Enjoyed over 3 night. Was at its best when I enjoyed it with my meal on night 2. The food cut the acid nicely and let me enjoy the fruit. Wish I had paired with food each night. Fun wine but not sure about it at this price point.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Had a taste thanks to SFWineLover1 — an wow, am I impressed. Over the 4+ hours since decant, this wine just kept getting better. This overtook the 2009 Opus One as a slightly better Bordeaux blend.
Elegant, and soft.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
(A socially-distanced outdoor night of tasting great cabs/Cal Bordeaux + 1 chard with Aaron Maxwell and Tiffany) This was my contribution, bought at auction with a '06 Desir ($300 total) about a year and a half ago. 1 oz pour, then a 2 hour decant. Relatively shy nose of cassis, earth and a bit of smoke, slightly tight on the palate with minerality, dried spices, leather and some plums as well. Dark purple with slight brown notes, medium to full bodied, strong legs. Medium++ acidity and tannins, no heat. Moderate intensity, great complexity and persistence. This wine had the most air and was the oldest of the 3 cabs/blends, yet paradoxically, showed the most development over the evening, becoming deeper, revealing more subtle notes and a profound class and elegance. This was leaner, more structured and generally the most "Bordeaux" of the 3, but the fruit shone through in a way that the Bordeaux I have had has not. We drank this with cheese and charcuterie--many thx AM/T--so didn't really have a chance to evaluate the wines with a meal, but of the 3, I think that this would be the best food wine, with an acidity which would be a spectacular complement to a rack of lamb or ribeye, but this was still great on its own. Steady improvement over the evening makes me think that this has upside, then an extended period at that level. Just a touch more intensity--not that it was lacking by any stretch--and it would have equaled the Spottswoode and the Ovid '12 from a few months ago. Best wine I've ever had from Sonoma by a good bit, which, considering my love for PM LPs, is saying something for me. Memorable, and would certainly buy again, or another vintage or a Desir--I still have mine left--or a Muse at relatively similar prices. 98+
I was very impressed by the 2006 La Joie, which seems to be entering its peak now, at age 11. This was a cool vintage, they explained, and the wine lacks the "overdriven" fruit one often found back in that period from other cabernets in the region. Here, the result is a cooler, deeper, more "sober" expression of cabernet. The nose is plummy and very complex with dark notes, graphite, leather, hints of menthol. Richly flavored with a very suave, soft texture, very balanced and strikingly long. A stunner.
Available from Verite's library for $275/750ml bottle, as are the other 2006 reds (la Joie, Le Desire).
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Agree with others that more time may be required. Enjoyed over 2 evenings. in both cases, though, it took time to develop. Beautiful nose of dark fruit (cassis in particular) and cedar. On the palate, pure but a bit restrained. Elegant it it's balance. A touch of licorice on the finish, which lasts about a minute. If I had more I'd wait on it. Despite long decants on both dates, it seemed a bit disjointed to me.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Very good, but still a touch young (at least for my palate). Delicious nose, although tertiary aromas are still not fully there. Good fruit and herbs (thyme, lavender, touch of tea). Clearly superb fruit and some serious winemaking skills. I would cellar for 3-5 more years. Seriously good stuff. (Worth the price? That is a different story...)
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Dark clear crimson, clear edge, ever so slight bricking. Perfumed and floral, but with underlying herbal and forest floor nuances beginning to emerge. Fully integrated palate with dark plum, shiitake mushroom, lavender and thyme. This is still young but beginning on the up slope to beautiful maturity and maybe a point or two higher score. If you have a bottle, make sure you serve it with stunning food and share it with people who will appreciate it. That is only fair to Pierre. Drink now to 2036.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Clear, very deep magenta. Onion skin, chocolate, cigar box, vanilla. Medium to low acids, medium tannins. Cassis, black licorice. Medium balanced finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Black walnut, celery seed, black tea, black berry, truffles and feta cheese. So voluptuous and succinct. Long in the finish and suave tannins. Such an attractive personality. Still primary, with a softened secondary approach. Drink now - 2031.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Completely agree with @pdemaio. Was very good, with a wonderful structure & well integrated flavor profile. Lengthy finish. Quite restrained compared to other high-end nor-Cal fruit bombs. Would recommend, but not at this price. 92.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
very good. Could use a few more years of agging. Smooth, well integrated. Absolutely nothing to nitpic. If their was a bit more going on, these would have been in even more truely rarified air.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
11/18/2020 - mdvillaverde wrote: 93 Points
Enjoyed over 3 night. Was at its best when I enjoyed it with my meal on night 2. The food cut the acid nicely and let me enjoy the fruit. Wish I had paired with food each night. Fun wine but not sure about it at this price point.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/30/2020 - AaronMaxwell Likes this wine: 96 Points
Had a taste thanks to SFWineLover1 — an wow, am I impressed. Over the 4+ hours since decant, this wine just kept getting better. This overtook the 2009 Opus One as a slightly better Bordeaux blend.
