Somewhat out of sync, more tannin than I expected at this age, have enjoyed more in past. Balance between fruit at this phase and structure left me feeling confused.
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Double decanted //Taste after decanting had a very rough start and finish with tannins still dominating // After 90 minutes, (1) initial taste loaded with blackberry, dried cherries, ash and oak // (2) Middle taste layered in oak, and rosemary with the dark and dried fruit // (3) Finish had softer dark fruit with light almond and oak // Unusal blend percentages along w/a talented touch by the winemaker created a wine that still delivered 3 hours after decanting //
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intense, sweet, black fruits, floral smell, leather, smoke, new oak, strong tannin, full body, fruity but without elegant acidity, long lasting (2 hrs btl decant)
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A flight of three Optimi: 2010, 2009, 2007, consumed in that order. The 2007 was, like the others, smooth, rich, delicious and powerful; nevertheless, this was our third favorite of the trio. Our palates may have been a little bruised by then, however...
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My last of these and what a beautiful bottle. PnP. Dark fruits, cassis, earth. Beautiful balance with good acid and a tannic backbone that promises at least a few more years of good drinking. Makes me wonder why more winemakers do not make syrah/cab blends?
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Decanted this about three hours. Paired with leg of lamb. Opaque. Interesting nose. The syrah is very noticeable. Full bodied black and blue fruit still with some tannin and heat. Good blend to have with lamb. The cab added a touch of smoothness and finish, but to me took a back seat. Nice finish.
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This is reaching it's peak but still should last a few more years. A moderate amount of sediment shows the tannins have pretty much resolved and the wine seems to be as balanced as it can get. Still a bit rustic and the alcohol is more evident from its effect rather than from any heat on the pallet. The Cabernet is a bit easier to pick out at this point as well.
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Excellent, but a little rough at first: needs a couple of hours in the glass to soften up and blossom. This could easily go another two or three years, maybe even four or five.
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Drank over several days and it held pretty steady. In some ways I was a bit conflicted on this. I'd held it in good, but not perfect conditions for 5+ years with some seasonal temperature fluctuation and an average temperature in the low-mid 60s F, so aging is accelerated and not ideal. So when it showed nearly overripe to cooked elements, I attributed it to storage, yet even these elements weren't "off". This got pretty interesting for a massive fruit styled wine. Sure, the Syrah takes center stage with dark, rich fruits, fairly brooding, but hints of dark chocolate would pop in along with mint and eucalyptus, spices, and dry brush. This drinks better for my taste than most L'Aventure wines - I think I like the old Optimus better than their winex at 2x the price. Perhaps the relatively low 14.7% abv helps keep it in check?
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Rich and ripe with a good dose of sweet oak. I usually don't like this style at all, but this is clearly well made and was enjoyable. Tasted alongside the 2006 which was very similar.
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Drank at Goodman's Quite a variety of grapes in this. Rich powerful nose with lot's black fruit and vanilla. Deep smooth rich palate. Short length. Lovely on the approach but lacking something on the finish.
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I like it but it's not really in my wheelhouse. Dense and rich, seamless as always, the Syrah takes the lead in this inky black wine. However, to me it showed some confectionery elements and, though it could be said to have layers, still seemed fairly monolithic. Still, if you're in the mood for a big, fruit-driven wine that won't break the bank and is not overly extracted and oak sweet, this is a good bet.
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Tight when first poured, with a very dry finish, but opened up spectacularly with a bit of air, and was a marvelous pairing with Osso Bucco. Rich and fruity and a perfect balance to the richness of the dish.
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Needed decanting, but unable. Very tight right out of the bottle, quite a bit of heat. But opened up with some delightful fruit-forward aromas and flavors without overpowering the more subtle flavors in the wine. Very good bottle - needs great grilled meat to pair.
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Dark fruits and long finish. Med to full body. Had some heat. Needed time to settle and breathe. Decanted for about 1 hour. Became easier to drink and enjoyable after decanting.
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14.7% ABV. Opaque dark garnet in the glass and throwing lots of sediment. 45% Syrah, 40% Cabernet, 15% Petit Verdot. This bottle (PNP) is coming off as a little tannic/hard, but the ripe sweet black raspberry and black currant fruit is still tasty. No sure where this is headed.
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Dark fruit on the nose. Balanced palate with medium acid and fine tannins. Balance. I can see the french influence of Stephan Asseo. This wine is much better than my last bottle 2-3 years ago. Good now or could improve with short term ageing.
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Last time I had this wine I thought it was too young and I will wait a bit for the next one (a year & a half ago). The wine is better now, a little fuller and rounded out - but still, in my opinion needs a couple more years in the cellar is needed to really open this up...
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Opened for an hour; drank with dinner over the next three. Medium full body, deep purple-red in the glass. Disjointed at first: a rough jumble of red and black fruits, a slight alcohol note. After another hour, things came together nicely, indicating another year of two sideways might be helpful. Excellent, with potential.
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The first night it stayed pretty tight with drying tannins (drank 1+ glass). Second night after sitting with cork in it, the tannins were no longer drying and it had a seamless profile and was a delight to drink both with and without food. Quite a big profile on this, deep layers of fruit and spice along, smooth and silky; typical L'Aventure profile. Enjoyable, hedonistic, calls for pairing with robust dishes (though not necessarily high fat ones as this doesn't have much acid cut).
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Black and blue fruit with chocolate on the nose. Nice peppery fruit and violet on the palate with decent mouth feel and mineral. Alcohol certainly shows on the short/medium finish, but the wine offers enough that I don't mind it. IMO, I don't think this wine should be left much longer. Even though it's not a simple wine, it has a slightly slutty quality and I think that's its true nature. You don't want to lose that. I don't think it has the serious substance under the fruit to improve into a stately gentleman. If you want to age it another five+ years, you should have bought the Estate Cuvee. Paso's best middle-of-the-road wines like this one are very showy and fun, but their longevity is far from proven.
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Day one: A taste on P & P: harsh, disjointed. a little hot. Slow O'd fpr two hours, served over the next two. Assertive, but nkt showing a lot. Vacuvined. Day Two: Opaque to semi-translucent garnet rim. Black cherry, a hint of menthol; not giving up a lot. Cherry and plum on the palate; I think the Syrah+ Petit Verdot majority overwhelms the Cabernet Sauvignon.
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The wine appears to be aging less gracefully than on release. This is the 2nd bottle in a row for me with this experience and it was quite consistent. It has the full body and deep brooding nose of cassis, coffee and blue fruits, great mouthful of flavor however the tannins have turned dry and less pleasant than the younger version. Still a very good bottle of wine. This was the 1st year Stephan put the large amount of Petit Verdot in it and I think it's a trend that will continue. It made the wine remarkably fragrant on release and still is, but noticeably dry on the pallet. Possibly this is simply a stage where the fruits changing from...well fruit to more complex compounds and the dry tannins dominate for the time being. I'll follow Cellar Tracker notes to see if this is a drink now vintage or if there's improvement.
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Despite decanting the wine, it just didn't open up and the tannins kept it under tight control. The nose was great but the taste was more astringent than it should. The berry aromas did not unfold as much as the nose suggested they could.
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Second bottle. Dark, murky ruby/purple with medium viscosity in the glass. Dark chocolate, burnt toast, bramble, coffee and nail polish on the nose. Secondary pepper and vanilla. Full body, tight, over-oaked and not very integrated. Cocoa powder, blueberry, coffee, burnt toast and heat on the palate. Secondary pepper and dark green veggies. Medium-long finish. Opened-up for several hours. Bummer, have two more bottles that proly' aren't serviceable.
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Dark ruby/purple with medium viscosity in the glass. Liquid chocolate on the nose. Same on the palate with blueberry and coffee. Some oak and heat disjointment detract. Medium finish. Decadent, but not as much as the Estate Cuvée, nor the backbone necessary for pairing with chorizo and clams…not that I expected it to.
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Better than I remembered. Popped and poured at last minute with Ribs. Dark deep purple. Complex aromas of cocoa, vanilla and berries. Velvety, smooth mouth feel and great flavors of pine, vegetables, blueberries, and strawberries. Great bottle and so delicious.
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Consistent with prior notes. This wine is in it's youth but is harrd to keep away from. Big blackberry and spices...nice structure in that the tannnis provide just the rightamount of backbone. Score based on currant tastes but this will get even better, I think.
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Blackberry, currant, peppery spices, menthol, and pencil shavings on the nose. Earthy without being funky. Similar fruit on the palate, with pepper, mushroom, great acidity, and dusty tannins. Will age well.
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A tasty blend, showing off both its syrah and cabernet character. Fresh currant and blackberry, with some very pretty thyme herb and licorice. Persistent finish. A nice wine through and through and fair value.
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Still quite young, but an excellent wine, full of blackberry, blueberry and smoke. The flavors need a little time to fully integrate, so let it breathe for at least an hour if you open now.
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Yum. Decanted about 30 minutes before having with rib eye steak off the BBQ. Still young. Liquid blueberry for days. velvety mouth feel. deep purple color. a slightly bitter finish, but otherwise really good.
c - 4 a - 12 f - 16 o - 8
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L'Aventure Wine Tasting (Farpointe Cellar): The nose had lots of charcoal, plus some smoke, blackberry and cassis. The palate had good acidity, with blackberry, smoke, burnt wood, and some cassis on the finish.
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My best impression of this wine thus far. Also, first time trying after vinturi and healthy decant. Still young, but much more complex than the sickly sweet candied cherry that I got at winery and trade tastings.
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Really smooth nose with blackberry notes. Taste is a bit closed at this point, but still smooth with dark berries and a bit of some spice. Took some time to open up, so I'd recommend decanting at this point. Really enjoyed it though.
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14.7% ABV. Opaque black garnet in the glass with a hint of magenta at the rim. This Cabernet-Syrah blend showed light toast, black currant liqueur on the nose. Rich, full bodied with dark currant and black berry fruit on the palate. Somewhat youthful and closed, but then I've never opened a L'aventure and thought it was at or near peak. With contemplation, some crunchy red/black raspberry. Nice wine. Going to reload with some Mags.
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As good as I remember from the tasting room. Went last March 2009 and joined the club while there. For $35 - a great blend. Had at the end of the night and everyone liked it. A little young. A little hot, but still great. Dark purple color. Deep fruity flavors or red and black fruit. Smooth finish.
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Deeply colored with aromatics of dark fruit liqueur and a touch of creamy oak. Full bodied. Capable of laying down for awhile and maybe gaining complexity. Mona really liked this.
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4/29/2022 - capacious wrote: 87 Points
Maybe just an off bottle, liked this more in past, maybe my tastes evolved. Meh.
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3/9/2022 - Callybrian Likes this wine: 92 Points
Great notes of tobacco. Spicy syrah really stands out on this. Solid wine
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1/2/2022 - capacious Likes this wine: 89 Points
Somewhat out of sync, more tannin than I expected at this age, have enjoyed more in past. Balance between fruit at this phase and structure left me feeling confused.
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11/14/2020 - penguin3546 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Double decanted //Taste after decanting had a very rough start and finish with tannins still dominating //
After 90 minutes, (1) initial taste loaded with blackberry, dried cherries, ash and oak // (2) Middle taste layered in oak,
and rosemary with the dark and dried fruit // (3) Finish had softer dark fruit with light almond and oak // Unusal blend
percentages along w/a talented touch by the winemaker created a wine that still delivered 3 hours after decanting //
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8/12/2019 - Jimador wrote: 90 Points
Optimus never disappoints. Probably could go a couple more years in the cellar.
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2/23/2019 - cougarshk Likes this wine: 91 Points
intense, sweet, black fruits, floral smell, leather, smoke, new oak, strong tannin, full body, fruity but without elegant acidity, long lasting (2 hrs btl decant)
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5/29/2018 - prism wrote: 92 Points
A flight of three Optimi: 2010, 2009, 2007, consumed in that order. The 2007 was, like the others, smooth, rich, delicious and powerful; nevertheless, this was our third favorite of the trio. Our palates may have been a little bruised by then, however...
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3/12/2018 - RajivAyyangar wrote: 87 Points
Farewell to Choi (Peter's): Cab / Syrah / Petit Verdot blend from Paso.
Super-ripe black fruit. Damp earth. Heavy and inky. Tannic. New oak is prominent. Polished tannins. Some development but not that interesting.
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2/27/2018 - dsimmons Likes this wine: 94 Points
My last of these and what a beautiful bottle. PnP. Dark fruits, cassis, earth. Beautiful balance with good acid and a tannic backbone that promises at least a few more years of good drinking. Makes me wonder why more winemakers do not make syrah/cab blends?
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11/27/2017 - ogres3 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Very pleasant medium to full-bodied wine. Dark purple and black fruit. Smooth and integrated. Good finish.
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8/13/2017 - ogres3 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Decanted this about three hours. Paired with leg of lamb. Opaque. Interesting nose. The syrah is very noticeable. Full bodied black and blue fruit still with some tannin and heat. Good blend to have with lamb. The cab added a touch of smoothness and finish, but to me took a back seat. Nice finish.
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4/17/2017 - Dodo_Bellacourt wrote: 92 Points
A very nice bottle. Maybe a touch high AC but coming along beautifully.
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3/1/2017 - prism wrote: 92 Points
Popped and poured, followed over an hour with a meal. Tasty Cab-Syrah blend; air improves the smoothness. Drink or hold for another year or two.
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8/8/2016 - D.Callahan Likes this wine: 88 Points
This is reaching it's peak but still should last a few more years. A moderate amount of sediment shows the tannins have pretty much resolved and the wine seems to be as balanced as it can get. Still a bit rustic and the alcohol is more evident from its effect rather than from any heat on the pallet. The Cabernet is a bit easier to pick out at this point as well.
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6/13/2016 - Uncle John wrote: 92 Points
This needed a good hour of air to shine. Beautiful rich Paso blend. Nice balance of acid, tannins and fruit.
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12/12/2015 - prism wrote: 91 Points
Excellent, but a little rough at first: needs a couple of hours in the glass to soften up and blossom. This could easily go another two or three years, maybe even four or five.
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8/17/2015 - dsimmons Likes this wine: 90 Points
Pleasant bottle but I must admit I was expecting more.
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7/26/2015 - tward Likes this wine: 90 Points
Drank over several days and it held pretty steady. In some ways I was a bit conflicted on this. I'd held it in good, but not perfect conditions for 5+ years with some seasonal temperature fluctuation and an average temperature in the low-mid 60s F, so aging is accelerated and not ideal. So when it showed nearly overripe to cooked elements, I attributed it to storage, yet even these elements weren't "off". This got pretty interesting for a massive fruit styled wine. Sure, the Syrah takes center stage with dark, rich fruits, fairly brooding, but hints of dark chocolate would pop in along with mint and eucalyptus, spices, and dry brush. This drinks better for my taste than most L'Aventure wines - I think I like the old Optimus better than their winex at 2x the price. Perhaps the relatively low 14.7% abv helps keep it in check?
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7/4/2015 - PIntag wrote: 89 Points
Rich and ripe with a good dose of sweet oak. I usually don't like this style at all, but this is clearly well made and was enjoyable. Tasted alongside the 2006 which was very similar.
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5/5/2015 - RayOB wrote: 89 Points
Drank at Goodman's
Quite a variety of grapes in this. Rich powerful nose with lot's black fruit and vanilla. Deep smooth rich palate. Short length. Lovely on the approach but lacking something on the finish.
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2/13/2015 - Uncle John wrote: 91 Points
Beautiful Paso blend of 45% Syrah, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 15% Petit Verdot. Lots of dark fruit with mild acidity and tannins. In a good spot now.
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10/25/2014 - tward Likes this wine:
I like it but it's not really in my wheelhouse. Dense and rich, seamless as always, the Syrah takes the lead in this inky black wine. However, to me it showed some confectionery elements and, though it could be said to have layers, still seemed fairly monolithic. Still, if you're in the mood for a big, fruit-driven wine that won't break the bank and is not overly extracted and oak sweet, this is a good bet.
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10/5/2014 - silbakor wrote: 92 Points
Tight when first poured, with a very dry finish, but opened up spectacularly with a bit of air, and was a marvelous pairing with Osso Bucco. Rich and fruity and a perfect balance to the richness of the dish.
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12/31/2013 - prism wrote: 91 Points
Really just a taste, but everyone seemed to enjoy it. Big and none too subtle, but very nice Paso fruit.
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10/7/2013 - Feig wrote: 92 Points
lovely wine. nose or fresh cut grass, well balanced, red fruits. Sexy.
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8/10/2013 - docjavadude Likes this wine: 90 Points
Needed decanting, but unable. Very tight right out of the bottle, quite a bit of heat. But opened up with some delightful fruit-forward aromas and flavors without overpowering the more subtle flavors in the wine. Very good bottle - needs great grilled meat to pair.
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6/15/2013 - gfm10 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Dark fruits and long finish. Med to full body. Had some heat. Needed time to settle and breathe. Decanted for about 1 hour. Became easier to drink and enjoyable after decanting.
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6/7/2013 - Justin B wrote: 93 Points
Drinking wonderfully now.
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4/6/2013 - OneLastSyrah wrote: 90 Points
14.7% ABV. Opaque dark garnet in the glass and throwing lots of sediment. 45% Syrah, 40% Cabernet, 15% Petit Verdot. This bottle (PNP) is coming off as a little tannic/hard, but the ripe sweet black raspberry and black currant fruit is still tasty. No sure where this is headed.
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3/21/2013 - christophee wrote: 86 Points
Third bottle. Same notes as before and still doubting it will integrate. Nice floral notes on back, if you can get over its tight, bitterness.
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3/7/2013 - Uncle John wrote: 92 Points
Dark fruit on the nose. Balanced palate with medium acid and fine tannins. Balance. I can see the french influence of Stephan Asseo. This wine is much better than my last bottle 2-3 years ago. Good now or could improve with short term ageing.
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1/6/2013 - Bob & Sue Atlanta wrote: 93 Points
Last time I had this wine I thought it was too young and I will wait a bit for the next one (a year & a half ago). The wine is better now, a little fuller and rounded out - but still, in my opinion needs a couple more years in the cellar is needed to really open this up...
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12/21/2012 - prism wrote: 91 Points
Opened for an hour; drank with dinner over the next three. Medium full body, deep purple-red in the glass. Disjointed at first: a rough jumble of red and black fruits, a slight alcohol note. After another hour, things came together nicely, indicating another year of two sideways might be helpful. Excellent, with potential.
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11/24/2012 - capacious Likes this wine: 92 Points
Central coast is what we drive past on way from LA to Napa- think next time we will stop- if this one has similar neighbors, we have been missing out
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8/19/2012 - tward wrote: 90 Points
The first night it stayed pretty tight with drying tannins (drank 1+ glass). Second night after sitting with cork in it, the tannins were no longer drying and it had a seamless profile and was a delight to drink both with and without food. Quite a big profile on this, deep layers of fruit and spice along, smooth and silky; typical L'Aventure profile. Enjoyable, hedonistic, calls for pairing with robust dishes (though not necessarily high fat ones as this doesn't have much acid cut).
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8/17/2012 - DollarMenunaire wrote: 90 Points
Black and blue fruit with chocolate on the nose. Nice peppery fruit and violet on the palate with decent mouth feel and mineral. Alcohol certainly shows on the short/medium finish, but the wine offers enough that I don't mind it. IMO, I don't think this wine should be left much longer. Even though it's not a simple wine, it has a slightly slutty quality and I think that's its true nature. You don't want to lose that. I don't think it has the serious substance under the fruit to improve into a stately gentleman. If you want to age it another five+ years, you should have bought the Estate Cuvee. Paso's best middle-of-the-road wines like this one are very showy and fun, but their longevity is far from proven.
