In an historic moment, wine critic Robert Parker, Jr., of The Wine Advocate recently announced twelve 100-point scores for Vérité’s three blends, Le Désir, La Joie and La Muse. This is the first time a Sonoma County winery has received this many perfect scores. Limited. 100 Points Robert Parker: "The 2013 La Joie, which is 46% from Knights Valley, 32% from Chalk Hill and 22% from Alexander Valley, is a blend of 71% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc and 5% Petit Verdot. Showing loads of graphite, cedar wood, charcoal, crème de cassis and forest floor, this may well turn out to be a 50+-year wine. It tastes like a great first-growth Pauillac and has an amazing amount of complexity and richness.... ...I suppose the arguments against giving perfect scores far outnumber those for giving them, but after 37 years of tasting just about everything of quality that’s been produced, I believe I’m in a position to recognize truly world-class efforts that are as complete and compelling as good wine can be. And if that’s the case, then why hold back? I realize that it creates possibly unreal expectations among readers, and there is the argument that nothing really is perfect. But if a wine is as good as you think it can be made, then I have no reservations about offering accolades to those rare wines. When one considers the winemaking effort that goes into producing these cuvées of Vérité, from Bordelais Pierre Seillan, the fastidious attention to detail and the use of only the crème de la crème of fruit from some of the finest vineyards in the Jackson family empire, the results are not that surprising. The 2013s are the pinnacle of what Vérité has produced, and probably all wines that will be better at age 25 or 35 than they are showing today, but they are simply the essence of a vineyard site, a vine and a philosophy of no compromise. All of these wines, basically, are aged in 100% new French oak, given 3-4 day cold pre-fermentation, cold macerations, treated like spoiled children during élevage, and bottled with no fining or filtration. The entire philosophy is that La Muse is the Right Bank Pomerol look-alike from Vérité, La Joie the Medoc-like clone, and Le Desir a St.-Emilion in the style of Ausone...These are legendary wines of great extract, richness and potential of longevity and complexity. No compromises are made and the credit goes certainly to the Jackson family for supporting the efforts of winemaker Pierre Seillan." Vérité produces wines without compromise, wines that reflect the terroir in which they are grown. The name Vérité comes from the French word for truth. The wines are a combination of old-world experience and new-world fruit. Vigneron Pierre Seillan, Vérité’s first and only winemaker, is a man who understands and appreciates the importance of the land. He is intimately involved in every step of the winegrowing process from bud break to bottling.
Aaron Means
This is what Napa blends all aspire to be but fail so miserably more often than not. Magic juice spit forth by the wine gods. Ethereal, seamless structure. Aromatic and dense, but also dances lightly on the palate. Blackberry, smoke, herb, graphite. The minerality is the key aspect of this wine that stands out and is truly unique to many other Napa wines.
This is what Napa blends all aspire to be but fail so miserably more often than not. Magic juice spit forth by the wine gods. Ethereal, seamless structure. Aromatic and dense, but also dances lightly on the palate. Blackberry, smoke, herb, graphite. The minerality is the key aspect of this wine that stands out and is truly unique to many other Napa wines.
9.9Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego
2013 vintage. Decanted (throwing a small amount of sed) and tasted after 45 mins and 1.5 hours. Medium-heavy body. Nose had the requisite and desired "funk." Amongst my handful of all-time best Sonoma Cabs/BDX blends (unfortunately, all too short after 32 years of extensive sampling). Phenomenal punch and acceleration. Shredding with impunity. Occasionally, that eff you ca$hi$h pays off. 7.19.24.
2013 vintage. Decanted (throwing a small amount of sed) and tasted after 45 mins and 1.5 hours. Medium-heavy body. Nose had the requisite and desired "funk." Amongst my handful of all-time best Sonoma Cabs/BDX blends (unfortunately, all too short after 32 years of extensive sampling). Phenomenal punch and acceleration. Shredding with impunity. Occasionally, that eff you ca$hi$h pays off. 7.19.24.
9.5Aaron Hamrock
Really amazing wine. Loads of blue fruit on the nose. Graphite, charcoal and some wood notes on the palate. Great acid and nice tannins which make this wine ideal for aging. The only problem is that it is still a baby that needs a lot of time.
Really amazing wine. Loads of blue fruit on the nose. Graphite, charcoal and some wood notes on the palate. Great acid and nice tannins which make this wine ideal for aging. The only problem is that it is still a baby that needs a lot of time.
9.8Aaron Hamrock
This wine is simply amazing. If I didn’t know better I would swear this is a young chateau latour. Decanted the wine for just over 3 hours and it is opening up beautifully. I was very impressed. Cheers.
This wine is simply amazing. If I didn’t know better I would swear this is a young chateau latour. Decanted the wine for just over 3 hours and it is opening up beautifully. I was very impressed. Cheers.
9.8Philip Lawson
Quite awesome with Greek food
Quite awesome with Greek food
9.2Andrew Davidoff
Terrific. Great and Amazing. Delicious. Pick your superlatives for Red they all apply. 2013 is the year for La Joie.
Terrific. Great and Amazing. Delicious. Pick your superlatives for Red they all apply. 2013 is the year for La Joie.
9.4Iris Ng
100 points from RP!
100 points from RP!
9.3Cynthia Langstaff
2013 vintage on April 23, 2016. Very big cab still young with bitter tannins. Lots of rich dark fruit, slightly austere atm with astringent tannins in long linger. I do taste graphite now, along with dark cherry and an elusive herbal aromatic at the back of the bouquet. What is it??!
2013 vintage on April 23, 2016. Very big cab still young with bitter tannins. Lots of rich dark fruit, slightly austere atm with astringent tannins in long linger. I do taste graphite now, along with dark cherry and an elusive herbal aromatic at the back of the bouquet. What is it??!
9.9WARNING: DRINKING DISTILLED SPIRITS, BEER, COOLERS, WINE AND OTHER ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES MAY INCREASE CANCER RISK, AND, DURING PREGNANCY, CAN CAUSE BIRTH DEFECTS.