2002 Verite La Joie

Verite, in Sonoma County, was started by Jess Jackson in 1998. Jackson, who died in 2010, was a legend in California winemaking, having started the Kendall-Jackson label in the 1980s. Kendall-Jackson’s Chardonnay became extremely successful during the 1980s, and Jackson went on to acquire or found numerous more wineries in California and France. With Verite, he wanted to make Bordeaux style reds and he brought in French winemaker Pierre Seillan to make his Verite wines. Today Verite produces three blends that each earn high praise from reviewers. Robert M. Parker Jr. has often awarded the wines 96 to 100 pts.

North Coast AVA includes California’s most prestigious sub-appellations and vineyards. The three million acre area includes vineyards in six counties north of San Francisco and nearly 50 sub-appellations. The Napa Valley and Sonoma County AVAs are just two of the renowned sub-appellations included in the North Coast designation, which also includes the AVAs Diamond Mountain District, Howell Mountain, Oakville, Stag’s Leap and Rutherford, which are all among the most acclaimed wine producing districts in California. The North Coast AVA designation is generally used for wines made by blending grapes grown in several counties or AVAs. The appellation includes part of the counties of Napa, Sonoma, Mendocino, Marin, Solano and Lake.