Inspiration, joy, desire: these are the names given to the three iconic wines of Vérité, Bordeaux-inspired blends from small vineyard blocks in Alexander Valley, Chalk Hill and Knights Valley in Sonoma. 

In the mid-1990s, California legend Jess Jackson invited Bordelais winemaker Pierre Seillan to join the company as a vigneron. With two decades under his belt as technical director and winemaker for seven Bordeaux châteaux in Lalande de Pomerol, Saint-Émilion, St. Estèphe, Haut-Médoc, Premières Côtes de Bordeaux and Bordeaux Supérieur, Pierre was given the opportunity to choose the best fruit available from Jackson’s Sonoma vineyard holdings. The two created three cuvées: La Muse, a Merlot-based blend inspired by Pomerol; La Joie, Cabernet Sauvignon made in the Pauillac style; and Le Désir, Cabernet Franc à la Saint-Émilion. These world-class wines are some of the best expressions of these grapes in the world and reflect the unique terroir of Sonoma. 

Since the wines were first released in 1998, they’ve achieved critical acclaim, including more than a dozen 100-point scores. “These wines are the epitome of natural wine,” Robert Parker wrote of Vérité. “The aim was to produce wines capable of lasting 25—or in some cases, even 40+ years—the great vintages will certainly attain that potential longevity.” With minuscule case production (4,000 cases or less) these wines are rare and difficult to find. 

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