Wine Advisor
Verite, La Joie 2017
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Description
Verite, La Joie, Sonoma County, California, Red, 2012
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Lisa Perrotti-Brown
A barrel sample blended of 78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc, 4% Petit Verdot and 4% Malbec, the deep garnet-purple colored 2017 La Joie sings of red and black currants, black cherries and black raspberries with hints of cedar chest, pencil lead and iron ore with a touch of tar. Medium to full-bodied, firm and packed with tight-knit, elegant fruit, it finishes on a provocative earthy note.
Reviewed by: Lisa Perrotti-Brown
“The Cab Franc was quite spectacular in 2017. There is a bit more in the blend this year,” Pierre Seillan told me during the tasting of the 2017s with his daughter and one day successor, Helene. A blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16% Cabernet Franc, 10% Merlot and 4% Petit Verdot, the 2017 La Joie has a very deep garnet-purple color. It opens a little closed and broody, giving glimpses of blackcurrant cordial, espresso, charcoal and black truffles to begin, before blossoming out to a whole array of preserved black and blue fruits, dusty soil, crushed rocks and iron ore scents plus a waft of roses. The medium to full-bodied palate is built like a brick house, with firm, grainy tannins and a lively backbone supporting the muscular fruit, finishing very long and mineral laced. The alcohol weighed in at just 13.9% this year (14% on the label), making for a particularly elegant but no less impactful La Joie! 2,500 cases were made.
Reviewed by: Lisa Perrotti-Brown
When I tasted this as a barrel sample last year, it was made up of 78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc, 4% Petit Verdot and 4% Malbec. This is a new barrel sample blend, made up of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16% Cabernet Franc, 10% Merlot and 4% Petit Verdot. Deep purple-black colored, it comes striding out of the glass with bold, confident notes of warm red and black currants, boysenberries and ripe black plums with hints of pencil shavings, rose hip tea, underbrush and Marmite toast. Medium to full-bodied, it has a firm structure of grainy tannins and just enough freshness to lift the dense, muscular black fruit and earthy layers to a long finish. 3,000 cases are to be made.
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
The 2017 La Joie is another gorgeous wine in this lineup. Deep, pliant and nuanced, the 2017 is impeccably balanced. Silky and plush, La Joie is especially refined in 2017, and that complements its mid-weight structure so nicely. Hints of rose petal, lavender, mint and blood orange add brightness. The 2017 is a stunning wine by any measure.
About the Producer
Verite is a local boutique winery located in Sonoma County, California, USA. Verite Winery is a winery owned by Jackson Family Wines. The winery name "Verite" means "truth" in French, which means that the wines produced by the winery can faithfully show the local terroir characteristics. The winemaker of the winery is Pierre Seillan, a famous winemaker with 22 years of winemaking experience in Bordeaux, France. (Haut-Medoc) winemaker and technical guide of 7 Bordeaux wineries in the production area. In the 1990s, Celine, who was a winemaker at a winery in Bordeaux at the time, met Jess Jackson, president of the Jackson family wine business, and the two hit it off. Soon Celine accepted Jess' invitation to come Sonoma County makes great wines. With the joint efforts of the two, Winery Truth released its first vintage in 1998. Over the years, the winery has been adhering to the winemaking philosophy of interpreting the truth of the soil and showing the unique terroir. The winery’s vineyards are located in the Alexander Valley, Bennett Valley, Knights Valley and Chalk Hill appellations. These appellations vary in terroir and hill topography, elevation and slope orientation, resulting in a diverse range of micro-vineyards under the estate’s entire vineyard. There are more than 40 different types of soil in the vineyard, among them, rocky and red volcanic soils provide ideal conditions for the growth of Cabernet Sauvignon (Cabernet Sauvignon) and Merlot (Merlot). In addition, the vineyard is also planted Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. During the grape growing process, the winery precisely controls the differences between different vineyards, the characteristics of the grape plants and even the subtle differences between each spore or tendril, so that the wine produced can reflect the characteristics of the local terroir. Currently, the wines released by the winery are Verite La Muse, Verite La Joie and Verite Le Desir. Among them, the creation of the Muse of Truth is inspired by the Pomerol wines and made from the quality Merlot of Sonoma County, which is balanced and elegant; the Joy of Truth has the depth and elegance of a good Cabernet Sauvignon. Strength, reminiscent of Pauillac-style wines from Bordeaux; Desire of Truth red wines with the suppleness of Saint-Emilion Cabernet Franc. The three series of blends, Le Desir, La Joie and La Muse, have all been awarded full marks by the Robert Parker Points.
