“Every hillside, every elevation and aspect offers us a different micro-cru, and the pure expression of these unique sites has from the beginning defined our winemaking philosophy.” Vérité Winemaker– Pierre Seillan
Vérité is another international collaboration, here it is a partnership between the Jackson family & the celebrated Bordeaux winemaker Pierre Seillan. Each vintage the winery releases three Bordeaux-inspired blends: La Muse (Merlot-based), La Joie (Cabernet Sauvignon-based) and Le Désir (Cabernet Franc-based). All three of these wines are the result of obsessive plot selection with the aim of find the perfect match for grape variety and soil type in the beautiful Sonoma Hills. Impeccably balanced and sumptuously textured in their youth, they have the weight and foundation to age for many years.
2014 Vérité La Muse – £900 per three bottles in bond (100 RP)*
‘The 2014 La Muse is a legendary effort….This is a spectacularly fragrant and, at the same time, dense wine, with enough structure (somewhat surprising in this vintage) to last 35-45+ years. 100 points.’ Robert Parker
2014 Vérité La Joie – £900 per three bottles in bond (97+ RP)*
‘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….97+ points.’ Robert Parker
2014 Vérité Le Désir – £900 per three bottles in bond (98 RP)*
‘..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… 98 points.’ Robert Parker
*The three wines from Vérité are offered as a trio: three bottles each of La Muse, La Joie and Le Desir (nine in total). I am afraid it is not possible to purchase one wine without the others.
~
2014 Cardinale – £1260 per six bottles in bond (98 RP)
“One of the great rewards for any winemaker is the look of anticipation, joy and satisfaction that comes as people experience the wines we produce.” Cardinale winemaker – Chris Carpenter
The Jackson Family and legendary winemaker Chris Carpenter had another great year in 2014. The Napa winery uses old world methods to produce a modern wine of quality and ageability. Production of this Bordeaux blend is small and therefore availability is limited.
‘A magnificent wine made the by the brilliant winemaker Chris Carpenter, who also works for the Kendall-Jackson empire at Lakoya and a handful of other estates, this blend of 88% Cabernet Sauvignon and 12% Merlot is sourced from multiple vineyards owned by the Jacksons, from Veeder Peak to Spring Mountain to Howell Mountain. In 2014, it reminded me of a great vintage of Pontet-Canet from Pauillac, but slightly bigger than life. The inky purple color, the stunning nose of cedar wood, unsmoked cigar tobacco, graphite, crème de cassis and subtle new oak is followed by a multi-layered, profoundly concentrated, large-scaled wine with sensational levels of blackcurrant fruit moving toward blackberries. A wine of great intensity, silky tannins and adequate acidity, this is clearly one of the great, great wines of the vintage, and another tour de force in winemaking from Carpenter. It is a 15- to 20- year wine, but the window for drinking it is probably that big as well… 98 points.’ Robert Parker
Please see the offer for all the Autumn release icon wines, and a blog with upcoming release dates.
