L'Aventure 2018 Estate Cuvee Red, Paso Robles

Stephan Asseo, owner and winemaker at L'Aventure Winery, began making wine in 1982, following his education at L'Ecole Oenologique de Macon, Burgundy, France. In that same year, Stephan established Domaine de Courteillac in Bordeaux. He and his family later purchased Chateau Fleur Cardinal and Chateau Robin in the Cotes de Castillion, Bordeaux. Over the next 15 years, Stephan developed into an artisan winemaker of fastidious craftsmanship and gained a reputation as a maverick vigneron.

In 1998 after searching for over a year among the world's great wine regions for the next chapter in his winemaking career he founded L'Aventure in Paso Robles. The rolling topography of the Santa Lucia Mountain Range, the deep calcareous soils, and the maritime influences of the renowned Templeton Gap all combine to produce a world class wine country, with the potential to craft some of the world's greatest blends.

This wine is the Estate Cuvee which offers the best representation of the Willow Creek District terroir. The grapes are sourced entirely from the estate L'Aventure Vineyard at very low yield of just 1.5 to 2 tons per acre. The blend is 45% Syrah, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Petit Verdot. The wine aged for 15 months in 90% new French oak and 10% 1-year-old French oak and was bottled without fining or filtering.

Jeb Dunnuck scored this a perfect 100 points saying "The 2018 Estate Cuvee checks 45% Syrah, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Petit Verdot brought up in 90% new French oak. Tasting like the straight Cab, yet with more sex appeal, it offers a huge nose of crème de cassis, white flowers, crushed stone, graphite, and crushed flowers. This carries to a full-bodied, gorgeously textured red with incredible balance, no hard edges, a thrilling mid-palate, and a great, great finish. It's going to benefit from 5-6 years of bottle age and keep for upwards of two decades or more. Hats off to winemaker Stephan Asseo on another incredible wine, as well as, I suspect the wine of the vintage."

James Suckling scored this 96 points saying "Blackberry and black-walnut aromas with dried meat and spice, following through to a full-bodied yet tight and tannic palate with a smoky and spicy undertone. Linear and firm tannins give it length and focus. 45% syrah, 40% cabernet sauvignon and 15% petit verdot. Better after 2024."

The Wine Advocate scored this 95 points saying "The 2018 Estate Cuvée is made up of 45% Syrah, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Petit Verdot aged in 90% new French oak. Deep ruby-purple, the nose takes some time to unfurl to touches of cast-iron pan, tar, turned earth, cassis and blueberry pie with floral top notes. The palate is full-bodied with lush, mineral-tinged fruits in a firm frame, lifted by surprising freshness and finishing long and perfumed. Give it another 3-5 years in bottle."
Extremely Limited!!