2005 Verite Mixed Case (2xLa Joie/2xLa Muse/2xLe Desir)
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Tasting notes
La Joie - The myth perpetrated by Old World wine proponents is that California wines don’t age. Those critics need to taste Verité, because these wines are aging far slower than I imagined. The 2005 La Joie (67% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot, 12% Cabernet Franc, 7% Petit Verdot and 2% Malbec) tips the scales at 14.7% alcohol. It received the same 18 months in 100% new oak. It is interesting that Pierre Seillan said that he thought the high-elevation vineyards of Sonoma that go into Verité (self-serving, os course) are his greatest sites in the world for Bordeaux varietals. But remember – he’s from Bordeaux! This multidimensional wine, which enjoyed a 4-5 day cool, pre-fermentation maceration, has a provocative bouquet of blackberry, cassis, new saddle leather, Christmas fruitcake, graphite and high-quality unsmoked cigar tobacco. It is profound, extremely full-bodied and massive in the mouth, but not heavy or astringent in any way. This is perfection in a glass, and a tribute to what Sonoma can achieve. Give this wine another 4-5 years, and drink it over the following 30+ years. (100 points)
Critic scores
Robert Parker, Wine Advocate
The Wine Advocate
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Le Desir - The myth perpetrated by Old World wine proponents is that California wines don’t age. Those critics need to taste Verité, because these wines are aging far slower than I imagined. Perfect in its own right, and probably my favorite of the three Verite wines I tasted, the absolutely, drop-dead bouquet of the 2005 Le Désir is the most stunningly complex and fragrant display of a blend of Bordeaux varietals (50 Cabernet Franc, 39 Merlot and the rest Cabernet Sauvignon and a touch of Malbec) that I have found in my horizontal tastings of 2005. This is the Sonoma version of an Ausone, for lack of a better frame of reference. Like its siblings, it is opaque purple, with an extraordinary and exhilarating nose of blackberries, forest floor, graphite, licorice and hints of charcoal embers and truffle. Very plush, it is the most evolved and silkiest of all three cuvées. This is another prodigious effort with fabulous purity, depth and overall harmony. This wine is just remarkable, and anyone lucky enough to own any of these wines is in for untold joy over the next 25-20+ years. I just hope the owners live long enough to see these wines at their peak!
La Joie - An absolutely awesome wine that tops out my scale, the 2005 La Joie offers a Château Latour-like stature and structure as well as complex notes of blackcurrants, lead pencil shavings, sandalwood, and crushed rocks. Still youthful and vibrant, it’s full-bodied, has off-the-charts purity, ultra-fine tannin, blockbuster length, and a singular, magical character. Feel free to drink bottles today or cellar for just about as long as you’d like. It will probably outlive everyone reading this.
About the producer
The winery was the dream of Jess Jackson, the man who founded the incredibly successful Jackson Family Wines. He, however, wanted to produce truly fine wine in Sonoma County.