2016 L Aventure Estate Cuvée
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S$18697
Vintage : 2016 | Rhone Blend
Region : Paso Robles
Country: USA
About Winery
L'Aventure was founded in 1998 by a French winemaker, Stephan Asseo. After Stephan graduated enology school in Burgundy, the Asseo family bought their first estate, Domaine de Courteillac, in the Bordeaux area in 1982. Later, the family purchased additional properties: Chateau Robin and Chateau Fleur-Cardinale in Saint-Emilion. Stephan raised these properties to a level of great quality, while managing some other well-established domaines such as Chateau Guillot-Clauzel in Pomerol and Chateau Corbin in St Emilion.
Stephan saw in the New World a unique opportunity to expand his experience, while gaining more freedom in viticulture and vinification. He began by looking all over California for land, including Napa/Sonoma and Santa Barbara counties, but it was the terroir and climate of Paso Robles that impressed him the most.
L'Aventure is located on the west side of Paso Robles in the Willow Creek District. The 127-acre property with 57 acres planted, is comprised of multiple hills of various elevation and complex soils. Because of its proximity to the ocean, the vineyard has clear warm days and drastic cool nighttime temperatures which increases the time of the grape’s maturation cycle providing fruit that creates a more complex and balanced wine. Stephan’s choice of this lean terroir provides him with the fruit necessary to create wine with a good balance between alcohol and acidity. The resulting wines are full and rich yet well balanced and elegant.
About Winery
L'Aventure was founded in 1998 by a French winemaker, Stephan Asseo. After Stephan graduated enology school in Burgundy, the Asseo family bought their first estate, Domaine de Courteillac, in the Bordeaux area in 1982. Later, the family purchased additional properties: Chateau Robin and Chateau Fleur-Cardinale in Saint-Emilion. Stephan raised these properties to a level of great quality, while managing some other well-established domaines such as Chateau Guillot-Clauzel in Pomerol and Chateau Corbin in St Emilion.
Stephan saw in the New World a unique opportunity to expand his experience, while gaining more freedom in viticulture and vinification. He began by looking all over California for land, including Napa/Sonoma and Santa Barbara counties, but it was the terroir and climate of Paso Robles that impressed him the most.
L'Aventure is located on the west side of Paso Robles in the Willow Creek District. The 127-acre property with 57 acres planted, is comprised of multiple hills of various elevation and complex soils. Because of its proximity to the ocean, the vineyard has clear warm days and drastic cool nighttime temperatures which increases the time of the grape’s maturation cycle providing fruit that creates a more complex and balanced wine. Stephan’s choice of this lean terroir provides him with the fruit necessary to create wine with a good balance between alcohol and acidity. The resulting wines are full and rich yet well balanced and elegant.
99 points Jeb Dunnuck
A wine that flirts with perfection is the 2016 Estate Cuvée, which is 52% Syrah, 32% Cabernet Sauvignon, and the balance Petit Verdot, all of which spent 15 months in new French oak. Deep ruby/purple-colored, with a masculine bouquet of crème de cassis, graphite, liquid rock-like minerality, and lead pencil shavings, it reminds me of a top 2010 Pomerol with its opulence, power, and purity. Hitting the palate with full body, a layered, seamless, multi-dimensional texture, and present yet polished tannins, this beauty is one of the finest examples of this cuvée yet produced.
99 Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
52% Syrah, 32% Cabernet Sauvignon and 16% Petit Verdot, the 2016 Estate Cuvee is all black cherries, crème de cassis and chocolate box on the nose with a Chinese five spice and potpourri undercurrent. The full-bodied palate is rich, opulent and firmly structured, with great purity and depth, finishing with lingering spice and dried herbs notes.
Range: (97-99)+
96 points Vinous
Vivid purple. A highly complex bouquet evokes ripe dark fruit, exotic spices and flowers, along with suggestions of incense, vanilla, pipe tobacco and candied licorice. Stains the palate with deep-pitched dark berry liqueur, spicecake and rose pastille flavors sharpened by a late jolt of juicy acidity. Impressively concentrated but lively too, showing superb delineation on the floral-accented finish, which is framed by dusty tannins that are quickly absorbed by the wine's dense fruit. (JR)
