Cab, but hard in tannins, with minerality like little particles of granite. Buried deep down is a pirate’s treasure of ripe, intense blackberry fruit. New oak, to the tune of 94%, doesn’t cloud the wine, suggesting this blend’s its intensity and concentration. The wine is comprised of all five classic Bordeaux varieties, sourced throughout Sonoma County. Clearly this is one for the cellar; drink after 2018.

Bright medium ruby. Highly aromatic nose and palate combine black fruits, licorice, minerals and bitter chocolate. Round and lush, with terrific intensity but also a distinctly youthful quality that suggests this wine will need patience. Finishes firmly tannic but not dry, with impressive persistence. Beginning with this vintage, Seillan has used a new robotic sorting machine that eliminates berries that are too big or too small.

The Surprise of 2015 in Napa and Other California Wine Reviewed Showing complex aromas of dark fruit, pine needles and pine nuts right now. Dried flowers, too. Full-bodied, round and chewy with firm and silky tannins. Always a linear edge running through this. Drink now.

Bright ruby-red. Blackberry, licorice and mocha on the nose. Densely packed and juicy, with sharply delineated dark berry and floral flavors. Large-scaled, but light on its feet owing to its lovely lift. Serious, gripping wine with a long, bright finish.

Get Ready: The Super Italians Are Coming A muscular Chianti Classico, offering a dense and rich palate with blue-fruit and slate character. Full-bodied, chewy and muscular. Needs two or three years to soften.

Italy, Tuscany: Chianti Classico (New Releases) Warm aromas of dark fruit, potting soil and moist chewing tobacco rise from the bouquet of the 2015 Chianti Classico Riserva. This is an extremely territory-driven wine that emits aromas that recall the red clay soils and warm summer breezes of the Castelnuovo Berardenga area to the southern side of the Chianti Classico appellation. This is a soft and enriched red wine (made with 90% Sangiovese and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon) that produces sweet textural richness and plenty of ripe fruit packed within that generous fiber.

This shows beautiful depth of fruit with cherries, fresh earth and hints of coffee. Full-bodied, layered and very rich. Impressive depth and intensity. Enjoyable to drink now, but it has a long life ahead of it.

What a beautiful 2010 Chianti Classico now with dark fruits such as blackberry and blueberry, plus hints of tea and bark. It's full and dense yet fresh and agile. Fascinating wine. Drink or hold.

As for Stonestreet’s red wines, these were by far the strongest efforts I have ever tasted from this estate. The five 2012 cuvées I tasted are all from amazing elevations. For example, the 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate comes from vineyards between 500 and 2,400 foot elevations. A blend of 95% Cabernet Sauvignon and the rest Merlot and Malbec aged 17 months in 30% new French oak, it exhibits an inky/blue/purple color as well as a terrific nose of wet pebbles, blueberries, blackcurrants, lead pencil shavings and charcoal presented in a full-bodied, rich, concentrated style. There are 5,350 cases of this superb Cabernet Sauvignon, which has 15-20 years of evolution ahead of it.

A huge, explosive wine, the 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon Christopher's possesses tons of inner sweetness, perfume and intensity. Here the aim seems to be pure textural richness. Jammy dark fruit, spices, lavender, smoke and violets all jump from the glass. The Christopher's is an undoubtedly exciting, powerful wine. But is it the wine this land wants to make? I am not so sure.