A few weeks ago I was extremely privileged to be invited to the prestigious Dorchester Hotel in Mayfair, London for a very special wine tasting. A tasting to celebrate the release of the 2015 Vérité wines.
VÉRITÉ & CARDINALE
Well, this was not going to be any old wine tasting.
Vérité Chalk Hill Vineyard
Vérité & Cardinale are epic wines with huge reputations too.
If you drink (and taste a lot more) a few bottles of wine a year like me (I KNOW!! Understatement of the year) you will surely know of the Jackson family wines in the USA, hugely famous for its Chardonnay. I knew a little bit but thought I must do a bit of research for information before I go to this great tasting.
1974 Jess Jackson buys 80-acre pear and walnut orchard in Lake County and replants to grapes.
1983 Vintner’s Reserve Chardonnay
Kendall-Jackson debuts with 1982 vintage Vintner’s Reserve Chardonnay and wins first-ever Double Platinum Award in the American Wine Competition.
From 1986 to the present day they acquired many vineyards across California, Oregon, Tuscany, Bordeaux, Chile, South Africa and Australia.
In 1991 the Jackson family purchased a stave mill in France to guarantee high-quality French oak barrels.
2003 Jess was selected by Robert Parker Jr. as wine personality of the year, and won a lifetime achievement award in 2007.
Sadly on April 21st 2011 Jess passed away.
Tasting at the Dorchester Hotel.
The Tasting was compared by Patrick Schmitt MW, the wine maker behind Vérité – Pierre Seillan, The Jackson Family master Sommelier Dimitri Mesnard and Barbara Banke – founder and Chairman and her daughter Julia Jackson.
We started the afternoon with Vérité 2015.
Winemaker Pierre walked us through the vintage of 2015. What stood out immediately is that this was going to be an epic vintage. He explained that in 49 vintages making wine this was certainly one of his finest, definitely in the top 3!.
The weather meant that the grapes were ready to harvest earlier than ever before at the end of August for the first of the 50 micro crus used in the wine, ending the harvest on September 12th. Yields were modest in small clusters but had quality and good concentration making the 2015 harvest outstanding.
He went on to explain about the micro crus further, how the different elevations, aspects and the make up of the soil on each hillside has its impact on the wines.
So each of the micro crus are harvested by hand and fermented separately, then barreled in French oak, which have also have been toasted in different ways to suit each wine. This allows Pierre hundreds of options to make sure that the final blending of the 3 wines is perfect.
Pierre uses the term micro-cru to define his approach, which is to find the very best of each particular plot within an already outstanding vineyard
His passion exudes when he is talking about Vérité, 21 years making this wine and why it is an incredibly special wine indeed.
Vérité (the French word for TRUTH) comes in 3 wines. La Muse, La Joie & La Désir
These wines are a combination of old-world experience with new world fruit. The grape varieties are all tradition Bordeaux grapes. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot. Although Bordeaux varieties this is no copy of Bordeaux, these wines stand tall by themselves.
La Muse.
Merlot dominated like the Pomerol wines of the Right Bank style in Bordeaux.
Merlot 90%, Cabernet Franc 7% & 3% Malbec blend.
Ruby red in the glass, on the nose its like a wild meadow but a little restrained due to being a youngster. On the palate Blueberry, blackberry and crème de cassis. Has a spiciness which we are told is from the deep roots in the soil of the old vines which stress the vines to work harder and creates this spice. The finish of this wine just keeps on going and going. This wine is still in its infancy however a classic wine that will age for decades to come. Outstanding wine.
97 pts Lisa Perrotti-Brown , Robert Parker
97 pts James Suckling
95 pts Antonio Galloni.
La Joie. “The Joy”
Cabernet Sauvignon dominated like the wines of Pauillac – Left Bank style in Bordeaux.
Cabernet Sauvignon 75%, Merlot 14%, Cabernet Franc 7% & 4% Petit Verdot.
This Vérité is obviously quite different to La Muse, as its CAB SAV blend shouts out blackcurrants, ripe cherry & some slightly tart damson plum in there too. Its more mineral also. This is a FINE wine also and will age stunningly over the next several decades.
99 pts Lisa Perrotti-Brown , Robert Parker
97 pts James Suckling
96 pts Antonio Galloni.
La Desir. “The Desire”
Cabernet Franc dominated like the wines of St Emillion Bordeaux.
The first two Vérité wines were brilliant….. however…. this really turns up the volume to 11!
It is so elegant, the nose and palate has finesse, its soft yet with a core of minerality that runs all through from the nose, to palate onto the long finish. Waves of flavours abound each taste, Dark berries, liquorice, tobacco, cedar and oh so silky. This wine has robust tannins but the wine is structured so you could decant and drink today, but of course this wine will unfold to be a beauty for many decades to come.
100 pts Lisa Perrotti-Brown , Robert Parker
98 pts James Suckling
98 pts Antonio Galloni.
So are these Bordeaux copies? ABSOLUTELY NOT!.
THESE ARE SIGNATURE WINES FROM SONOMA COUNTY CALIFORNIA!
These are wines without compromise, they are NOT working to the 1855 classification rules in Bordeaux. With Pierre’s micro cru it allows him to make wines that are respectful of that particular vintage and not to a formulaic recipe. When each barrel is tasted he starts to understand his vision for the blend to make that years vintage the best it can be.
These wines are full of passion and spirit. True greats.
Oh and by the way ….. if the French ever change the 1855 classification rules (cant see it in my lifetime) I think they may be trying some Sonoma wines for a new Vision of great wines.
Well it didn’t stop there….
We are then treated to a ” La Muse” Vintage overview
I will give a quick run over these before I send you to sleep with tasting notes….
2012 Robert Parker 97pts Liquorice, tar , light oak and spice.
2009 RP 96 pts Very Elegant & oh so long.
2007 RP 100 pts OH BOY! One of California’s greatest vintages.
2004 RP 98 pts Cigars!
2002 RP 99pts Super fresh has years! Interesting in a decade.
Pietrovini Life through Red,White & Rosé Glasses🍷 