Winemaker Notes
The Estate Reserve, formally known as Estate Cuvée, has always been L'Aventure's flagship wine and ultimately the reason why Stephan left Bordeaux t make wine in Paso Robles. With the 2022 vintage, they decided it was time to start a new chapter and elevate the name, the look, and the feel. They wanted the wine to stand out from their lineup while still respecting the elegance, simplicity and timeless design of the brand. The name "Estate Reserve" is not a big change from its original; however, it reflects everything that this wine represents, as it is the best their estate fruit and terroir have to offer. It is the heart of L'Aventure.
Blend: 55% Syrah, 33% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Petit Verdot
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
A complex and inviting nose of mulberries, black olives, dried herbs and game meat. The palate is full-bodied with chalky tannins and energetic acidity, showing notes of blackcurrants, cedar, tobacco leaves and earth. The flagship wine of the estate that was once called Estate Cuvee, but from 2022 onward is named the Estate Reserve. Made from a blend of 55% syrah, 33% cabernet sauvignon and 12% petit verdot. Incredibly complex and masterfully constructed. Drinkable now, but best from 2028.
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Jeb Dunnuck
Lastly, the flagship 2022 Estate Cuvee is a blend of Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon, and it's one of the more concentrated, powerful wines in the vintage. Darker berries, spice box, tobacco, and graphite all give way to a full-bodied 2022 with a layered, ripe mouthfeel, beautiful tannins, and a great finish. As with most 2022s, it's going to have plenty of up-front appeal.
Barrel Sample: 94-96 -
Vinous
Classy from the first tilt of the glass, the 2022 Estate Reserve wafts up with an enticingly rich bouquet of crushed blackberries and raspberries complicated by dried roses, violets and a hint of ashen stone. Textures of crushed velvet are matched by an elegant mix of red berry fruits and autumnal spices. Super-fine tannins frame the finish as the 2022 tapers off with minty freshness and a subtle tinge of balsamic spice. The balance here is remarkable, especially for the vintage.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2022 Estate Cuvée is driven by opaque fruits and toasty, cappuccino-like aromas framed by dried herbs. The palate is opulent and polished, leading to an immensely chewy, grainy finish of harsh tannins...
L'Aventure was founded in 1998 by a French winemaker, Stephan Asseo. After Stephan graduated enology school in Burgundy, the Asseo family bought their first estate, Domaine de Courteillac, in the Bordeaux area in 1982. Later, the family purchased additional properties: Chateau Robin and Chateau Fleur-Cardinale in Saint-Emilion. Stephan raised these properties to a level of great quality, while managing some other well-established domaines such as Chateau Guillot-Clauzel in Pomerol and Chateau Corbin in St Emilion.
Stephan saw in the New World a unique opportunity to expand his experience, while gaining more freedom in viticulture and vinification. He began by looking all over California for land, including Napa/Sonoma and Santa Barbara counties, but it was the terroir and climate of Paso Robles that impressed him the most.
L'Aventure is located on the west side of Paso Robles in the Willow Creek District. The 127-acre property with 57 acres planted, is comprised of multiple hills of various elevation and complex soils. Because of its proximity to the ocean, the vineyard has clear warm days and drastic cool nighttime temperatures which increases the time of the grape’s maturation cycle providing fruit that creates a more complex and balanced wine. Stephan’s choice of this lean terroir provides him with the fruit necessary to create wine with a good balance between alcohol and acidity. The resulting wines are full and rich yet well balanced and elegant.
With hundreds of red grape varieties to choose from, winemakers have the freedom to create a virtually endless assortment of blended red wines. In many European regions, strict laws are in place determining the set of varieties that may be used, but in the New World, experimentation is permitted and encouraged resulting in a wide variety of red wine styles. Blending can be utilized to enhance balance or create complexity, lending different layers of flavors and aromas. For example, a red wine blend variety that creates a fruity and full-bodied wine would do well combined with one that is naturally high in acidity and tannins. Sometimes small amounts of a particular variety are added to boost color or aromatics. Blending can take place before or after fermentation, with the latter, more popular option giving more control to the winemaker over the final qualities of the wine.
How to Serve Red Wine
A common piece of advice is to serve red wine at “room temperature,” but this suggestion is imprecise. After all, room temperature in January is likely to be quite different than in August, even considering the possible effect of central heating and air conditioning systems. The proper temperature to aim for is 55° F to 60° F for lighter-bodied reds and 60° F to 65° F for fuller-bodied wines.
How Long Does Red Wine Last?
Once opened and re-corked, a bottle stored in a cool, dark environment (like your fridge) will stay fresh and nicely drinkable for a day or two. There are products available that can extend that period by a couple of days. As for unopened bottles, optimal storage means keeping them on their sides in a moderately humid environment at about 57° F. Red wines stored in this manner will stay good – and possibly improve – for anywhere from one year to multiple decades. Assessing how long to hold on to a bottle is a complicated science. If you are planning long-term storage of your reds, seek the advice of a wine professional.
Growing on high elevation bedrock slopes, the vineyards of Paso Robles Willow Creek AVA sit at between 960 and 1,900 feet in elevation.