Verite La Joie 2017 / 750 ml.

Item#: 55678

JD100100 pts. - Jeb Dunnuck - 5/21/2020
Tasting like a great bottle of Château Lafite, the 2017 La Joie is based largely on Cabernet Sauvignon and brought up, I suspect, in mostly new French oak. Deep ruby/purple, with a heavenly bouquet of crème de cassis, lead pencil, cedarwood, graphite, and tobacco, it hits the palate with medium to full-bodied richness, an incredible sense of elegance and purity, building tannins, and a great, great finish. This majestic, regal Sonoma County Cabernet Sauvignon is going to require a decade of cellaring to hit maturity (although it’s far from unapproachable today) and will see its 50th birthday in fine form. I followed this bottle for three days and it never showed a hint of oxidation. This is easily my wine of the vintage in 2017. (Jeb Dunnuck)
RP98+98+ pts. - Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate - 29th May 2020
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.
VN9696 pts. - Vinous - Apr 2020
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.

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Primary Grape: Cabernet Sauvignon | All Grapes: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot

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United States | California | Sonoma County

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Critical Acclaim

JD100 100 pts. / Jeb Dunnuck (5/21/2020)

Tasting like a great bottle of Château Lafite, the 2017 La Joie is based largely on Cabernet Sauvignon and brought up, I suspect, in mostly new French oak. Deep ruby/purple, with a heavenly bouquet of crème de cassis, lead pencil, cedarwood, graphite, and tobacco, it hits the palate with medium to full-bodied richness, an incredible sense of elegance and purity, building tannins, and a great, great finish. This majestic, regal Sonoma County Cabernet Sauvignon is going to require a decade of cellaring to hit maturity (although it’s far from unapproachable today) and will see its 50th birthday in fine form. I followed this bottle for three days and it never showed a hint of oxidation. This is easily my wine of the vintage in 2017. (Jeb Dunnuck)

RP98+ 98+ pts. / Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate (29th May 2020)

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.

VN96 96 pts. / Vinous (Apr 2020)

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.

Where It's From

Region / California

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When it comes to US wine production, California is King. California wines account for almost 90% of all wines produced in the United States each year, and is home to the most celebrated vineyards and producers in the country. California is probably best known for its world-famous Cabernets and Chardonnays, many of which hail from its two most-acclaimed AVAs, Napa Valley and Sonoma County. Other prominent grapes used in California wines include Merlot, Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc, Syrah, and Zinfandel (which California made popular).

Country / United States

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The United States now ranks fourth in the world in wine production behind, France, Italy, and Spain. While about 90% of that wine is produced in California, other states like Oregon, New York, and Washington are establishing themselves as prime spots for wine production, as well. Just about any variety of wine can be found in production somewhere in the United States.

More Information

SKU 55678
Product Type Wine
Alternate Name Vérité La Joie
Country United States
Region California
District Sonoma County
Product Location - Location-Appellation Sonoma County
Package Size 750 ml.
Proof/Alcohol by Volume 13.9%
Brand Vérité
Bottles per Case 12
Vintage 2017
Bin Location 0
Can it be Shipped Yes
Premier Pick No
Wine Type Table Wine
Wine - Color Red
Grape(s) Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot
Primary Grape Cabernet Sauvignon
Dollar Sale (Y/N) No
Same Region, Same Vintage, Same Grape
Ridge Monte Bello 2017 / 1.5 L.
Ridge Monte Bello 2017 / 1.5 L.

2017 / 1.5 L.

Item #: 54754

JD100100 pts. - Jeb Dunnuck - 8/29/2020
Pure perfection, the 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon Monte Bello is a sensational effort from this estate that should be snatched up by drinkers and collectors. Based on 72% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16% Merlot, 8% Petit Verdot, and the rest Cabernet Franc that was brought up mostly in new American oak, this saturated purple-hued beauty is legendary Monte Bello in the making and has a stunning yet primordial bouquet of crème de cassis, lead pencil shavings, graphite, chocolate, and chalky minerality. Full-bodied, incredibly powerful, and one of the most concentrated versions of this cuvée ever made (I’ve had most of them), it needs a solid decade of bottle age and will have 50–60 years of overall longevity. Despite the long drinking window, it offers plenty of pleasure even today. I followed this bottle for two days and it showed best right out of the gate, closing down and becoming more brooding and backward with air. It’s an incredible wine that I promise you won’t regret having in your cellar. (Jeb Dunnuck)
RP9898 pts. - Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate - 4th Apr 2021
The 2017 Monte Bello is ultra powerful and concentrated, unfurling over the several days it was open to reveal rich cassis, roast plums, tar, aniseed and exotic spices. What sets the palate apart is its purity: though incredibly layered, it offers a kaleidoscopic journey from blackcurrant to tobacco and dried flowers, offering continual sparks of flavor long after the wine has been swallowed. Structurally, it has the firm but ripe tannins and seamless freshness to dictate a very long life in the cellar. This vintage is a blend of 73% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, 8% Petit Verdot and 4% Cabernet Franc. 3,750 cases produced.
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United States | California | North Coast | Santa Cruz Mountains

