That’s an apropos title to today’s post, given that L’Aventure literally means “the adventure.” Take it from me, today’s wine was all that and more!
Sought out for its proximity to the Pacific Ocean and its rolling hills, L’Aventure’s 127 acres have been skillfully planted and maintained, leading to what I can only describe as a near-perfect wine.
L'Aventure "Estate Cuvée" Paso Robles 2014
Attesting to that is at least one other reviewer who gave it a 98-point review when released. After 10 years, it has only gotten better. Formed from 100% Estate-grown fruit under low yields, this blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Syrah, and 15% Petit Verdot undergoes 15 months of aging in 100% New French Oak, culminating in its bottling using no fining or filtering.
The wine after 10 years emerges still as a weighty wine comprised of dark black and blue fruit, an earthy quality yet still allowing the flavors of the Syrah to come through. There is nice acidity and softness to the tannins that bring this wine to a satisfying, long, and smooth finish.
In case you want to go looking for this wine, not likely to find any 2014s, rest assured that the current vintages (2020 or 2021) are of similar quality, as are all of the wines from L’Aventure. The same reviewer that gave 2014 a 98-point review gave the same to the 2021 vintage and a 99-point review to the 2020. For those more recent vintages, know that cellaring, while only an option, is recommended and can easily stretch 15 years or more!
Cheers
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Cloudy dark garnet with ruby edges. Really interesting nose with a hint of cane syrup (think Canes) that has an outsized presence with intense red and blue berry notes. Realty intense with a thick, viscous texture. Notes of acidic, sweet red cherry, velvety coffee, and a touch of pipe tobacco.
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Short decant and drank over several hours. Still young, really needs another handful of years. Violet and cedar aromas. Deep, dark, full bodied and mouth coating. A great wine but needs more time.
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Dark garnet color in the glass, clear looking throughout. Nose of lavender, white pepper, currants, cherries and plums. Flavors of cherries, raspberries, plums and hint of bitters. Bright to tangy acidity, firm tannin, full bodied. Drink with air or hold.
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Wine has aged nicely and still has plenty of fruit. Slight herbaceous notes along with red berries. Very silky on the palate. Would drink within next 2-3 years.
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No formal notes. This is a simply gorgeous wine. In a prefect place. Though we did decant it really didn't need it. Very soft and feminine with lovely balance and elegance. It pays to lay these wines down for a few years. Such a treat.
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Tasted non blind. Opened and served immediately. Followed over about two hours.
Dark garnet to purple color in the glass, clear looking throughout. Nose of currants, cassis, raspberries and plums. Flavors of cassis, black raspberries and plums. Medium acidity, medium to firm tannin, full body. Drink now with air or continue to hold.
PURPLE felt the acidity was off and requested to drink the final bottle sooner than later so moved up in the queue.
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For a dedicated Napa Cab fan, this Cab-Syrah blend is a nice change of pace. Still young and fairly primary with fruit that is midway between blue and red, violets and lavender, and undertones of smoky red Rhône flavors (pepper, bacon, dry underbrush). Throws significant sediment. I have many more so I’ll open another soon, but I think this wine will be better in a few years.
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Way too young, but in its young version very forward, dark fruit, inky, intense, hot; edgy, let’s hope time shaves off some of those edges. Better next day.
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Two hour decant. Very deep dark magenta ruby color. Maraschino cherry, fennel, granite, ripe blackberry, Korean plum, and hydrangea on the mature nose. Smooth, tongue drying palate, with a nice note of black coffee and lingering acidity. Very full tannins on the long finish. Beautifully made blend of 50% CS, 35% Syrah, and 15% PV.
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Purple in color. This wine was ready to go as a pnp. A nice nose of cassis, blueberry, and vanilla. This was a touch on the sweet side when first opened but after an hour decant that resided. This was a very nice, smooth, wine with my only complaint being the finish was a touch short. Drank this on its own but felt this would go well with food.
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Brief decant then consumed over three hours. I was lured into opening this bottle by recent CT ratings and by my abiding hope that the 2014 Paso vintage was finally opening up. Uh huh. The powerful wood presence on the nose was an ominous specter of this bottle's present drinkability. The fruit was actually less recognizable than three years ago only occasionally peeking out from its oaken bondage. Unfortunately, I should not have pinned my hopes upon a bottle which is half Cab, and I keep forgetting I have a Coravin. Drat.
