2003 Vérité La Joie

(72% cabernet, 19% merlot, 5% cabernet franc and 4% petit verdot; Pierre Seillan's Pauillac-style blend) Good bright ruby-red. Very ripe aromas of cassis, black cherry, graphite, iron, tobacco, menthol and spice cake. Lush and broad on entry, then sweeter and lusher in the middle palate than the Muse, with a captivating chocolatey quality and outstanding volume. As rich and full as this is, there's no sense of excess weight. Finishes long, dense and palate-saturating with major dusty tannins. This "Pauillac" is sweeter and deeper than Seillan's "Pomerol," a comment on the comparative quality of cabernet sauvignon and merlot in California's North Coast.

Saturated ruby to the rim. Aromas of blueberry, black cherry, menthol and licorice. Inky, dry and backward, with medicinal briary berry flavors. A hugely structured wine that finishes with a boatload of tannins. This massively constituted wine grew sweeter and more pliant as it opened in the glass. This may well develop in bottle for 15 to 20 years.

A Medoc-styled offering, the 2003 La Joie is composed of 72% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Merlot and the rest Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot that achieved 14% alcohol. It represents a Sonoma Country version of the famous Pauillac, Lynch Bages. Cedar, black currant, licorice, black olive, coffee and white chocolate characteristics are found in this tannic, structured, masculine effort that still needs 4-5 years in the cellar. It should drink well for at least 20 years. These Verite wines are not for those who lack patience. Jun 2013, www.robertparker.com