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Primary Grape: Cabernet Sauvignon

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Organically grown

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Hundred Acre Ark Vineyard 2017 / 750 ml.
Hundred Acre Ark Vineyard 2017 / 750 ml.

2017 / 750 ml.

Item #: 53222

RP9898 pts. - Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate - 16th Dec 2021
Deep garnet-black colored, the 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon Ark Vineyard unfurls sensuously from the glass with provocative scents of baked black cherries, plum preserves and crème de cassis, with emerging suggestions of fragrant earth, black truffles, Chinese five spice and dusty soil. Full-bodied, rich and oh-so-spicy on the palate, it has a rock-solid backbone of grainy tannins and lively acidity supporting the opulent fruit, finishing very long and exotic. This is a surprisingly decadent and powerful expression of 2017!
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United States | California | Napa Valley

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Primary Grape: Cabernet Sauvignon

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Kongsgaard Cabernet Sauvignon 2017 / 750 ml.
Kongsgaard Cabernet Sauvignon 2017 / 750 ml.

2017 / 750 ml.

Item #: 51853

VN9494 pts. - Vinous - Jan 2020
The 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon is a dark, sumptuous, flamboyantly ripe wine. This is especially opulent, even by Kongsgaard standards. Chocolate, plum, cloves, new leather, licorice and spice build in a pliant, sumptuous Cabernet that will drink well right out of the gate. A year ago, the 2017 was massively tannic; today, it is much more suave and sensual, albeit with huge depth to back that up.
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United States | California | Napa Valley

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Primary Grape: Cabernet Sauvignon

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Hundred Acre Kayli Morgan Vineyard 2017 / 750 ml.
Hundred Acre Kayli Morgan Vineyard 2017 / 750 ml.

2017 / 750 ml.

Item #: 53225

RP9696 pts. - Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate - 16th Dec 2021
“The cool clay at Kayli Morgan vineyard really weathered well the 2017 heat wave,” said proprietor Jayson Woodbridge. Featuring a deep garnet-black color, the 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon Kayli Morgan Vineyard has a profound nose of fruitcake, crème de cassis, baked plums and forest floor, with touches of hoisin, charcuterie and clove oil. The full-on, full-bodied palate is rich and seductive, offering a sturdy frame of chewy tannins and a lively backbone, finishing very spicy and long.
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United States | California | Napa Valley

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Primary Grape: Cabernet Sauvignon

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Mt. Brave Cabernet Sauvignon Mt. Veeder 2017 / 750 ml.
Mt. Brave Cabernet Sauvignon Mt. Veeder 2017 / 750 ml.

2017 / 750 ml.

Item #: 53143

SP9595 pts. - Wine Spectator - Oct 15, 2020
This offers blackberry, boysenberry and açaí berry compote flavors that sparkle with anise, sassafras and sage accents. Shows serious tarry grip, but that recedes into the fruit as this airs in the glass, leaving embers of singed juniper and alder at the very end. Best from 2023 through 2040. 2,700 cases made.
RP9595 pts. - Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate - 31st Oct 2019
Two percent of the Malbec in the blend this year comes from the 2018 vintage. Very deep garnet-purple colored, the 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon Mt. Veeder bursts out of the glass with vivacious black currants, black cherries and wild blueberries notes with touches of dark chocolate, licorice, violets and cloves. Full-bodied, firm and very finely grained in terms of texture, the palate explodes with fruit and freshness, finishing very long and wonderfully fragrant. Impressive! 2,807 cases produced.
JD93+93+ pts. - Jeb Dunnuck - January 31, 2020
The 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon is a richer, broader, more concentrated wine, yet it also has a serious amount of tannins. Lots of dark chocolate, blackcurrant, forest floor, and espresso notes all emerge from this full-bodied, concentrated, impressive effort that’s going to benefit from 4–5 years of bottle age and have 20+ years of longevity. The blend is 94% Cabernet Sauvignon and 2% each of Malbec, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot. (Jeb Dunnuck)
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United States | California | Napa Valley | Mount Veeder

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More from this Producer
Verite Le Desir 2009 / 750 ml.
Verite Le Desir 2009 / 750 ml.

