2016 Vérité Le Désir 2016 1500mL

99 POINTS

Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW - Robert Parker Wine Advocate

Composed of 82% Cabernet Franc, 12% Merlot and 6% Malbec, the very deep purple-black colored 2016 Le Désir is a little closed to begin, opening out to reveal absolutely stunning scents of potpourri, roses and orange peel over a core of crushed blackcurrants, black cherries and dark chocolate with touches of cinnamon stick and cloves plus a waft of forest floor. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is exquisitely delicate and refined, with super ripe, fine-grained tannins and wonderful freshness, finishing with epic persistence. 3,500 cases produced.

99 POINTS

Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW - Robert Parker Wine Advocate

An already blended barrel sample of 82% Cabernet Franc, 12% Merlot and 6% Malbec, the 2016 Le Desir has an inky purple-black color and gives up expressive, complex notions of kirsch, wild blueberries, cassis and black raspberries with touches of wild thyme, baking spices, baker’s chocolate, Marmite toast and beef drippings. Medium to full-bodied and built like a brick house in the mouth, it has a rock-solid foundation of very firm, ripe, grainy tannins and just enough freshness to lift the densely packed black and red fruit layers, finishing on a lingering mineral note. This should be very, very long lived! 3,500 cases will be made.

99 POINTS

Jeb Dunnuck

The 2016 Le Desir checks in as 82% Cabernet Franc, 12% Merlot, and 6% Malbec. Readers looking for world-class Cabernet Franc should beg, borrow, or steal to get hold of a bottle of this. Incredible floral, violet, forest floor, lead pencil, and cassis notes all flow to a medium to full-bodied red that’s flawlessly balanced, has ultra-fine tannins, and a finish that won’t quit. More intellectual and elegant than the La Joie, it’s still a wine of incredible intensity and class that builds incrementally on the palate, has an exotic, singular character, and the class to evolve for 30 years or more.

98 POINTS

Antonio Galloni MW - Vinous

Cabernet Sauvignon takes center stage in the 2016 Le Désir. Graphite, menthol, lavender, spice, pine, dried herbs and licorice give the 2016 striking aromatic depth to match its mid-weight personality. Elegant and nuanced, but with plenty of richness, the 2016 has a ton to offer.

96 POINTS

James Suckling

Aromas of dust, currants and black olives. Full body and round, chewy tannins. This is soft and round textured. Juicy and flavorful at the end. Try after 2022.

96 POINTS

Antonio Galloni MW - Vinous

Like all of these wines, the 2016 Le Désir is powerful, dark and quite structured. The Cabernet Franc is high in the 2016 and that gives the wine much of its distinctive personality and overall intensity. Powerful inky and explosive, the 2016 is full of potential. Points: 95-98

95 POINTS

Jane Anson - Decanter

Muscular and controlled red cherry and raspberry leaf dominate the opening beats of this wine, with white pepper and grilled rosemary coming in through the mid palate. This is an enjoyable wine with a silky texture, round mouthfeel and a confident build up of tannins. Traces of heat are a little distracting, causing the tension to slacken a little towards the finish, but as ever this provides a beautifully nuanced Cabernet Franc counterbalance to the rest of the range.

93 POINTS

Wine Spectator

Intense, with dark plum, blackberry and black currant fruit flavors pumping through, scored with bittersweet cocoa, dark tobacco and loam accents on the finish. Muscular for sure, but has serious drive. Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Malbec.