About The Wine

Paso Robles is known for being the California wine region with few rules, and they like it that way there. It gives winemakers the freedom to follow their instincts rather than expectations or tradition. This mindset, along with the fantastic soils that sit under the vineyards of the Central California Coast region, make Paso just right for L’Aventure and its owner/winemaker Stephan Asseo.

Trained in France where he owned a winery in Bordeaux, Asseo felt confined by the rules of the region. So he left France and searched the globe for the right terroir for his next vineyards and winery, a region where he could craft world-class wine under his own rules. Asseo and his wife Beatrice decided Paso Robles was right for them, and they began their adventure making some of Paso’s finest wines in 1998.

The L’Aventure Optimus 2019 is primarily made of estate-grown Syrah with some Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot blended in. These grapes thrive in the calcareous soils of Paso Robles, created from millions of years of marine bones, shells, diatoms, and plankton turning into limestone. Under those soils sit clay, metals, and quartz. 

A long growing season with heavy diurnal shifts benefits the grapes that go into Optimus, too. After the grapes are harvested at their optimal ripeness, they undergo alcoholic fermentation in 89% new French oak and 11% 1-year-old French oak with full malolactic fermentation.

Aging: 14 months in barrel (41% 1-year-old French oak, 29% new French oak, 18% in concrete tank, and 12% in amphora)

Tasting Notes: 34% Grenache, 34% Syrah, and 32% Mourvedre.

Reviews

Another magical wine from this estate is the 2019 Côte à Côte, a blend of 34% each of Grenache and Mourvèdre, with the balance Syrah. Brought up in 29% new French oak, it boasts a dense purple color as well as incredible aromatics of blue fruits, smoked game, violets, black pepper, and spring flowers. One of those incredibly complex, nuanced wines that still brings depth and richness on the palate, it’s perfectly balanced, has ultra-fine tannins, and a gorgeous finish. It’s the finest vintage of Côte à Côte ever produced. Drink it over the coming 15+ years. | Stephan Asseo, who’s assisted more and more by assistant winemaker Patrick Davies, continues to keep his L’Aventure estate near the top of the pyramid in Paso Robles. This report looks at the 2019s and 2020s, and both appear to be beautiful vintages. The 2019s are some of the finest wines I’ve tasted at this estate and have a rare mix of power and vibrancy, with incredible aromatics and sensational purity and precision on the palate. ~100 Jeb Dunnuck

Blackberry, clove, walnut, and blueberry aromas follow through to a full-bodied palate with a solid core of fruit that is framed by toned tannins that together give length and presence. Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvedre. One-third of each. Better after 2025. ~96 James Suckling

***Free Shipping on 6 or More Bottles of this Wine***