TENGOAL | Fine Wine


You have described yourself as a “servant of the soil”. What do you look for in the earth in order to grow vines? “The wines of Vérité, French for “truth,” are the result of a combination of old-world experience and new world fruit. Each wine is a distinct blend of unique components harvested from small vineyard blocks, culminating in a meticulously formed union of grape varieties, climate, soil, expression and winemaking technique. I refer to this methodology as droit du sol, “right of the soil.” and I describe myself as a “vigneron” and the variety of the terroirs I source from is significant.”


“The creation of a great wine takes a long time,


so you need to anticipate long-term climate patterns as well”


You are renowned for your micro-cru philosophy. How do you explain it to a lay person? “I use


the term micro-cru to define


my approach, which is indicative of each particular plot within an already outstanding vineyard. I carefully craft each blend from a mosaic of more than 50 different soil types, across four different appellations: Alexander Valley, Bennett Valley, Chalk Hill and Knights Valley. Vérité wines – the official red wines of Guards Polo Club – represent a blend of micro-crus from these mountain vineyards. Each micro- cru is harvested and fermented separately, then aged in French oak barrels of various custom toasts. I tailor my winemaking


techniques and oak regimens to the personality of each lot. This provides me with hundreds of unique components to form the architecture of the Vérité wines – La Muse, La Joie and Le Désir.”


What was it about the Sonoma County in California, USA, that so inspired you? “Vérité embodies the timeless traditions of France and the limitless possibilities of California. Sonoma County is one of the most diverse winegrowing regions on earth. Due to the influence of the Pacific Ocean, the climate flows from west to east, rather than from north to south. The eastern inland appellations are warm, dry, and ideal for Bordeaux varieties, such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc. The


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