Vérité Le Désir 2021 is a prestigious red blend, primarily Cabernet Franc, sourced from Sonoma County, California. This elegant wine exudes a complex bouquet of blackcurrant, plum, and raspberry, interwoven with intriguing layers of tobacco, graphite, and hints of dark chocolate, a testament to its time in French oak. On the palate, it exhibits a full-bodied richness, seamless tannins, and a beautifully balanced acidity that leads to a prolonged, textured finish. Showcasing the winemaking expertise of Vérité, the Le Désir 2021 blend marries New World vigor with Old World sophistication. It's a memorable wine for pairing with rich dishes, or as a standalone indulgence on special occasions.
Critic Ratings
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate Review - Rated 96:
The 2021 Le Désir is composed of 87% Cabernet Franc, 10% Merlot and 3% Malbec—Pierre Seillan says it’s the highest percentage of Cabernet Franc this blend has ever incorporated. Matured for 16 months in 95% new French oak, it has an opaque ruby color and very slowly unfolding scents of chocolate-covered blueberries, cast iron, violet, bay leaves and cardamom. The full-bodied palate features transparent, alluringly herbal flavors. It’s structured by clay-textured tannins and bright acidity, and it has a very long, spicy finish. It transforms dramatically over several days and will be epically long lived in the cellar.
James Suckling Review - Rated 100:
Perhaps the finest cabernet franc wine made in California, this tightly wound and precise gem is a classic. While smooth and silky on the surface, it has intense flavors and tannic energy underneath, driving red and black cherries, rose petals, blueberries, graphite and espresso through a vivid palate and a long, lingering finish. Blended with 10% merlot and 3% malbec. Certainly a wine that will benefit from more aging, likely for decades.
Jeb Dunnuck Review - Rated 98:
The 2021 Le Desir is based on Cabernet Franc with the addition of 10% Merlot and 3% Malbec. It’s savory and expressive on the nose with aromas of wild, coiled blackberries, cassis, juniper, minty and peppery spice, and dark earth. Full-bodied, with velvety tannins, even, focused acidity, and a long finish, it’s drinking very well now and is a bit more immediate compared to the La Joie. It has notes of black tea through the palate, with a long earth note and its more noble structure making itself known as it lasts long on the palate.