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Perhaps in an odd place; a little intense. Decanted, our for hours, vac sealed and back out after a day in the cellar: much smoother and integrated. This is not ready quite yet. Perhaps with food.
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Tasting pour at the winery after the tour . 50% Cab., 100% new oak. Very tasty dark fruit, it was fun to compare it to the 2016 to see what time does for the integration. These were my favorite wines of the tasting pours.
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Massively fully bodied, dark purple Paso blend with a touch of acidic spice on the end. Unctuous and super juicy. Vetter in several years with more integration. Also the noticeable 16% alc might even integrate.
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Possibly one of the best Estate Cuvees from L'Aventure that I've had. PnP had a good deal of dark, pure fruit and mineral flavors surrounded by a tight, encompassing grip. After about 30-45 minutes of decanted air, blackberry, blueberry, allspice, dark chocolate, and wet black pebble flavors emerged.
Mid-palate was big and enveloping but not overbearing. This held together as a unified attack of flavors (sometimes the Syrah and Cabernet can compete with each other and seemingly confuse each other's profiles - not the case here). Finish was long and concentrated. This held up nicely over the course of three hours.
I think this is great to drink now with a little air. The energy of the deep, dark fruit is already in a good place. I'll be drinking these over the next couple of years, as I tend not to be a total fan of this style as it starts to get any significant age. For me, I'll drink between now and 2020 tops.
This wine is very, very well done. Lots of spice box, toasted oak, black fruit and menthol on the nose. Super dark, dense and concentrated with remarkable purity and freshness. The interplay of cab and syrah isn't always my favorite, but this wine pulls it off in spades. The finish is very long and compelling. Excellent wine from Paso.
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Tasted at winery. Best wine tasted on cellar tour/tasting that was available for purchase. To me, the wine is drinking well now, but you certainly can lay down for years, especially if you like age on your Cab blends. 50% Cab Sauv, 35% Syrah, 15% Petit Verdot. Noticeable tannins that were quite smooth and thus permitted enjoyment of young dark fruit flavors.
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Decanted a dozen times then left for 9 hours before consumption. Okay, I sacrificed this bottle which probably needs another 5 years in captivity. At this time, tannin is salient although soft, gripping the entire palate. The fruit is primary but showing a sense of richness and depth. Not until the final swallows did the wine offer a hint at the integration and harmony to come, but just those hints were extremely positive to contemplate.
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Blind Tasting of Paso Robles Red Blends: Paso red blends blind tasting. Ranked 3 of 6. Full, black-garnet color. Aromas of cassis, black cherry, dark chocolate, spice, mulberry and olive. Rich and full-bodied on the palate, well-balanced. Showing notes cassis and currant fruit, with depth of developing baking spice, cedar and leather. Medium acid, full medium-grain tannin, tight on the finish but showing its depth. Very nice.
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Strong cab & petite verdot on the nose. Big. Dark. Black fruits. Rich, with strong chewy tannins. Very dry finish. Nice acid balance, and flavors of cassis. Fabulous with lamb stew. Tasted just after bottling.
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4/9/2024 - Hi.its.Don.4.Wine Likes this wine: 96 Points
An Adventure with L'Aventure
That’s an apropos title to today’s post, given that L’Aventure literally means “the adventure.” Take it from me, today’s wine was all that and more!
Sought out for its proximity to the Pacific Ocean and its rolling hills, L’Aventure’s 127 acres have been skillfully planted and maintained, leading to what I can only describe as a near-perfect wine.
L'Aventure "Estate Cuvée" Paso Robles 2014
Attesting to that is at least one other reviewer who gave it a 98-point review when released. After 10 years, it has only gotten better. Formed from 100% Estate-grown fruit under low yields, this blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Syrah, and 15% Petit Verdot undergoes 15 months of aging in 100% New French Oak, culminating in its bottling using no fining or filtering.
The wine after 10 years emerges still as a weighty wine comprised of dark black and blue fruit, an earthy quality yet still allowing the flavors of the Syrah to come through. There is nice acidity and softness to the tannins that bring this wine to a satisfying, long, and smooth finish.
In case you want to go looking for this wine, not likely to find any 2014s, rest assured that the current vintages (2020 or 2021) are of similar quality, as are all of the wines from L’Aventure. The same reviewer that gave 2014 a 98-point review gave the same to the 2021 vintage and a 99-point review to the 2020. For those more recent vintages, know that cellaring, while only an option, is recommended and can easily stretch 15 years or more!