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4/14/2012 - GlenviewGSW wrote: 89 Points
Good but a tad out of balance from an acidity perspective
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3/20/2012 - danielbleier wrote: 92 Points
consistent with notes of 9-26-2010. Still young but lovely.
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2/20/2012 - tward wrote: 89 Points
As always with L'Aventure a seamless profile with no rough edges, lush, and fruit-centered. A very enjoyable wine.
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2/5/2012 - prism wrote: 88 Points
Day one: A taste on P & P: harsh, disjointed. a little hot. Slow O'd fpr two hours, served over the next two. Assertive, but nkt showing a lot. Vacuvined.
Day Two: Opaque to semi-translucent garnet rim. Black cherry, a hint of menthol; not giving up a lot. Cherry and plum on the palate; I think the Syrah+ Petit Verdot majority overwhelms the Cabernet Sauvignon.
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12/30/2011 - cubswinws wrote: 88 Points
Big burley and one dimensional. A lot there to like but needs more time.
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12/19/2011 - taho wrote: 89 Points
Needs a lot of time to breath. Leave open for at least an hour, longer would be better.
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12/13/2011 - dino_mike wrote: 86 Points
The wine appears to be aging less gracefully than on release. This is the 2nd bottle in a row for me with this experience and it was quite consistent. It has the full body and deep brooding nose of cassis, coffee and blue fruits, great mouthful of flavor however the tannins have turned dry and less pleasant than the younger version. Still a very good bottle of wine. This was the 1st year Stephan put the large amount of Petit Verdot in it and I think it's a trend that will continue. It made the wine remarkably fragrant on release and still is, but noticeably dry on the pallet. Possibly this is simply a stage where the fruits changing from...well fruit to more complex compounds and the dry tannins dominate for the time being. I'll follow Cellar Tracker notes to see if this is a drink now vintage or if there's improvement.
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11/11/2011 - Ltomanek wrote: 88 Points
Despite decanting the wine, it just didn't open up and the tannins kept it under tight control. The nose was great but the taste was more astringent than it should. The berry aromas did not unfold as much as the nose suggested they could.
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10/14/2011 - christophee wrote: 86 Points
Second bottle. Dark, murky ruby/purple with medium viscosity in the glass. Dark chocolate, burnt toast, bramble, coffee and nail polish on the nose. Secondary pepper and vanilla. Full body, tight, over-oaked and not very integrated. Cocoa powder, blueberry, coffee, burnt toast and heat on the palate. Secondary pepper and dark green veggies. Medium-long finish. Opened-up for several hours. Bummer, have two more bottles that proly' aren't serviceable.
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7/24/2011 - SW-BCG Likes this wine: 95 Points
The wine was sensational. Wish I had more.....great by itself or with food.
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7/3/2011 - christophee Likes this wine: 88 Points
Dark ruby/purple with medium viscosity in the glass. Liquid chocolate on the nose. Same on the palate with blueberry and coffee. Some oak and heat disjointment detract. Medium finish. Decadent, but not as much as the Estate Cuvée, nor the backbone necessary for pairing with chorizo and clams…not that I expected it to.
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2/26/2011 - Amerique wrote: 94 Points
Beautifully rich, elegant cab/syrah blend, loads of blackberry and black cherry fruit with chocolate and herb flavors, great QPR wine!
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1/28/2011 - joedv8s wrote: 92 Points
Quite the surprise to find on a restaurant menu for $65.00
So we bought 2.
Lovely wine pure Paso
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1/15/2011 - schnittle wrote: 91 Points
Better than I remembered. Popped and poured at last minute with Ribs. Dark deep purple. Complex aromas of cocoa, vanilla and berries. Velvety, smooth mouth feel and great flavors of pine, vegetables, blueberries, and strawberries. Great bottle and so delicious.
