2018 L'AVENTURE Optimus, Lea & Sandeman

L'AVENTURE

2018 Optimus

Grapes Cab Sauv, Petit Verdot, Syrah
Colour Red
Origin USA, California
District Paso Robles

All the 2018s were tasted from barrel. The 2018 Optimus shows both the style of the estate as well as the purity of the vintage with its rich, power-ful, full-bodied style and loads of black fruits and chocolate aromas and flavors. A blend of 53% Syrah, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Petit Verdot and a splash of Mourvèdre, drink it on release and over the following decade. Rating: 92-94 Jeb Dunnuck, www.jebdunnuck.com (Sept 2020)


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The 2018 Optimus marks the 20th vintage of our signature “crazy” blend. Back in 1998, when we started this journey in Paso Robles, Stephan had a vision or in his own words a “fantasy” of the blend he wanted to make.
The blend was inspired in part from drinking Syrah/Cabernet blends and in other part from realizing that Petit Verdot was unbelievable in California and always ripe due to the optimal weather conditions. In 1998, with a half-built winery, purchased fruit from Paso Robles, and an idea in mind, the first vintage Optimus was made.
This special blend is the reason why Stephan wanted to leave France and move somewhere where he had the freedom to make any type of blends. Today, the Optimus serves as the introduction to our lineup. Approachable and pleasurable, the Optimus makes you want to know more…
To commemorate the 20th anniversary of this spectacular wine, we have created a special anniversary label.
The 2018 Optimus features a reverse label, with a navy background and our L’Aventure logo embossed in a silver/gold foil. We will be using the same label throughout the years as our other wines reach their 20th anniversary." Winemaker's notes (Sept 2020)

56% Syrah, 32% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Petit Verdot. 100% Estate grown fruit from L’Aventure Vineyard. Very low yield: 2.5 tons per acre. 60% new French oak and 40% 1-year-old French oak with malolactic fermentation in barrel. No fining, no filtering. Length of aging: 14 months. Drink:1-10 years.Winemaker's notes (Mar 2020)

A barrel sample blended of 53% Syrah, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Petit Verdot, the 2018 Optimus is deep ruby-purple in color and scented of crème de cassis, baked blackberries, chocolate mint, wet clay, crushed blueberries and faint notions of lilac with an undercurrent of exotic spices. The palate is medium to full-bodied with lovely layering of spiced black and blue fruits, a detailed, finely pixelated frame and great freshness, finishing with loads of ripe fruit. I can’t wait to taste this from bottle! Rating: 94-96 Erin Larkin, www.RobertParker.com (Feb 2020)

L'Aventure

The spirit of L'Aventure is most evident in Stephan's "Paso Blends", such as Optimus and Estate Cuvée. Both wines are Syrah/ Cabernet Sauvignon/ Petit Verdot blends. In these wines, as well as in our Rhône blend Côte à Côte, the blending of premium varietals increases the authenticity, complexity, and balance of the wines. In this adventurous spirit, we find the future of Paso Robles wines... great, balanced red blends.

Stephan Asseo, owner and winemaker at L'Aventure Winery, began making wine in 1982, following his education at L'Ecole Oenologique de Macon, Burgundy, France. In that same year, Stephan established Domaine de Courteillac in Bordeaux. He and his family later purchased Chateau Fleur Cardinal and Chateau Robin in the Cotes de Castillion, Bordeaux. Over the next 15 years, Stephan developed into an artisan winemaker of fastidious craftsmanship and gained a reputation as a maverick vigneron. However, his true desire was to be more innovative than AOC law would allow. In 1996, this led him, his wife, Beatrice and his three children, including his daughter Chloé on a quest for a great terroir, where he could pursue his ideal as a winemaker. After searching for over a year among the world's great wine fields, ranging from South Africa to Lebanon, Argentina to Napa, they found Paso Robles. Stephan and Beatrice immediately "fell in love" with the unique terroir of west side Paso Robles. The rolling topography of the Santa Lucia Mountain Range, the deep calcareous soils, and the maritime influences of the renowned Templeton Gap all combine to produce a world class wine country, with the potential to craft some of the world's greatest blends. It is here, in Paso Robles, that Stephan and his family began their adventure, "L'Aventure" in 1998.

This wine isn't currently part of a mixed case, but you can always browse our full selection of mixed cases here.
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