2006 Vérité, Le Désir, Sonoma County, California, USA

Cabernet Franc is widely planted in Bordeaux and is the most important black grape grown in the Loire. In the Médoc it may constitute up to 15% of a typical vineyard - it is always blended with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot and is used to add bouquet and complexity to the wines. It is more widely used in St.Emilion where it adapts well to the cooler and moister clay soils - Cheval Blanc is the most famous Cabernet Franc wine in the world, with the final blend consisting of up to 65% of the grape.

Sonoma County in Northern California is a renowned and diverse wine region with a rich history dating back to the 1800s. Its unique microclimates, soils, and sustainable practices allow for the cultivation of various grape varieties, including Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Zinfandel. The region's dynamic wine culture and picturesque vineyards make it a top destination for wine enthusiasts worldwide.

The Vérité estate is a vision created by the late Jess Jackson, a man who in Robert Parker’s eyes “was one of the most extraordinary men in the wine world I have ever met.”  These wines always rate very highly (indeed, since 1998 seven  have been awarded 100 Parker points) and the 2010 vintage is gaining great praise from the press and critics alike as a potential emergence of a new iconic wine from the United States. The wines of Vérité, French for “truth,” are the result of a combination of old world experience and new world fruit. The wine is a distinct blend of varietals harvested from small vineyard blocks, each cuvée culminating in a bespoke union of grape varieties, climate, soil expression and winemaking technique.  Vigneron Pierre Seillan refers to this methodology as droit du sol: “right of the soil.”   “The wines are elegant and complex, possessing superb concentration of flavor and color. These are wines meant to age over the next thirty years and will develop greater depth and character in your cellar.” Pierre Seillan, winemaker