2018 Le Desir
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Tasting notes
82% Cabernet Franc, 12% Merlot, 6% Malbec. Deep ruby colour. Brilliant nose: graphite, cedar, red flowers, bright fruit and then a fullness of spice and fleshy darker cherry. The palate follows, bringing bright crunch and seductive flesh in equal measure. Deep and expansive through the mid-palate. Layers of spice are both sweet and savoury – with the woody herbal notes of Cabernet Franc very impressive. Harmonious, elegant and long. A brilliant example of this underappreciated variety! (TP)
Critic scores
Average Score
Tom Parker MW, jancisrobinson.com
Jeb Dunnuck
More reviews and scores
The Cabernet Franc blend of the trio, the 2018 Le Desir is 82% Cabernet Franc, 12% Merlot, and 6% Malbec, and as with all these wines, it was brought up in new barrels. Ruby/purple and not completely opaque, it offers up a classic Cabernet Franc nose of mostly red fruits, spring flowers, damp earth, cedary spices, and truffle. Medium to full-bodied on the palate, it shines for its incredible elegance and purity more than outright power, yet it still brings plenty of richness. With ultra-fine tannins, perfect balance, and one heck of a great finish, it's another great, great wine from this estate.
Composed of 82% Cabernet Franc, 12% Merlot and 6% Malbec, the 2018 Le Désir was aged for 16 months in 100% new French oak. Deep garnet-purple in color, it is a little closed to begin, soon unfurling to offer glimpses at notes of kirsch, raspberry preserves and mulberry scents, plus hints of cedar chest, crushed rocks, bay leaves, Sichuan pepper and lavender with a waft of sandalwood. The medium to full-bodied palate has tons of freshness to support the melange of preserved red and black fruits, textured by grainy tannins, finishing with a lingering peppery kick. It may require just a little more time to come around than the La Joie and La Muse, and then I suspect this beauty is going to reward the patient.
Cabernet Franc dominant, with touches of raspberry leaf, rosemary and sage, mouthwatering acidities. A lovely tension and grip runs right through the palate. Floral edged with peony and curled woodsmoke highlights the depth through the core. Deftly made by Pierre Seillan, showcasing an excellent lightness of touch without sacrificing tension, and for me the most successful of the three in this vintage.
About the producer
The winery was the dream of Jess Jackson, the man who founded the incredibly successful Jackson Family Wines. He, however, wanted to produce truly fine wine in Sonoma County.