2021 L'Aventure Optimus
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Tasting notes
Rich raspberry colour, kicks off with a slab of slate tannins, then opens up to show life and lift, fennel, aniseed, raspbery and red cherry fruit, full of Californian joy and sunshine, slight burn of heat on the throat, but enticing and memory making. 100% Estate grown fruit from L’Aventure Vineyard. Stephan Asseo owner and winemaker, from the Willow Creek district of Paso Robles.
Critic scores
Average Score
Jancis Robinson MW
Jeb Dunnuck
More reviews and scores
The 2021 Optimus is an elegant, polished blend of 55% Syrah, 27% Cabernet Sauvignon and 18% Petit Verdot. It takes plenty of air to reveal maraschino cherry, blueberry, leather, aniseed, gravel dust and garrigue aromas. The full-bodied palate offers expansive, spicy fruit framed by powdery tannins and focused acidity, and it has a long, latent finish. It will benefit from 3-5 years in bottle.
55% Syrah, 27% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Petit Verdot from estate vineyards. 14 months in French oak (50% new, 50% one year old). 2,400 cases produced. Tasted blind. Deep opaque purple. Quiet with plush berry fruit on the nose – mixed berry pie, blackberries, raspberries, blueberries. Elevated acidity and ripe, lightly sandy tannin. Fruity acid-driven finish. (SCJ)
Moving to the 2021s from bottle and starting with the 2021 Optimus (55% Syrah, 27% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 18% Petit Verdot), it sports a deeper plum/purple hue as well as rocking notes of blackberries, peppery herbs, candied violets, and subtle meaty, savory nuances. It's medium to full-bodied and has a round, layered, silky texture and outstanding length. It’s going to shine for 5-7 years, if not longer.
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.