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.