Vérité Winery
About Vérité Winery
Described by Robert M. Parker, Jr. as “one of the most extraordinary men in the wine world I have ever met”, Jess Jackson had a vision for a winery that would treat Californian terroir with the same enthusiasm and respect as those in France. An encounter with Pierre Seillan in the early 1990s confirmed that Jackson had found his vigneron, and the pair founded Vérité (French for “truth”) with the express intention of being as truthful as possible to the more than 50 “micro-crus” across three appellations from which the estate sources.
Viniculture
Truth, transparency and terroir characteristics are the single most significant guiding principle of Pierre Seillan as a winemaker, who passionately repeats his mantra of “la droit du sol” - “the right of the soil”. Three distinct yet equally brilliant cuvées are produced, with each representing a unique blending of varietals, climate, soil and winemaking.
These three wines are titled La Muse, La Joie and Le Désir. La Muse is a Merlot dominant blend, with a touch of Cabernet Franc (5%) and Malbec (2%) - the resulting wine is elegant, graceful and impossibly silky.
La Joie is Cabernet Sauvignon based, supported by 11% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot. The resulting wine is incredibly pure, focused and aristocratic, displaying classic varietal notes of redcurrants, blackcurrants, menthol and fresh sage - gloriously complex with a savoury edge to temper the gorgeous fruit.
Finally, Le Désir is Vérité’s glorious expression of Cabernet Franc alongside 12% Merlot and 6% Malbec. One of the single greatest Cabernet Franc dominant wines in the world, it is beguilingly complex and spicy on the nose and palate, with hints of star anise, vanilla and warm toast are undercut by a pronounced iron minerality and beautifully fine tannins.
Product Name | Region | Qty | Score | Price | |||||
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California | 2 | 96 (WA) |
Inc. VAT
£1,744.84 |
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Wine Advocate (96)A blend of 78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Cabernet Franc, 9% Merlot, 2% Petit Verdot and 2% Malbec, the 2009 La Joie sports a very deep garnet color. It opens with baked plums, licorice and blackcurrant cordial notes—on steroids—with an undercurrent of oolong tea, aged meats, fragrant earth and new leather plus a waft of black olives. Medium to full-bodied, it delivers mouth-filling evolved black fruits and earthy sparks with a foundation of firm, chewy tannins and soft freshness, finishing long with some herbal accents coming through. 2,400 cases were made. |
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|
California | 1 | 96 (VN) |
Inc. VAT
£1,711.20 |
|||||
Vinous (96)The 2009 La Muse is a rich, sumptuous wine bursting with dark plums, black, cherries, graphite, espresso, spices and licorice. It shows gorgeous balance from start to finish. Persistent veins of minerality frame the long, beautifully articulate, creamy finish. This is a deceptively accessible wine today, but there is so much underlying power and sheer structure that I will not be surprised if it shuts down in the bottle. The 2009 is 86% Merlot, 9% Cabernet Franc and 5% Malbec. |
Product Name | Region | Qty | Score | Price | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
California | 2 | 96 (WA) |
In Bond
£1,438.00 |
|||||
Wine Advocate (96)A blend of 78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Cabernet Franc, 9% Merlot, 2% Petit Verdot and 2% Malbec, the 2009 La Joie sports a very deep garnet color. It opens with baked plums, licorice and blackcurrant cordial notes—on steroids—with an undercurrent of oolong tea, aged meats, fragrant earth and new leather plus a waft of black olives. Medium to full-bodied, it delivers mouth-filling evolved black fruits and earthy sparks with a foundation of firm, chewy tannins and soft freshness, finishing long with some herbal accents coming through. 2,400 cases were made. |
|||||||||
|
California | 1 | 96 (VN) |
Inc. VAT
£1,711.20 |
|||||
Vinous (96)The 2009 La Muse is a rich, sumptuous wine bursting with dark plums, black, cherries, graphite, espresso, spices and licorice. It shows gorgeous balance from start to finish. Persistent veins of minerality frame the long, beautifully articulate, creamy finish. This is a deceptively accessible wine today, but there is so much underlying power and sheer structure that I will not be surprised if it shuts down in the bottle. The 2009 is 86% Merlot, 9% Cabernet Franc and 5% Malbec. |