Wine Advisor
Verite, Le Desir 2018
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Description
Verite, Le Desir, Sonoma County, California, Red, 2012
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Lisa Perrotti-Brown
Composed of 82% Cabernet Franc, 12% Merlot and 6% Malbec, the 2018 Le Désir was aged for 16 months in 100% new French oak. Deep garnet-purple in color, it is a little closed to begin, soon unfurling to offer glimpses at notes of kirsch, raspberry preserves and mulberry scents, plus hints of cedar chest, crushed rocks, bay leaves, Sichuan pepper and lavender with a waft of sandalwood. The medium to full-bodied palate has tons of freshness to support the melange of preserved red and black fruits, textured by grainy tannins, finishing with a lingering peppery kick. It may require just a little more time to come around than the La Joie and La Muse, and then I suspect this beauty is going to reward the patient.
Reviewed by: Lisa Perrotti-Brown
The 2018 Le Désir was tasted as a final-blend barrel sample, due to be bottled in January 2021. Composed of 82% Cabernet Franc, 12% Merlot and 6% Malbec, it will have been aged for 16 months in 100% new French oak. Deep garnet-purple colored, the nose is a little shy to begin, offering subtle suggestions of red roses, lilacs and kirsch over a core of blackberry preserves, black raspberries and red currant jelly plus a touch of cinnamon stick. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is captivatingly elegant, featuring layer upon layer of floral and earth accents among the intense black and red fruits, finishing with fantastic length and almost electric tension. Stunning! 2,500 cases were made.
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
For the first time ever, Le Désir is 100% Cabernet Franc in 2018. Vivid and brilliant in the glass, Le Désir bristles with energy. A vivid array of dark fruit, leather, spice, licorice, chocolate and espresso captivates all the senses. The 2018 Le Désir is a very special wine in the making.
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.
