2013 Vérité, Le Désir, Sonoma County, California, USA

2013 Vérité, Le Désir, Sonoma County, California, USA

Product: 20138114929
Prices start from £220.00 per bottle (75cl). Buying options
2013 Vérité, Le Désir, Sonoma County, California, USA

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Description

The 2013 Le Desir represents 2,500 cases. 

This is the softest of the three wines in 2013, and this blend of 61% Cabernet Franc, 23% Merlot, 11% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Malbec emerges with more than half of the cuvée coming from Hillsides in Alexander Valley, 37% from Chalk Hill and the rest tiny dollops from Bennett Valley and Knights Valley. Opaque purple, like its siblings, the wine shows incredible floral, blueberry and espresso notes, exotic Asian spices, velvety texture, a supple, multilayered mouthfeel and an incredible finish, with incense and liquorice. 

This is a magnificent young wine, with a good 40-50 years of upside potential. Pierre Seillan is justifiably proud of what he has achieved, and his first vintage of Vérité was only 1998, but they go from strength to strength.

Drink 2015 - 2065

Robert M. Parker, Jr., Wine Advocate (October 2015)

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Critics reviews

Antonio Galloni, Vinous93-96/100

Today, the 2013 Le Désir is the least showy of the three Vérité wines, but then again Cabernet Franc is often quite slow to reveal itself. At this stage, what comes through most is a remarkable sense of silkiness and nuance. Finely sculpted fruit and fabulous overall balance are among some of the other signatures. For such a big wine, the Le Désir is remarkably delicate.

Drink 2020 - 2033

Antonio Galloni, Vinous.com (January 2015)

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Jancis Robinson MW18/20

Really racy and lively – yes! This is my sort of wine. It has real lift and transparency together with beautiful balance and evolution – though I suspect most of the 2013 vintage will already have been drunk.

Drink 2021 - 2029

Jancis Robinson MW, JancisRobinson.com (April 2022)

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Wine Advocate99/100

The 2013 Le Desir represents 2,500 cases. 

This is the softest of the three wines in 2013, and this blend of 61% Cabernet Franc, 23% Merlot, 11% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Malbec emerges with more than half of the cuvée coming from Hillsides in Alexander Valley, 37% from Chalk Hill and the rest tiny dollops from Bennett Valley and Knights Valley. Opaque purple, like its siblings, the wine shows incredible floral, blueberry and espresso notes, exotic Asian spices, velvety texture, a supple, multilayered mouthfeel and an incredible finish, with incense and liquorice. 

This is a magnificent young wine, with a good 40-50 years of upside potential. Pierre Seillan is justifiably proud of what he has achieved, and his first vintage of Vérité was only 1998, but they go from strength to strength.

Drink 2015 - 2065

Robert M. Parker, Jr., Wine Advocate (October 2015)

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James Suckling93/100

This is a tannic and rich red that is tightly wound and very muscular. Full-bodied, very intense and powerful. Needs time to show its full self.

Try in 2021

James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com (November 2018)

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Decanter96/100

62% Cabernet Franc, 22% Merlot, 11% Cabernet Sauvignon and the balance Malbec.

The most exotic and aromatically seductive of the Verité wines, wild red and black fruits marry with nuances of cigar tobacco and incipient floral details. While similarly large-scalled, La Desir's tannic structure is more supple than its siblings and its palate presence is appealingly energetic. 

Drink 2020 - 2045

William Kelley, Decanter.com (May 2016)

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About this WINE

Vérité Winery

Vérité Winery

The Vérité estate is a vision created by the late Jess Jackson, a man who in Robert Parker’s eyes “was one of the most extraordinary men in the wine world I have ever met.”  These wines always rate very highly (indeed, since 1998 seven  have been awarded 100 Parker points) and the 2010 vintage is gaining great praise from the press and critics alike as a potential emergence of a new iconic wine from the United States.

The wines of Vérité, French for “truth,” are the result of a combination of old world experience and new world fruit. The wine is a distinct blend of varietals harvested from small vineyard blocks, each cuvée culminating in a bespoke union of grape varieties, climate, soil expression and winemaking technique.  Vigneron Pierre Seillan refers to this methodology as droit du sol: “right of the soil.”
 
“The wines are elegant and complex, possessing superb concentration of flavor and color. These are wines meant to age over the next thirty years and will develop greater depth and character in your cellar.” Pierre Seillan, winemaker

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Sonoma County

Sonoma County

North Coast's Sonoma County is California's largest AVA with 19,800 ha (2005) of vines. It has forever been the home of the meek and mild small grower as compared to the grandeur and might of neighbour Napa; more picturesque too, as much of the sandy, gravely loam land belonged to true orchards and fruit farms until the 1970s.

Sonoma Valley covers a small part of Sonoma County but its wines often outshine its illustrious neighbours in Napa County. Zinfandel, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Cabernet Sauvignon are cultivated here with much success. Sonoma Valley has long enjoyed a special place in the history of California wine. The first vineyards in the valley were planted by Franciscan monks in 1823. In 1857 Agoston Haraszthy, one of the founding fathers of California's commercial winemaking, opened here the highly successful Buena Vista Winery.

Closer to the coast are the region's top producing AVAs for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay: Russian River, Sonoma Coast and Green Valley, while the slightly warmer Dry Creek and Alexander Valleys have earned a reputation as a hotspot for Cabernet, and increasingly, Zinfandel and Merlot.

Recommended producers
Ridge, Teira, Williams & Selyem, Rochioli are definitely worth investigating.

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Merlot/Cabernet Franc

Merlot/Cabernet Franc

Merlot and Cabernet Franc are grape varieties commonly used in Bordeaux-style blends, particularly in the Bordeaux region of France. When these two grapes are blended, they can create a wine that combines the best characteristics of each variety.

Merlot is known for its smoothness, soft tannins, and ripe fruit flavours. It often contributes black cherry, plum, and chocolate flavours to the blend. The grapes are relatively easy to grow and ripen earlier than other Bordeaux varieties, making them versatile for blending.

Cabernet Franc, on the other hand, adds structure, depth, and complexity to the blend. It typically brings aromas of red fruits such as raspberry and strawberry, along with herbal notes like bell pepper and tobacco. These grapes have thinner skins and can be more challenging to cultivate, requiring specific growing conditions to reach their full potential.

When Merlot and Cabernet Franc are combined, the result is a well-balanced wine with various flavours and aromas. The blend often exhibits a Bordeaux wine's medium to full body, along with a smooth texture and moderate tannins. The specific flavour profile can vary depending on the proportions of each grape in the blend and the terroir and winemaking techniques employed.

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