L'Aventure - Chloe - Paso Robles 2019

Jeb DUNNUCK

98

byJeb Dunnuckthe9/30/2021

A straight beast of a wine, the 2019 Chloe offers blockbuster levels of black and blue fruits as well as notes of graphite, ground pepper, and crushed rock. Based on a co-fermented blend of 69% Syrah, 23% Grenache, and 8% Viognier that saw a slightly shorter maceration than normal, this inky hued, full-bodied, massive 2019 still somehow stays flawlessly balanced and elegant on the palate. It’s going to take 5-7 years or more of bottle age, but it’s a brilliant, heavenly wine.

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.

98+/100

Jeb DUNNUCK

96-98

byJeb Dunnuckthe9/1/2020

I always love this cuvée. The 2019 Chloe (two-thirds Syrah and one-third Grenache) boasts a deep purple hue as well as gorgeous notes of spring flowers, violets, ground pepper, and both blue and black fruit. More straight and focused than the Cote a Cote, which is slightly more exuberant and sexy, this beautiful blend will benefit from 2-3 years of bottle age and keep for 10-15 years or more.