Stephan Asseo, owner and winemaker at L’Aventure Winery, began making wine in 1982 when he established Domaine Courteillac in Bordeaux. He and his family later purchased Chateau Fleur Cardinal (Saint-Emilion Grand Cru) and Chateau Robin (Cotes de Castillion). 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 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, Stephan found Paso Robles.
He immediately “fell in love” with the unique terroir. The rolling topography of the Santa Lucia Mountain Range, the deep calcareous soils, and the maritime influence 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 began his adventure, “L’Aventure”. His winemaking vision has quickly resulted in wines which have earned high scores and critical acclaim. Stephan Asseo, elected Paso Robles Wine Industry Person of the Year in 2014, is “Without a doubt, one of the Central Coast superstars and one of the references in California”, according to Jeb Dunnuck (Wine Advocate)…
“The top wine of the estate and a blend that was the reason Stephan left Pomerol” – Wine Advocate
100% Estate grown fruit from L’Aventure Vineyard
Very low yield: 1.5 to 2 tons per acre (with 2100 vines per acre)
100% new French oak with malolactic fermentation in barrel
No fining, no filtering
Length of ageing: 15 months Drink: 15 +years
Deep purple with an opaque, almost black centre. Subtle cigar box aromas above, graphite below, dark fruit all around. The mouth is well balanced, with wood and alcohol integrated seamlessly with the dark purple, vinous fruit. Great acidity and elegant mineral and spice notes carry the wine to an immense finish that lasts a long time!