2009 / 750 ml.

Item #: 38385

JD9797 pts. - Jeb Dunnuck - June 14, 2019
The 2009 Le Desir is mostly Cabernet Franc and is another wine drinking beautifully today. Classic cassis and dark fruits as well as notes of bay leaf, sandalwood, and spice all flow to a full-bodied, elegant, concentrated red that has fine tannins, perfect balance, and one great finish. Drink it over the coming 20–25 years. (Jeb Dunnuck)
ST96+96+? pts. - Stephen Tanzer’s International Wine Cellar - May/Jun 2013
Deep ruby-red. Vibrant nose offers cassis, blackberry, licorice, minerals, tobacco leaf and violet. Rich, tactile and deep, offering outstanding energy for the vintage. Boasts a rare combination of explosive fruit intensity and elegance. Builds and echoes dramatically on the vibrant, nuanced finish, which saturates the palate with dark fruits and minerals. This shut down in the glass but my recorked bottle showed uncanny freshness after three days in the refrigerator.
RP9393 pts. - Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate - 29th Dec 2013
Another big red is the 2009 Le Desir, a blend of 74% Cabernet Franc, 13% Merlot, 9% Cabernet Sauvignon and 4% Malbec. The densest, most tannic, and most forbiddingly backward of the 2009s, it exhibits an inky/purple color along with copious aromas of graphite, spring flowers, blackberries and blueberries as well as a crushed liqueur of chalk-like character, and a huge, multilayered and multi-dimensional finish that lasts nearly 50 seconds. It requires 4–5 more years in the cellar, and should keep for three decades. If you have not yet experienced the wines of Verite, they are true connoisseurs’ efforts that should be purchased by those with cold cellars and long lifelines.
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United States | California | Sonoma County

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Primary Grape: Cabernet Franc

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Verite Le Desir 2015 / 750 ml.
Verite Le Desir 2015 / 750 ml.

2015 / 750 ml.

Item #: 52462

RP100100 pts. - Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate - 28th Feb 2018
A blend of 64% Cabernet Franc, 27% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon and 4% Malbec, the very deep garnet-purple colored 2015 Le Désir is a little reticent at this very youthful stage, offering glimpses at dusty soil, iron ore, black truffles and salami notes over a core of red currant jelly, black raspberries, blackberries and star anise plus a waft of roses. Medium-bodied, very firm and very elegant yet incredibly intense in the mouth, it delivers loads of red fruit and earthy layers, finishing with great length and depth. 2,500 cases produced.
JS9898 pts. - JamesSuckling.com - Monday, December 17, 2018
Love the aromas of black cherries and blackberries, violets and roses. Stunning. Full-bodied, layered and dense with focus and precision. Full tannins, yet compressed and polished. A great cabernet franc-based red. Give this four to five years of bottle age before drinking but already beautiful to taste
VN96+96–98 pts. - Vinous - Mar 2017
The 2015 Le Désir brings together striking aromatic lift from the Cabernet Franc with the dark, sumptuous fruit of the year. Chocolate, mocha, plum, licorice, crème de cassis and pencil shavings add striking aromatic nuance. This is a dazzling wine from the Seillan family.
VN96+96–98 pts. - Vinous - Apr 2018
The 2015 Le Désir, Vérité’s Cabernet Franc-based red, is racy and sumptuous in the glass. Bright floral notes give lift to the red-toned fruit as this silky yet powerful wine shows off its alluring personality.
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United States | California | Sonoma County

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Primary Grape: Cabernet Franc

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Verite La Muse 2012 / 750 ml.
Verite La Muse 2012 / 750 ml.

2012 / 750 ml.