Elegant, and soft.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/30/2020 - sfwinelover1 Likes this wine: 98 Points
(A socially-distanced outdoor night of tasting great cabs/Cal Bordeaux + 1 chard with Aaron Maxwell and Tiffany) This was my contribution, bought at auction with a '06 Desir ($300 total) about a year and a half ago. 1 oz pour, then a 2 hour decant. Relatively shy nose of cassis, earth and a bit of smoke, slightly tight on the palate with minerality, dried spices, leather and some plums as well. Dark purple with slight brown notes, medium to full bodied, strong legs. Medium++ acidity and tannins, no heat. Moderate intensity, great complexity and persistence. This wine had the most air and was the oldest of the 3 cabs/blends, yet paradoxically, showed the most development over the evening, becoming deeper, revealing more subtle notes and a profound class and elegance. This was leaner, more structured and generally the most "Bordeaux" of the 3, but the fruit shone through in a way that the Bordeaux I have had has not. We drank this with cheese and charcuterie--many thx AM/T--so didn't really have a chance to evaluate the wines with a meal, but of the 3, I think that this would be the best food wine, with an acidity which would be a spectacular complement to a rack of lamb or ribeye, but this was still great on its own. Steady improvement over the evening makes me think that this has upside, then an extended period at that level. Just a touch more intensity--not that it was lacking by any stretch--and it would have equaled the Spottswoode and the Ovid '12 from a few months ago. Best wine I've ever had from Sonoma by a good bit, which, considering my love for PM LPs, is saying something for me. Memorable, and would certainly buy again, or another vintage or a Desir--I still have mine left--or a Muse at relatively similar prices. 98+
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (7)
4/25/2017 - KPB Likes this wine: 97 Points
I was very impressed by the 2006 La Joie, which seems to be entering its peak now, at age 11. This was a cool vintage, they explained, and the wine lacks the "overdriven" fruit one often found back in that period from other cabernets in the region. Here, the result is a cooler, deeper, more "sober" expression of cabernet. The nose is plummy and very complex with dark notes, graphite, leather, hints of menthol. Richly flavored with a very suave, soft texture, very balanced and strikingly long. A stunner.
Available from Verite's library for $275/750ml bottle, as are the other 2006 reds (la Joie, Le Desire).
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
2/16/2017 - fcxj wrote: 92 Points
Cassis nose. Not heavy, enjoyable.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/1/2017 - jkvedar Likes this wine: 94 Points
Agree with others that more time may be required. Enjoyed over 2 evenings. in both cases, though, it took time to develop. Beautiful nose of dark fruit (cassis in particular) and cedar. On the palate, pure but a bit restrained. Elegant it it's balance. A touch of licorice on the finish, which lasts about a minute. If I had more I'd wait on it. Despite long decants on both dates, it seemed a bit disjointed to me.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/11/2016 - bravo.solares Likes this wine: 95 Points
Very good, but still a touch young (at least for my palate). Delicious nose, although tertiary aromas are still not fully there. Good fruit and herbs (thyme, lavender, touch of tea). Clearly superb fruit and some serious winemaking skills. I would cellar for 3-5 more years. Seriously good stuff. (Worth the price? That is a different story...)
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/11/2016 - tzelmer wrote: 97 Points
Dark clear crimson, clear edge, ever so slight bricking. Perfumed and floral, but with underlying herbal and forest floor nuances beginning to emerge. Fully integrated palate with dark plum, shiitake mushroom, lavender and thyme. This is still young but beginning on the up slope to beautiful maturity and maybe a point or two higher score. If you have a bottle, make sure you serve it with stunning food and share it with people who will appreciate it. That is only fair to Pierre. Drink now to 2036.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/28/2016 - CJM wrote: 89 Points
Clear, very deep magenta. Onion skin, chocolate, cigar box, vanilla. Medium to low acids, medium tannins. Cassis, black licorice. Medium balanced finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/16/2016 - Matt Scott Likes this wine: 96 Points
Black walnut, celery seed, black tea, black berry, truffles and feta cheese. So voluptuous and succinct. Long in the finish and suave tannins. Such an attractive personality. Still primary, with a softened secondary approach. Drink now - 2031.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/23/2010 - Tails wrote: 92 Points
Completely agree with @pdemaio. Was very good, with a wonderful structure & well integrated flavor profile. Lengthy finish. Quite restrained compared to other high-end nor-Cal fruit bombs. Would recommend, but not at this price. 92.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/18/2010 - pdemaio wrote: 94 Points
very good. Could use a few more years of agging. Smooth, well integrated. Absolutely nothing to nitpic. If their was a bit more going on, these would have been in even more truely rarified air.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment