L'Aventure - Estate Cuvée - Paso Robles 2017

L'Aventure - Estate Cuvée - Paso Robles 2017

- 49% Syrah, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Petit Verdot
- 100% estate grown fruit from L’Aventure Vineyard
- 90% new French oak and 10% 1-year-old French oak, with malolactic fermentation in barrel
- Length of aging: 15 months
- No fining, no filtering

Stephan Asseo, owner and winemaker at L’Aventure Winery, began making wine in 1982 when he established Domaine Courteillac in Bordeaux. He and his family later purchased Chateau Fleur Cardinal (Saint-Emilion Grand Cru) and Chateau Robin (Cotes de Castillion). Over the next 15 years, Stephan developed into an artisan winemaker of fastidious craftsmanship, and gained a reputation as a maverick vigneron. However, his true desire was to be more innovative than AOC law would allow. In 1996, this led him on a quest for a great terroir, where he could pursue his ideal as a winemaker. After searching for over a year among the world’s great wine fields, Stephan found Paso Robles. He immediately “fell in love” with the unique terroir. The rolling topography of the Santa Lucia Mountain Range, the deep calcareous soils, and the maritime influence 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. It is here, in Paso Robles, that Stephan began his adventure, “L’Aventure”. His winemaking vision has quickly resulted in wines which have earned high scores and critical acclaim.

Last year, The Thienot family takes over a share in L’Aventure Winery. According to Stanislas Thiénot, “it’s a true partnership between two families who share common values. Great wine terroirs expression, our vision of the future and our independence of spirit led us to this alliance.”

2017 is what Stephan considers a classic vintage. The harvest was not too short nor too long. It was generally a cooler vintage early on with heat coming on in early September which accelerated the harvest.

“In the 2017s are the perfect proof that big wine in terms of concentration doesn’t necessarily mean the best wine. They are a touch less dense (but still big) than the 2016s with a lot of balance and elegance. In other words, I would describe my 2017 as “classic”. There is a lot of fruit, a lot of pleasure and while the wines are firm, they are also quite silky. The 2017s are super expressive and very distinct, and while they are already approachable I can only imagine what a few more years in bottle will do.” - Stephan Asseo