2020 La Muse

Iodine, licorice, bark, and fresh mushrooms. Red currants. Lead pencil. Full-bodied with chewy tannins that are powdery and juicy. Savory. Flavorful. Terra-cotta and clay. Milk chocolate. Tight and linear. Clear and all there. 95% merlot and 5% malbec. Needs time to soften. Drink after 2025. (12/2023)

Reminding me of obsidian with its inky black hue, the 2020 La Muse is lush with layered aromas of blackcurrant, violets, polished leather, and vanilla bean spice. Full-bodied and supple, with a luxurious mouthfeel, sweet, velvety tannins, and a hint dusty earth, it’s approachable upfront (the most approachable wine in this lineup) and has outstanding length. It captures the style of the estate and is one of the best examples from the vintage, with notes of mocha on the finish. Drink 2026-2046. (11/2023)

The 2020 La Muse, tasted as a barrel sample, is made from 95% Merlot and 5% Malbec. Deep purple-black colored, it comes bounding out of the glass with eager, exuberant notes of baked plums, black cherry compote, and blackberry pie with touches of licorice, sauteed herbs, and black soil plus a hint of graphite. Medium-bodied, the palate is surprisingly elegant, featuring a solid frame of grainy tannins and lovely, seamless freshness, finishing on a lingering licorice note. (06/2022)