Cheers
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2/8/2024 - silbakor wrote: 93 Points
Spectacular
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12/17/2023 - TexasBob Likes this wine: 91 Points
Cloudy dark garnet with ruby edges. Really interesting nose with a hint of cane syrup (think Canes) that has an outsized presence with intense red and blue berry notes. Realty intense with a thick, viscous texture. Notes of acidic, sweet red cherry, velvety coffee, and a touch of pipe tobacco.
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12/7/2023 - DrBad Likes this wine: 94 Points
Short decant and drank over several hours. Still young, really needs another handful of years. Violet and cedar aromas. Deep, dark, full bodied and mouth coating. A great wine but needs more time.
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5/7/2023 - wineismylife wrote: 93 Points
WIML93
Tasted non blind.
Dark garnet color in the glass, clear looking throughout. Nose of lavender, white pepper, currants, cherries and plums. Flavors of cherries, raspberries, plums and hint of bitters. Bright to tangy acidity, firm tannin, full bodied. Drink with air or hold.
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12/27/2022 - jmcnewjersey Likes this wine: 93 Points
Wine has aged nicely and still has plenty of fruit. Slight herbaceous notes along with red berries. Very silky on the palate. Would drink within next 2-3 years.
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10/3/2022 - oaxaca90049 wrote: 96 Points
No formal notes. This is a simply gorgeous wine. In a prefect place. Though we did decant it really didn't need it. Very soft and feminine with lovely balance and elegance. It pays to lay these wines down for a few years. Such a treat.
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8/23/2022 - wineismylife wrote: 93 Points
WIML93
Tasted non blind. Opened and served immediately. Followed over about two hours.
Dark garnet to purple color in the glass, clear looking throughout. Nose of currants, cassis, raspberries and plums. Flavors of cassis, black raspberries and plums. Medium acidity, medium to firm tannin, full body. Drink now with air or continue to hold.
PURPLE felt the acidity was off and requested to drink the final bottle sooner than later so moved up in the queue.
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6/25/2022 - FrancoisC Likes this wine: 92 Points
C'est trop jeune!
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6/14/2022 - norsktorsk wrote: 95 Points
ready with a little air time before drinking
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3/17/2022 - Ziyojunkie wrote:
St.Patrick’s day with Paul and Mary
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9/3/2021 - Red Sox Fan Likes this wine: 92 Points
For a dedicated Napa Cab fan, this Cab-Syrah blend is a nice change of pace. Still young and fairly primary with fruit that is midway between blue and red, violets and lavender, and undertones of smoky red Rhône flavors (pepper, bacon, dry underbrush). Throws significant sediment. I have many more so I’ll open another soon, but I think this wine will be better in a few years.
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7/28/2021 - Gregmonroe Likes this wine:
WWC - JL (FWC): Tasted blind - Dark purple in the glass. Dark fruit on the nose, with blackberry and cherry on the palate. I guessed a Syrah.
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2/12/2021 - norsktorsk wrote: 94 Points
I think this drinking just fine.
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12/4/2020 - rgawlowski wrote: 90 Points
Way too young, but in its young version very forward, dark fruit, inky, intense, hot; edgy, let’s hope time shaves off some of those edges. Better next day.
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11/30/2020 - AGELVIS Likes this wine: 93 Points
Two hour decant. Very deep dark magenta ruby color. Maraschino cherry, fennel, granite, ripe blackberry, Korean plum, and hydrangea on the mature nose. Smooth, tongue drying palate, with a nice note of black coffee and lingering acidity. Very full tannins on the long finish. Beautifully made blend of 50% CS, 35% Syrah, and 15% PV.
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5/17/2020 - RayT Likes this wine: 93 Points
Purple in color. This wine was ready to go as a pnp. A nice nose of cassis, blueberry, and vanilla. This was a touch on the sweet side when first opened but after an hour decant that resided. This was a very nice, smooth, wine with my only complaint being the finish was a touch short. Drank this on its own but felt this would go well with food.
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3/16/2020 - jeagle wrote:
Brief decant then consumed over three hours. I was lured into opening this bottle by recent CT ratings and by my abiding hope that the 2014 Paso vintage was finally opening up. Uh huh. The powerful wood presence on the nose was an ominous specter of this bottle's present drinkability. The fruit was actually less recognizable than three years ago only occasionally peeking out from its oaken bondage. Unfortunately, I should not have pinned my hopes upon a bottle which is half Cab, and I keep forgetting I have a Coravin. Drat.
