Le Désir
2012
Vintage
The 2012 growing season, like the acclaimed 2001 vintage, began as another great year with dry, warm temperatures. The spring opened with beautiful, sunny, summer-like days with temperatures in the 90s and cool, foggy nights with temperatures in the 40s, leading to perfectly timed budbreak and bloom. While these unseasonably high temperatures were too warm for Merlot in many appellations, we are fortunate to have a wide variety of micro-crus across Sonoma County at our disposal, enabling us to use the best fruit from our Knights Valley, Alexander Mountain Estate, and Chalk Hill vineyards to create the complex and luxurious wines you expect from Vérité. Harvest took place September 13th through October 5th.
– Pierre Seillan, Vigneron
Notes
The sublime color of the 2012 Le Désir shows the influence of Cabernet Franc with a brilliant, seductive ruby hue. The nose presents an expert balance of aromas of ripe red and black fruit, white spice, blond tobacco and nutmeg. An expressive palate reveals itself through flavors of nutmeg and spice. This is a wine with great finesse, a never-ending finish and extraordinary minerality.
Composition
64% Cabernet Franc
24% Merlot
8% Cabernet Sauvignon
4% Malbec
The 2012 Le Désir … reminds me of a young vintage of Ausone, such as 2005. The wine has amazing minerality and an explosive blueberry nose intermixed with blackberries, new saddle leather, charcoal and camphor. It is full-bodied, with espresso notes emerging on the palate.