Item #: 42280

RP9797 pts. - Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate - 29th Oct 2015
The 2012 La Muse, which is 85% Merlot, 11% Cabernet Franc and 4% Malbec, is a smaller cuvée of 1,840 cases. The wine has plenty of spice box, cedar wood, Christmas fruitcake and Asian plum sauce, along with black cherry and blackcurrant fruit. Ripe, round, full-bodied and opulent, this is a wine that can be drunk now or cellared for another three decades. Interestingly, the alcohol levels are not all that high in any of these wines, with most of them rarely exceeding 14.3%.
ST94+94–97 pts. - Stephen Tanzer’s International Wine Cellar - May/Jun 2014
Deep ruby. Wonderfully pure aromas and flavors of crushed cassis, minerals and exotic spices. Huge, sweet and plush but utterly primary for a wine with so much flesh. Boasts the chocolatey richness of a topnotch Pomerol from a great year, but the wine’s huge, ripe tannins will require at least five or six years of aging. Finishes with outstanding length.
VN9494 pts. - Vinous - Feb 2016
The 2012 La Muse is plump, juicy and forward; in other words a very typical expression of this vintage. Now at nearly five years of age, the 2012 is beginning to develop pretty aromatic notes that add complexity and nuance. Sweet tobacco, licorice, raspberry jam, mint and anise are all pushed forward. With time in the glass, the 2012 turns delicate and more refined, but it also seems to be going through a bit of a lull today.
VN93+93–95 pts. - Vinous - Jan 2015
Mocha, chocolate, dark plums, smoke and cloves are some of the notes that inform the 2012 La Muse. Dark, sumptuous and impeccably balanced, the 2012 is super-impressive. The flavors are bold and intense, and while there is plenty of size and volume, the wine’s balance is simply impeccable. I imagine the 2012 will reward drinkers with a good 20 years or so of very fine drinking pleasure.
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United States | California | Sonoma County

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Primary Grape: Merlot

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Verite La Muse 2017 / 750 ml.
Verite La Muse 2017 / 750 ml.

2017 / 750 ml.

Item #: 55679

RP9999 pts. - Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate - 29th May 2020
Composed of 100% Merlot for the first time this year, the medium to deep garnet-purple colored 2017 La Muse rolls sensuously out of the glass with scents of black raspberries, Black Forest cake, boysenberries and cinnamon toast, followed by nuances of a garrigue, forest floor, beef drippings and clove oil. Medium to full-bodied, the richly fruited palate slowly builds in the mouth to a crescendo of black fruit preserves and exotic spice layers, framed by exceptionally ripe, round tannins and seamless freshness, finishing long and fragrant. Stylistically, it stands apart from previously vintages, possessing the same magical intensity, but with less weight and more pop. 2,500 cases were made.
JD9898 pts. - Jeb Dunnuck - 5/21/2020
Not far behind, the Merlot-dominated 2017 La Muse offers a big, rich nose of chocolate-covered black cherries, espresso, damp earth, and leafy herbs that gains more bass notes and richness with time in the glass. It tastes like a great Pomerol from La Conseillante. Full-bodied, it has an incredible sense of elegance and purity, plenty of mid-palate stuffing, and a great, great finish. Made from 100% Merlot (this is the first time this cuvée has been all Merlot), it’s another incredible wine from this estate that has the flesh and texture to shine today yet the freshness, purity, and balance to evolve for 30 years or more. (Jeb Dunnuck)
VN9696 pts. - Vinous - Apr 2020
The 2017 La Muse is 100% Merlot for the first time. In this vintage, La Muse stands out for its freshness, energy and red-toned fruit. It will be interesting to see if the 2017 represents a longer-term shift. To be sure, the 2017 is aromatically deep, beautifully persistent and just impeccable in its balance. I liked it more than the 2016.
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United States | California | Sonoma County

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Primary Grape: Merlot

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Verite Le Desir 2013 / 750 ml.
Verite Le Desir 2013 / 750 ml.

2013 / 750 ml.

