2016 L'Aventure Optimus
Buying options
Tasting notes
A blend of 50% Syrah, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Petit Verdot that checks in at 15.4% alcohol, the 2016 Optimus reveals a lavish bouquet of crunchy berries, anise and creamy new oak. On the palate, it's full-bodied, spicy and richly tannic, with generous, oak-influenced flavors and a crunchy core of fruit. The finish is long and youthfully chewy. Bottled barely one month before I tasted it, this is already quite expressive and should begin to drink well after just a few years. The Optimus is Asseo's longest-running cuvee, realizing an ambition to blend Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon he nurtured in his native Bordeaux. May 2018, www.robertparker.com
Critic scores
William Kelley, Wine Advocate
About the producer
L’Aventure is one of the leading wine estates in Paso Robles, California. It was founded by Stephan Asseo and his wife Beatrice who left their native France in 1997 in search of a place to make wine without the restrictions of France’s appellation system.