Verite La Joie 2008

【美國頂級膜拜酒｜Sonoma土地，Bordeaux靈魂】

酒莊Verite位於加洲嘅Sonoma County，Verite一詞係法語中意為「真理」，寓意「詮釋土壤嘅真理，展示獨特風土嘅釀酒哲學」。雖然成立時間唔長，但Verite非常唔簡單，係同區眾多酒莊中，近年獲得最多滿分。

酒莊嘅葡萄園分佈於幾個不同山形地勢嘅山谷之中，另有多達40多種唔同嘅土壤，提供咗最好嘅環境俾唔同品種同嘅提子生長。最終有3款提子成為佢地嘅Signature，包括 Cabernet Sauvignon、Merlot以及 Cabernet Franc。

酒莊為每一款提子分別釀出獨立且有特色嘅酒款，最終產出 La Muse、 La Joie、Le Desir，人稱真理「三部曲」。

La Joie 比例佔最多Cabernet Sauvignon；有爆發力嘅Cab Sauv令人聯想起Pauillac區嘅風格。Le Desir 比例佔最多Cabernet Franc；甚有Saint Emilion嘅Style，花香誘人。La Muse 比例佔最多Merlot；參考Pomerol造法，造出平衡優雅嘅酒款。

三支酒自1998首年份以來，累積攞過Robert Parker Wine Advocate十幾個 100 分，係加州罕見嘅「全套滿分俱樂部」成員。

La Joie 2008 係Verite封神年份之一，RP99分！係呢一個冷熱濕交替嘅矛盾年份，呢支La Joie果味純淨、有石墨薄荷標誌性礦感，力量同優雅平衡得極好，係好多收藏家心目中嘅La Joie巔峰作。呢支酒香氣以黑醋栗、黑覆盆子、黑櫻桃為主，夾少許紅果點綴；伴隨薄荷、鼠尾草、煙草盒、石墨，以及花崗岩礦感。酒體宏大精緻，单宁強但絲滑唔粗，酸度生動托住果味，尾韻綿長絲質感。2016年起入適飲期，可飲到2040年。

TASTING NOTE BY WINE CRITICS

How much fun collectors will have comparing the 2007 and 2008 La Joies over the next three decades. A blend of 71% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Merlot and the rest Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Malbec (48% from Alexander Valley Mountain Estate, 34% from Chalk Hill and 18% from Knight’s Valley), the 2008 has similar technical numbers to the 2007 (a pH of 3.68 and 14.4% alcohol). Wonderful notes of roasted herbs, asphalt, black truffles, blackberries, cassis, camphor and subtle oak are present in the majestic aromatics. In the mouth, the wine is extraordinarily concentrated, pure and dense with amazing length. It is another 30-40 year wine that confirms the confidence the late Jess Jackson had in both his vineyard sources and his winemaker, Pierre Seillan.

RATING BY WINE CRITICS

99 Points by Robert Parker, Wine Advocate, 2011