2001 Vérité Le Désir
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Tasting notes
Bright, dark red to the rim. Slightly wild scents of dark fruits, black cherry, spice cake, licorice and coffee bean. Supple, fine-grained, savory and dry; less open to inspection and more tannic at first blush than La Joie, with its sweetness dominated by its tannic spine. Finishes pungent and long but a bit brutal, with less sweetness than La Joie and substantial tannins dusting the front teeth. I can see this wine softening further with another few years in the bottle. Will it expand or will it always remain tannic? This is Pierre Seillan's St. Emilion blend but I find this vintage more Medoc-like in style.
Critic scores
Robert Parker
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
More reviews and scores
Medium ruby. Aromatic nose combines wild blackberry, Cuban tobacco, chocolate cake, smoke and minerals. Concentrated, lush and impressively sweet, with snappy raspberry and mineral flavors dominating This is kept fresh by harmonious acidity but is also lush, seamless and expansive. Finishes with broad tannins and impressive sweetness and persistence. This St. Emilion-style blend is still very young and may prove to be the best of the 2001 trio made under the Verite label.
Saturated medium ruby. Great superripe aromas of blackberry, violet, roast coffee, chicory and minerals. A huge, mouthfilling wine that coats every square millimeter of the mouth. Offers great sweetness and flavor intensity without any excess weight, thanks to perfectly integrated acidity. Finishes with big, toothdusting tannins and great persistence and thrust. I'd love to slip a sample of this in a tasting of St. Emilion wines.
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.