January 27, 2023 - Great nose and smooth finish. Drink now.
August 14, 2022 - Fairly one note and SCREAMING Paso Robles. Slightly past it’s prime now with dusty blackberry and a thick, syrupy balsamic property to it.
July 11, 2020 - Still drinking well but not a thrilling as it was years ago. Who knows where this is going as it is a unique (and rare) blend from Stephan.
June 8, 2020 - I wanted a red wine that could stand alone after homemade GF peach pie; this was it: dense, sweet black fruit, nicely resolved tannins, and delicious to the last drop. Opened for an hour or so but should have decanted, as that would have taken care of the sediment: not so much sediment, but there is no benefit in ruining the final sips with black crud!
January 10, 2018 - My dinner companion requested “red, rich, and deep”; I obliged with this: the most flavorful iteration of Petit Verdot that I know. Popped and decanted. Very full-bodied, ripe, and on the slightly sweet side, but quite delicious. Drink or hold; should last at this level for a few years.
September 1, 2016 - Massive, ripe, and deep, tongue-coating. The L'Aventure style. I'd opened this and had a glass and a half and it showed well, even if I felt I had to try to coax something buried out of it through aggressive aeration. I made a mistake of capping and putting back in the cellar for a week without suctioning. It was still "good" but took on more of the soy, balsamic, brown sugar that can pop up in these very ripe, rich, high abv wines. Some may actually like these attributes, but I thought it came across a bit burnt. Anyway, not my typical style, but a hedonistic wine for those looking for a very nice bigger-is-better wine against rich roasted meats.
July 10, 2016 - Outstanding! Never expected this. Greatest L'Aventure to date rivaling the 2006 estate. Would love to have more of this.
March 27, 2016 - Fantastic wine. I do like the 10 better, but this is great. Everything that was said is very true. I think the secondary flavors played a bigger factor in this than most L'Aventure wines. It's really right up my alley.
February 26, 2016 - Awesome!
February 1, 2014 - Super Dark visually and almost thick. Heavy legs and nose of spice and slight vanilla. Still had slight tannin and alot of fruit. Good wine but not as good as when tasted at first release at the winery. Would drink now as I could see this wine getting almost candied with more age.