The "Pétrus of California" Vérité Latest Vintage Unveiled by AWC

LONDON, October 7, 2014 /PRNewswire/ --

Last night, international fine wine and spirits merchant AWC hosted an exclusive tasting dinner at AWC Wine Academy in conjunction with renowned Sonoma producer, Vérité. Guests at the invitation-only dinner were given the privileged opportunity to be the first individuals in the UK to taste the 2011 vintage, the latest to be released by the producer. The event was co-hosted by Barbara Banke, Chair of Jackson Family Wines, the company she co-founded with her late husband, wine icon Jess Jackson.

Vérité is one of Sonoma's most exceptional wine estates. It was originally founded in the 1990s by Jackson who challenged French winemaker Pierre Seillan to produce a North American wine 'as good as Château Pétrus'. The result was a trilogy of fine wines that showcase elegance, structure and longevity, reminiscent of Bordeaux, while still expressing the characteristics of the cool, mountainside vineyards of Sonoma.

The three, famous Vérité cuvées, each styled after a particular region in Bordeaux are:

La Muse: Jacksons' original cuvée, inspired directly by the great wines of Pomerol.

La Joie: A Cabernet Sauvignon dominated blend reminiscent of the very top crus of the Medoc, particularly those of Pauillac.

Le Désir: Cabernet Franc plays the biggest role with this Saint-Émilion-style blend, very much in the style of Château Cheval-Blanc

Lauded by critics, the wines regularly receive rave reviews. In an historic moment, wine critic Robert Parker, Jr., has announced seven, 100 Point ratings for Vérité's three blends: the first time a Sonoma County winery has ever received this many perfect scores. These highly-acclaimed wines are a unique confluence of old world experience and new world fruit that are able to rival the best in the world.  Accordingly, the producer has created exclusively for AWC a special, limited-edition case, The Vérité '595' Collection. 595 refers to the total number of points awarded to the six wines included in the case by Robert Parker, as the case includes one bottle of each cuvée from the widely regarded 2004 and 2007 vintages.

The guests, a select group of AWC's enthusiastic clients, enjoyed all six of these wines, as well as the 2011 vintage, served with a magnificent dinner prepared by AWC's in-house chef Antonia Bellini. The dinner took place in AWC's Marylebone tasting room (AWC Wine Academy), which is a facility designed to enable winemakers to present their wines in a luxurious and professional setting via a state of the art audio-visual system, dedicated lighting, and high quality Riedel glassware.  

Stephen Williams, founder and CEO of AWC, comments: "We have been huge fans of Vérité wines since their earliest vintages and believe that they deserve a place in every connoisseur's cellar. They are just beginning to gain a loyal following here in the UK and we feel privileged to be able to offer some of our most valued clients the chance to enjoy the 2011 vintage before anyone else in the country. At AWC we make it our place to be more than just a merchant and to always offer our clients wine experiences and purchasing opportunities that we know they will love."  

http://www.awc-wine.com 

About AWC 

AWC is a luxury wine and spirits company that was originally established 25 years ago by current CEO Stephen Williams. From its headquarters in London and its two sales offices in Asia, AWC supplies fine wine to private individuals, hotels, restaurants, and the global wine trade.

While maintaining a passion for antique vintages, the company's product range is principally composed of contemporary vintages which are capable of becoming the antiques of the future. Irrespective of vintage, the company only trades in exceptionally fine wine.

Internationally recognised as experts in the fine wine industry, AWC's exclusive stocks and services are highly sought-after. The company routinely manages, provides advice on and actively supports wine cellars that are held in châteaux, palaces, grand hotels and exclusive, private residences worldwide.

In 2013 AWC Global PLC, a UK Public Limited Company, became the ultimate parent of AWC's regional trading entities and it is currently engaged in a multi-year programme of expansion into traditional and emerging fine wine and spirits markets around the globe.

As a company, AWC is uniquely positioned amongst international wine merchants due to its long-standing sourcing and customer relationships, its strong brand image, the facilities provided at its global headquarters in London, and its substantial stock holdings. The company has invested in an operational infrastructure that enables it to provide the highest level of efficiency and personalised client services.

SOURCE AWC