2006 Vérité La Joie

The 2006 La Joie is made up of 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Merlot, 12% Cabernet Franc, 8% Petit Verdot and 3% Malbec. Deep garnet, it opens with a flourish of savory spices: mushroom, green olive, decaying leaves and tea tree oil mingle with tones of iron and old leather. The palate is holding onto a core of dried cherry fruit, juicy acidity and grainy, softening tannins, finishing long and layered. It's a touch more mature than the La Muse at this stage, although it will continue to offer pleasure over the next 5-8 years.

Bright ruby-red. High-pitched, vibrant aromas of cassis, flowers and licorice. The palate offers terrific sappy cut and intensity, with powerful, mouthcoating flavors of cassis, violet, lavender, minerals, spices and crushed rock. This very young wine is most impressive of all today on the booster rocket of a finish, which stains the palate with flavor. This wonderfully deep and concentrated wine has fruit of steel and seems destined for a glorious evolution in bottle. As good as Napa's best cult wines at a fraction the price.

(63% cabernet sauvignon, 13% merlot, 12% cabernet franc, 8% petit verdot and 4% malbec) Good full ruby. Medicinal cassis, licorice, minerals and graphite on the nose; I would have placed this in St. Julien or Pauillac. Then large-scaled and sweet but with terrific grip and sappiness for a wine so plush. A real fruit bomb today, with outstanding depth and concentration of black cherry and dark berry flavors. Finishes with noble tannins and terrific peppery lift. As I tasted this wine, it crossed my mind once again that Pierre Seillan's top efforts under the Verite label are as good as just about any of California's cult wines-at about half the price.