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5/30/2019 - jkvedar Likes this wine: 91 Points
Very big and extracted, but a lovely wine. Needs a protein/fatty meal
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4/14/2019 - the godfather wrote:
Big but well balanced
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3/8/2019 - joshabramson Likes this wine: 95 Points
Very nice. Rich fruit, fine but firm tannins.
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10/8/2018 - Babik Likes this wine: 93 Points
Perhaps in an odd place; a little intense. Decanted, our for hours, vac sealed and back out after a day in the cellar: much smoother and integrated. This is not ready quite yet. Perhaps with food.
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5/6/2018 - rustyRudy Likes this wine: 95 Points
Tasting pour at the winery after the tour . 50% Cab., 100% new oak. Very tasty dark fruit, it was fun to compare it to the 2016 to see what time does for the integration. These were my favorite wines of the tasting pours.
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5/6/2018 - andrewdodd86 Likes this wine: 96 Points
Violets, great aromatics, med high/acid, minerality, yowza
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3/9/2018 - SlimShaney Likes this wine: 92 Points
Massively fully bodied, dark purple Paso blend with a touch of acidic spice on the end. Unctuous and super juicy. Vetter in several years with more integration. Also the noticeable 16% alc might even integrate.
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10/28/2017 - gcoles wrote: 93 Points
- It's balanced with a medium body. Polished texture.
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10/19/2017 - csimm wrote: 95 Points
Possibly one of the best Estate Cuvees from L'Aventure that I've had. PnP had a good deal of dark, pure fruit and mineral flavors surrounded by a tight, encompassing grip. After about 30-45 minutes of decanted air, blackberry, blueberry, allspice, dark chocolate, and wet black pebble flavors emerged.
Mid-palate was big and enveloping but not overbearing. This held together as a unified attack of flavors (sometimes the Syrah and Cabernet can compete with each other and seemingly confuse each other's profiles - not the case here). Finish was long and concentrated. This held up nicely over the course of three hours.
I think this is great to drink now with a little air. The energy of the deep, dark fruit is already in a good place. I'll be drinking these over the next couple of years, as I tend not to be a total fan of this style as it starts to get any significant age. For me, I'll drink between now and 2020 tops.
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10/8/2017 - Cristal2000 Likes this wine: 95 Points
This wine is very, very well done. Lots of spice box, toasted oak, black fruit and menthol on the nose. Super dark, dense and concentrated with remarkable purity and freshness. The interplay of cab and syrah isn't always my favorite, but this wine pulls it off in spades. The finish is very long and compelling. Excellent wine from Paso.
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5/28/2017 - jmcnewjersey Likes this wine: 96 Points
Tasted at winery. Best wine tasted on cellar tour/tasting that was available for purchase. To me, the wine is drinking well now, but you certainly can lay down for years, especially if you like age on your Cab blends. 50% Cab Sauv, 35% Syrah, 15% Petit Verdot. Noticeable tannins that were quite smooth and thus permitted enjoyment of young dark fruit flavors.
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3/25/2017 - jeagle Likes this wine:
Decanted a dozen times then left for 9 hours before consumption. Okay, I sacrificed this bottle which probably needs another 5 years in captivity. At this time, tannin is salient although soft, gripping the entire palate. The fruit is primary but showing a sense of richness and depth. Not until the final swallows did the wine offer a hint at the integration and harmony to come, but just those hints were extremely positive to contemplate.
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3/18/2017 - MattMauldin Likes this wine:
Blind Tasting of Paso Robles Red Blends: Paso red blends blind tasting. Ranked 3 of 6. Full, black-garnet color. Aromas of cassis, black cherry, dark chocolate, spice, mulberry and olive. Rich and full-bodied on the palate, well-balanced. Showing notes cassis and currant fruit, with depth of developing baking spice, cedar and leather. Medium acid, full medium-grain tannin, tight on the finish but showing its depth. Very nice.
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12/26/2016 - mytruelove27 Likes this wine: 96 Points
Karen's fav!!
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11/23/2016 - Vino Me wrote: 90 Points
Retailer tasting. No formal notes. 90 points.
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4/10/2016 - silbakor wrote: 94 Points
Strong cab & petite verdot on the nose. Big. Dark. Black fruits. Rich, with strong chewy tannins. Very dry finish. Nice acid balance, and flavors of cassis. Fabulous with lamb stew. Tasted just after bottling.
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