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L'Aventure 2019 Optimus, Paso Robles
751794520173
$ 59.99
96 points Parker
L'Aventure is one of the hottest wineries on the up-and-coming Westside of Paso Robles wine region. A beautiful blend of Cabernet/Syrah blend, the Optimus is a big, delicious red.
96 Points James Suckling: "Extremely aromatic with ripe cherry and berry aromas, as well as flowers and citrus. Medium to full body with fine, polished tannins and a long, caressing finish. This is really well done and one of the most balanced L’Aventures I have encountered. Syrah, cabernet sauvignon and petit verdot. Drinkable now, but better in two or three years."
94 Points Jeb Dunnuck: "The 2019 Optimus should be snatched up by savvy readers. Based on 57% Syrah, 31% Cabernet Sauvignon, and the rest Petit Verdot, it just about jumps out of the glass with gorgeous cassis, floral, pepper, and graphite-like aromas and flavors. As seamless as they come, this full-bodied, elegant, pleasure-bent 2019 is going to evolve for a decade...Stephan Asseo, who’s assisted more and more by assistant winemaker Patrick Davies, continues to keep his L’Aventure estate near the top of the pyramid in Paso Robles. This report looks at the 2019s and 2020s, and both appear to be beautiful vintages. The 2019s are some of the finest wines I’ve tasted at this estate and have a rare mix of power and vibrancy, with incredible aromatics and sensational purity and precision on the palate."
94 Points Decanter: "Lovely aromatic intensity, spicy and nuanced on the nose but incredibly well defined on the palate which is crisp and precise with flavours that glide across, so linear and straight. There’s a coolness to the fruit profile and a refreshing juiciness. Concentration and structure with good tannic grip - lots on offer here. A blend of 57% Syrah, 31% Cabernet Sauvignon and 12% Petit Verdot. Wines are aged for 14 months in 89% new French oak and 11% one-year-old French oak with malolactic fermentation in barrel. No fining or filtering."
Robert Parker: "....Consistently thrilling wines come from l’Aventure, which is run with incredible talent and passion by St. Emilion native Stephan Asseo. His 2016s are incredible efforts, and the 2017 more Rhône blends are certainly in the same ballpark. Due to the heat spikes at harvest, Bordeaux varieties were much more difficult and hit or miss."
The L'Aventure Optimus is a blend of Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot that entices with a tangy cherry, chocolate and mineral-inflected bouquet. The palate is redolent of mixed berry pie, with peppery spice and a dose of saddle leather. But this isn't a total fruit bomb, there's plenty of acidity to keep it fresh, and subtle tannins.
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