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12/21/2010 - Amerique wrote: 93 Points
Terrific QPR
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9/26/2010 - danielbleier wrote: 92 Points
Consistent with prior notes. This wine is in it's youth but is harrd to keep away from. Big blackberry and spices...nice structure in that the tannnis provide just the rightamount of backbone. Score based on currant tastes but this will get even better, I think.
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9/4/2010 - cartime wrote: 92 Points
Blackberry, currant, peppery spices, menthol, and pencil shavings on the nose. Earthy without being funky. Similar fruit on the palate, with pepper, mushroom, great acidity, and dusty tannins. Will age well.
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9/3/2010 - pgm wrote: 91 Points
A tasty blend, showing off both its syrah and cabernet character. Fresh currant and blackberry, with some very pretty thyme herb and licorice. Persistent finish. A nice wine through and through and fair value.
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8/6/2010 - danielbleier wrote: 92 Points
Still quite young, but an excellent wine, full of blackberry, blueberry and smoke. The flavors need a little time to fully integrate, so let it breathe for at least an hour if you open now.
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6/14/2010 - schnittle wrote: 90 Points
Yum. Decanted about 30 minutes before having with rib eye steak off the BBQ. Still young. Liquid blueberry for days. velvety mouth feel. deep purple color. a slightly bitter finish, but otherwise really good.
c - 4
a - 12
f - 16
o - 8
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3/12/2010 - bambam wrote: 92 Points
Nice nose of fruits, forrest, and a little pepper. Some nice acidity which suggests this has many good years ahead. Pleasurable.
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3/7/2010 - mattdathan wrote: 93 Points
A great blend. Strong, richly complex nose - intense blackcurrant, and then what a taste and long finish!
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2/28/2010 - Amerique wrote: 93 Points
Delicious blackberry/black cherry fruit, excellent structure, more open and accessible than when previously tasted, slight sweetness
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2/10/2010 - mmurry wrote: 92 Points
L'Aventure Wine Tasting (Farpointe Cellar): The nose had lots of charcoal, plus some smoke, blackberry and cassis. The palate had good acidity, with blackberry, smoke, burnt wood, and some cassis on the finish.
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1/8/2010 - Amerique wrote: 90 Points
Blackberry/cherry fruit, very tight, strong tannins, wine needs time to open up
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12/31/2009 - kanab ram wrote:
A monster of a wine with lots of black fruit and great potential. Needs more time for tannins to soften and components to integrate.
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12/16/2009 - sachsen wrote: 92 Points
My best impression of this wine thus far. Also, first time trying after vinturi and healthy decant. Still young, but much more complex than the sickly sweet candied cherry that I got at winery and trade tastings.
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11/25/2009 - Justin B wrote: 92 Points
Really smooth nose with blackberry notes. Taste is a bit closed at this point, but still smooth with dark berries and a bit of some spice. Took some time to open up, so I'd recommend decanting at this point. Really enjoyed it though.
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11/15/2009 - OneLastSyrah wrote: 93 Points
14.7% ABV. Opaque black garnet in the glass with a hint of magenta at the rim. This Cabernet-Syrah blend showed light toast, black currant liqueur on the nose. Rich, full bodied with dark currant and black berry fruit on the palate. Somewhat youthful and closed, but then I've never opened a L'aventure and thought it was at or near peak. With contemplation, some crunchy red/black raspberry. Nice wine. Going to reload with some Mags.
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9/7/2009 - schnittle wrote: 89 Points
As good as I remember from the tasting room. Went last March 2009 and joined the club while there. For $35 - a great blend. Had at the end of the night and everyone liked it. A little young. A little hot, but still great. Dark purple color. Deep fruity flavors or red and black fruit. Smooth finish.
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6/5/2009 - OneLastSyrah wrote: 92 Points
Deeply colored with aromatics of dark fruit liqueur and a touch of creamy oak. Full bodied. Capable of laying down for awhile and maybe gaining complexity. Mona really liked this.
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