Item #: 46286

RP9999 pts. - Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate - 29th Oct 2015
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 is showing incredible floral, blueberry and espresso notes, exotic Asian spices, velvety texture, a supple, multilayered mouthfeel and incredible finish, with incense and licorice. This is 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.
VN92+92–95 pts. - Vinous - Feb 2016
The 2013 Le Désir is once again alluring. Le Désir is quite powerful and intense, but it also has fairly soft contours for the year. Dark cherry, plum, smoke, chocolate, mocha, licorice and cloves are all pushed forward. Energetic and explosive, the 2013 is going to need at least a few years in bottle to settle down, but it has plenty to offer. I tasted the 2013 from tank just prior to bottling.
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United States | California | Sonoma County

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Primary Grape: Cabernet Franc

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Verite Le Desir 2014 / 750 ml.
Verite Le Desir 2014 / 750 ml.

2014 / 750 ml.

Item #: 47428

RP9898 pts. - Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate - 28th Oct 2016
The 2014 Le Désir (53% Cabernet Franc, 21% Merlot, 21% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Malbec) has an inky purple color and a sweet kiss of chocolate, black truffle, forest floor, black raspberry and black currants. Opulent, but again structured and super-dense and pure, this is another massively concentrated wine meant for the long haul (and for our grandchildren). Give it 4–6 years of cellaring and drink it over the following 35–40 years. Remarkably, Pierre Seillan told me that 2014, while a drought year, was not actually that hot in the micro-terroirs he was working, but in terms of quality, it turned out to be the most surprisingly positive vintage he’s ever witnessed.
VN9797 pts. - Vinous - Mar 2017
The 2014 Le Désir is the most inward of these 2014s from Vérité. Dark raspberry jam, wild flowers, spice, pencil shavings, mocha, lavender and licorice infuse this deep, powerful, structured Cabernet Franc-based blend. The interplay of dense, sumptuous fruit and aromatic freshness makes for an absolutely compelling wine.
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United States | California | Sonoma County

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Primary Grape: Cabernet Franc

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Verite La Muse 2009 / 750 ml.
Verite La Muse 2009 / 750 ml.

2009 / 750 ml.

Item #: 38384

RP96+96+ pts. - Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate - 29th Dec 2013
The 2009 La Muse (86% Merlot, 9% Cabernet Franc and 5% Malbec; 14.5% alcohol) is a blockbuster offering complex, intense notes of Asian plum sauce, figs, black currants, white chocolate and cedar. The wine reveals an extra level of texture and richness along with full body, an unctuous texture, and a super ripeness and richness that does not go over the top. The tannins are noticeable, but well-integrated as are the new oak and acidity. This big, backstrapping, Merlot-based wine is meant for long-term cellaring. Give it 4–5 more years in the bottle and enjoy it over the following 30 years.
ST9595 pts. - Stephen Tanzer’s International Wine Cellar - May/Jun 2013
Bright red-ruby. Sweet aromas of black raspberry, bitter chocolate, violet and smoke. Large-scaled, velvety and deep, with outstanding intensity and sweetness to its dark berry, violet and mineral flavors. Boasts a compelling combination of suavity of texture and sheer energy. Extremely long on the aftertaste, with noble tannins barely noticeable today.
SP8888 pts. - Wine Spectator - Web only – 2013
Offering layers of fresh-turned earth, spice, dark berry, leather and anise notes, this is chunky and chewy from extracted tannins, with a bitter edge. Ends dry and grainy. Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon. Drink now through 2024. 800 cases made.
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United States | California | Sonoma County

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Primary Grape: Merlot

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Verite La Joie 2014 / 750 ml.
Verite La Joie 2014 / 750 ml.

2014 / 750 ml.

Item #: 47427

JD97+97+ pts. - Jeb Dunnuck - 12/29/2017
The estate’s Cabernet Sauvignon dominated release is the 2014 La Joie. It’s an incredible wine based on 78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc and the balance Petit Verdot. Reminding me of a top vintage of Ducru-Beaucaillou (the 2010?) with its classic Cabernet character, it offers thrilling notes of crème de cassis, exotic flowers, liquid rock-like minerality, and graphite and lead pencil nuances. Deep, concentrated, and backward, it has perfect balance, good acidity, and an undeniable Bordeaux-like weight and texture. Nowhere near primetime, it needs 5–7 years of cellaring and is going to keep for three decades. (Jeb Dunnuck)
RP97+97+ pts. - Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate - 28th Oct 2016
The 2014 La Joie has a spicy black purple color and a big, sweet kiss of camphor, black truffle, pen ink, blackcurrants and unsmoked cigar tobacco, followed by layers of fruit and glycerin in an opulent, beautifully savory, pure and multidimensional wine. The final blend Seillan produced in 2014 was 78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot. This is a compellingly great effort once again. It should be given 2–5 years of bottle age, then drunk over the following three decades.
VN9797 pts. - Vinous - Mar 2017
The 2014 La Joie exudes freshness, energy and intensity. Black cherry, plum, licorice, lavender espresso and expressive spiced notes are all beautifully delineated in the glass. Raspberry jam, wild flowers, mint and gently spiced notes are laced into the super-expressive, silky finish. A final kick of Cabernet Sauvignon intensity adds lift in the 2014 La Joie, Vérité’s Cabernet Sauvignon-based blend.
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United States | California | Sonoma County

