An opulent, totally enveloping wine, the 2013 La Joie races across the palate with remarkable depth, power and intensity. Inky blue and purplish fruit, smoke, tobacco, licorice and cloves open up as this dramatic, full-throttle Cabernet Sauvignon-based red shows off its considerable personality. Huge tannins lurk in the background but they are nearly covered by the sheer opulence of the fruit. A wine of considerable verticality and structure, the 2013 is going to require quite a bit of patience.

Good full ruby. Medicinal cassis, licorice, minerals and graphite on the nose; I would have placed this in St. Julien or Pauillac. Then large-scaled and sweet but with terrific grip and sappiness for a wine so plush. A real fruit bomb today, with outstanding depth and concentration of black cherry and dark berry flavors. Finishes with noble tannins and terrific peppery lift. As I tasted this wine, it crossed my mind once again that Pierre Seillan's top efforts under the Verite label are as good as just about any of California's cult wines-at about half the price.

Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar, May/Jun 07 (67% cabernet sauvignon, 12% each cabernet franc and merlot, 7% petit verdot and 2% malbec) Good saturated, full ruby. Musky, perfumed aromas of black fruits, violet, licorice and minerals. Thicker on entry than the Muse but solid as a rock, boasting superb ripeness and a chewy texture. A wonderfully ripe, sweet wine with uncanny aromatic persistence. The tannins are buried in fruits and minerals. This is 14.9% alcohol, the highest of the 2004 and 2005 Verite wines, the rest of which are between 14.3% and 14.6%. 94-97 points

The 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Helena Dakota Vineyard reveals more chocolate and coffee notes. Slightly leaner than the Helena Montana, but also profoundly concentrated, it is a more elegant, feminine version of its sibling. It should age for 20-25 years.

A barrel sample, the 2016 Hartford Court Chardonnay Three Jacks Vineyard opens with savory cashew, yeast extract and brioche notes with a core of warm pears, green guava and apricots with a touch of allspice. Medium to full-bodied, the palate gives knockout savory and stone fruit layers with great freshness, finishing on a lingering toasty note.

Great dark, cherry, a touch of vanilla, and a hint of pine. On the palate, this is a legitimate whoa: fruit? Check. Depth? Intrigue? Check. Check. Whoa. Outstanding.

Rich and loaded with fruit. Strawberry and eucalyptus. Fantastic wine. Whoa. Outstanding.

We opened this on the same night as the 2007 Siduri Amber Ridge, and while the Siduri was incredible, this topped it. Slightly. Whoa. So this is not a subtle Pinot. This falls more into the “balls to the walls” style of Pinot. More than ample fruit, great depth. Whoa, and a holy cow. Fantastic.

As for the 2015s, one can anticipate that these are going to be big, blackberry and blueberry-laced wines, opaque in color, with loads of glycerin. The Helena Dakota will probably inch out the Helena Montana in terms of concentration, length and intensity by a slight degree, but both are mid-90-point wines that should have early drinkability windows because of their sucrosity and supple, sweet tannins, yet be capable of lasting 25-30 or more years. This is an up-and-coming star.

Exhibits huge body and massive concentration as well as a floral, blueberry, blackberry, cassis, creosote, and scorched earth-scented and flavored personality.

The Cabernet Franc-based 2012 Le Désir is the most aromatic and nuanced of these three 2012s. Savory herbs, mocha and spices meld into a core of punchy pomegranate and red stone fruit in a wine that is both silky and powerful. Here, too, readers can look forward to a long drinking window that will last two decades or so. In 2012, Le Désir is all about finesse.

Verite's 2010 Le Desir is the richest and most powerful of these wines. Cedar, tobacco, mocha and sweet spices all blossom in the glass. Blackberry jam, cassis, smoke, licorice and grilled herbs open up over time. Firm, structured and huge on the palate, the Desir is the most intense and opulent of the 2010s. It is likely to require the most time to come around. The blend is 50% Cabernet Franc, 40% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon. Anticipated maturity: 2015-2025.

A warm, redolent bouquet laced with Cabernet Franc infused notes of mocha, espresso and grilled herbs melds into layers of dark fruit as the 2010 La Muse opens up in the glass. The opulence of the Merlot comes through on the mid-palate as the wine literally explodes with a melange of blue/black fruits, graphite, melted road tar and asphalt. Over the last year, the 2010 has gained juiciness, but it is also less explosive than it was when I last tasted it. Then again, the wine has been in steel for about seven months, so that is understandable. Suave tannins round out the polished finish. In 2010 La Muse is 84% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Franc and 3% Cabernet Sauvignon. Seillan wasn't happy with the Malbec, so he dropped those components from the final blend. Anticipated maturity: 2015-2025.

Another outstanding wine in the making is the 2007 Le Desir. Its spicy perfume exhibits notes of roasted herbs, sweet black cherries and black currants, scorched earth, licorice, and toasty oak. Exceptionally concentrated and full-bodied but backward, it displays superb aging potential. As always, these are individualistic reds that should only be purchased by those with serious patience and cold cellars as they are not meant for near-term gratification. (Not yet released) With Bordeaux winemaker Pierre Seillan in charge, owner Jess Jackson has clearly positioned Verite as one of the two or three flagship wines in his impressive empire. These cuvees represent California versions of Bordeaux appellations, with the Merlot-dominated La Muse very Pomerol-like, the Cabernet Sauvignon-dominated La Joie a hypothetical California version of a Medoc, and the St.-Emilion look-alike, the Merlot and Cabernet Franc blend, Le Desir. These wines are fashioned from the finest Sonoma vineyard sites owned by Jackson, and are meant for long-term aging. In 2007, the Bordeaux varietals (Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, and Petit Verdot) grown in California’s North Coast exhibit sweet tannins as well as superb fragrance and purity. Yet, Verite’s wines are among the more structured, dense, and powerfully backward of the vintage.

