Vérité Le Desir 2013

Vérité Le Désir 2013 is a profound, Cabernet Franc–driven red that captures the very best hillside terroirs of Sonoma County in a single, seamless blend. Often considered the silkiest and most sensual of Vérité’s three flagship wines, this vintage unites power, perfume and precision in remarkable balance. Crafted in tiny quantities and built for the long haul, it has already earned a place among the great collectible reds of California.

Tasting Notes
In the glass, the 2013 Le Désir is deeply opaque purple, almost inky at the core with a vibrant, youthful rim that hints at its long life ahead. The nose is intensely aromatic, opening with an exotic fusion of violet and fresh blue flowers, ripe blueberries and blackberries, alongside notes of espresso, incense and sweet Asian spices. On the palate, the wine is strikingly polished, with a velvety, almost cashmere-like texture that earns it a reputation as the softest and most supple of the Vérité trio. Layers of dark berry fruit, plum and blackcurrant glide across the tongue, interwoven with licorice, cocoa, roasted coffee bean and a faint smokiness. Fine, ripe tannins and vibrant acidity give superb structure, while the finish is long, resonant and perfumed with spice and dark fruit. This is a monumental wine with serious aging potential; properly cellared, it can evolve gracefully over 40–50 years, gaining even more complexity and tertiary nuance.

Production
Le Désir 2013 is a blend of 61% Cabernet Franc, 23% Merlot, 11% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Malbec, sourced from carefully selected hillside parcels across Alexander Valley, Chalk Hill, Bennett Valley and Knights Valley in Sonoma County. These elevated, well-drained vineyards offer a mosaic of soils and exposures that bring depth, fragrance and structure to the final wine. Grapes are harvested by hand at optimal ripeness, then sorted berry by berry to ensure only pristine fruit reaches the fermenters. Each parcel is vinified separately, allowing winemaker Pierre Seillan to build his signature “micro-cru” approach: small-lot fermentations, patient maceration for color and tannin extraction, and élevage in French oak barrels (a significant proportion new) to layer in texture, polish and aromatic complexity before the final blend is meticulously assembled.

Food & Serving
The 2013 Le Désir is a natural partner for refined, richly flavored dishes. Think herb-crusted rack of lamb, dry-aged ribeye with wild mushrooms, venison loin with a red wine reduction, or truffle-infused dishes that mirror the wine’s depth and perfume. It also pairs beautifully with aged hard cheeses such as Comté, old Gouda or well-matured Manchego. Serve at 16–18°C (60–64°F) for optimal expression. Decanting for 2–3 hours in its youth will help the aromatics unfurl and the tannins soften; as it matures, a shorter decant of around an hour will be sufficient to reveal its full complexity.

Producer
Vérité was founded in the late 1990s by Jess Jackson in collaboration with renowned Bordelais vigneron Pierre Seillan, with a singular ambition: to craft Sonoma wines that could stand shoulder to shoulder with the greatest wines of Bordeaux. From the first vintage in 1998, Vérité has focused on meticulously farmed hillside vineyards and a micro-cru philosophy, treating each parcel as a distinct component in a grand blend. Today, Vérité is widely regarded as one of the benchmark producers of Sonoma County, and of Cabernet-based blends in the New World, with numerous perfect scores from leading critics. Le Désir, the estate’s Cabernet Franc–led cuvée, has become particularly celebrated for its aromatic intensity, finesse and extraordinary capacity to age, cementing Vérité’s reputation as a modern classic in American fine wine.

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