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Primary Grape: Cabernet Sauvignon

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Verite Le Desir 2012 / 750 ml.
Verite Le Desir 2012 / 750 ml.

2012 / 750 ml.

Item #: 42279

RP100100 pts. - Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate - 29th Oct 2015
The 2012 Le Desir (64% Cabernet Franc, 24% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Sauvignon and 4% Malbec) reminds me of a young vintage of Ausone, such as 2005. The wine has amazing minerality and an explosive blueberry nose intermixed with blackberries, new saddle leather, charcoal and camphor. It is full-bodied, with espresso notes emerging on the palate. There are 1,900 cases of this super-endowed, prodigious wine that should drink well for 35–40 years. How fun it would be for mega-millionaires to put this in a blind tasting of a great vintage of Ausone in 10, 20 or 30 years from now.
ST95+95–98 pts. - Stephen Tanzer’s International Wine Cellar - May/Jun 2014
Bright, deep ruby. Seriously dark aromas of cassis, violet, bitter chocolate and espresso. Hugely rich and ripe but with uncanny energy and definition to the flavors of black raspberry and musky bitter chocolate. This has the density of a top vintage of Chateau Ausone. Finishes with a boatload of ripe tannins that are buffered by the wine’s palate-staining fruit. Another monument in the making.
VN9595 pts. - Vinous - Feb 2016
The 2012 Le Désir is striking. It is also the richest and most powerful of the Vérité 2012s. An exotic, alluring bouquet melds into layers of dark red fruit as this ample, voluptuous wine shows off its personality. The 2012 simply oozes with Cabernet Franc floral and spice notes. Although the 2012 is quite expressive today, it will be even better with more time. Over the last few years the Désir has clearly emerged as Vérité’s top wine. Today, it is absolutely gorgeous, although it needs time to be at its best.
VN94+94–96 pts. - Vinous - Jan 2015
The Cabernet Franc-based 2012 Le Désir is the most aromatic and nuanced of these three 2012s. Savory herbs, mocha and spices meld into a core of punchy pomegranate and red stone fruit in a wine that is both silky and powerful. Here, too, readers can look forward to a long drinking window that will last two decades or so. In 2012, Le Désir is all about finesse.
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United States | California | Sonoma County

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Primary Grape: Cabernet Franc

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Verite Le Desir 2018 / 750 ml.
Verite Le Desir 2018 / 750 ml.

2018 / 750 ml.

Item #: 57152

JD98+98+ pts. - Jeb Dunnuck - 7/22/2021
The Cabernet Franc blend of the trio, the 2018 Le Desir is 82% Cabernet Franc, 12% Merlot, and 6% Malbec, and as with all these wines, it was brought up in new barrels. Ruby/purple and not completely opaque, it offers up a classic Cabernet Franc nose of mostly red fruits, spring flowers, damp earth, cedary spices, and truffle. Medium to full-bodied on the palate, it shines for its incredible elegance and purity more than outright power, yet it still brings plenty of richness. With ultra-fine tannins, perfect balance, and one heck of a great finish, it’s another great, great wine from this estate. (Jeb Dunnuck)
RP97+97+ pts. - Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate - 30th Jul 2021
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.
JS9797 pts. - JamesSuckling.com - Tuesday, April 6, 2021
Blackberry, violet and crushed stone on the nose. Pure fruit, but reserved and tensioned. Full-bodied with firm, tight tannins and a long finish. Some tightness. The tannins spread across the palate, so integrated and toned yet chewy. A structured and almost steely wine. 82% cabernet franc, 12% merlot and 6% malbec. Better after 2024.
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United States | California | Sonoma County

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Primary Grape: Cabernet Franc

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