The 2007 La Muse possesses oodles of mocha and espresso-infused black cherry and black currant fruit aromas, rich black fruits in the mouth, and loads of glycerin, fruit, and depth. Yet the tannins kick in in the back, and, in all likelihood, this 2007 will turn out to be as backward as the 2006. At this stage of development, it reminds me of a 2002, which turned out fabulous for Verite. (Not yet released) With Bordeaux winemaker Pierre Seillan in charge, owner Jess Jackson has clearly positioned Verite as one of the two or three flagship wines in his impressive empire. These cuvees represent California versions of Bordeaux appellations, with the Merlot-dominated La Muse very Pomerol-like, the Cabernet Sauvignon-dominated La Joie a hypothetical California version of a Medoc, and the St.-Emilion look-alike, the Merlot and Cabernet Franc blend, Le Desir. These wines are fashioned from the finest Sonoma vineyard sites owned by Jackson, and are meant for long-term aging. In 2007, the Bordeaux varietals (Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, and Petit Verdot) grown in California’s North Coast exhibit sweet tannins as well as superb fragrance and purity. Yet, Verite’s wines are among the more structured, dense, and powerfully backward of the vintage.

A dead ringer for a great vintage of St.-Emilion’s most expensive wine, Ausone, the 2005 Le Desir (49.9% Cabernet Franc, 39.3% Merlot, 8.7% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 2.1% Malbec) has an inky/purple color and a gorgeous nose of crushed rocks, violets, licorice, sweet black cherries, blackberries, and currants. The wine is full-bodied, like all of these wines, rich, but ferociously tannic and dominated by its mineral component. This is an exceptional wine that needs to be forgotten for at least 5-10 years and drunk thereafter. Whatever one says about Verite, these are wines with the aging potential and backwardness of a first-growth Bordeaux. Patience is most definitely a primary consideration when contemplating a purchase, as these are not wines for near-term gratification.

The opaque purple-colored 2002 La Muse ( a blend of extremely sweet, concentrated bouquet of blackberries, blueberries, melted licorice, and smoky oak. Notes of espresso, incense, and Asian spices also make an appearance in this full-bodied, voluptuously-textured, sensationally extracted 2002. It may be more forward, riper, and headier than the 2001. Enjoy it between 2005-2020.

The 2010 La Joie has all of the rich explosiveness it had last year. Grilled herbs, black fruit, smoke, tobacco, incense and graphite all take shape in the glass. Firm, structured tannins support the fruit in a wine that captures the essence of this fabulous, cool vintage. The 2010 continues to open up in the glass, showing gorgeous inner perfume and sweetness. Cassis, white flowers and violets add nuance on the opulent, mineral-infused finish. A super-ripe, racy wine, the 2010 La Joie should enjoy a wide window of drinkability. The blend is 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Merlot, 6% Petit Verdot and 5% Cabernet Franc. Anticipated maturity: 2015-2025.

(77% cabernet sauvignon, 9% each merlot and cabernet franc, 3% petit verdot and 2% malbec): Bright deep ruby. Nuanced nose offers black cherry, licorice, minerals and bitter chocolate. Dense black fruit flavors showcase the wine's explosive cabernet sauvignon element yet also convey a sense of medicinal reserve. The outstanding rising finish features noble, building tannins. Extremely suave wine in the making.

A barrel sample, the 2016 Hartford Court Chardonnay Fog Dance Vineyard delivers apple pie, pear tart and marzipan aromas with touches of baking bread and coriander seed. Medium-bodied, the palate is very finely crafted with elegant mineral and understated apple and pear flavors with a lively acid line, finishing on a mineral note.

The 2015 Chardonnay Stone Côte Vineyard comes from a block of Chardonnay within the well-known Durell Vineyard. It is fermented with indigenous yeast (as are all the Chardonnays) and kept in barrel 16-17 months before being bottled with absolutely no fining or filtering. The 2015 Stone Côte offers plenty of citrus oil, white flowers, crushed rock, and some tropical mango and pineapple. Lush, with great acidity, the very low yields of this vintage have added to its level of concentration. Anticipated maturity: now-2023.

The 2014 Chardonnay Far Coast Vineyard comes across like a grand cru Chevalier-Montrachet from France. Great minerality, loads of citrus oil, apple blossom, white peach and tangerine notes are all present in this wine aged in 35% new French oak. The wine has stunning concentration, a broad, savory palate, a full body and notes of tropical fruit emerge with further aging. This is another relatively small cuvée of about 12+ barrels of wine, or 310 cases. Drink it over the next 5-7 years.

A barrel sample, the 2016 Hartford Zinfandel Highwire Vineyard is deep garnet-purple in color, featuring baked red and black plums, stewed cherries and rhubarb pie with hints of hoisin, Chinese five spice and potpourri. Full-bodied and packed with spiced berry preserves layers, it has a chewy frame and a long, perfumed finish.

A barrel sample, the 2016 Hartford Zinfandel Dina's Vineyard is deep garnet-purple in color, delivering Christmas cake, plum pudding and preserved plums notes with hints of crushed rocks, forest floor and blueberry pie. Big, full, rich and very refreshing in the mouth, it has a pleasantly chewy texture and tons of dried berries and spice cake layers, finishing very long.

The energy and focus of this wine is excellent with blackberry, salt, chalk and stone aromas and flavors. Some tar, too. It’s medium-to full-bodied with fine, firm tannins and a long, flavorful finish.