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)…

Grape

43% Syrah

42% Cabernet Sauvignon

15% Petit Verdot

Vineyard and Vinification Note

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

Tasting Note

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! Vegan.

Wine Advocate

The top wine of the estate and a blend that was the reason Stephan left Pomerol, the 2013 Estate Cuvee checks in as 43% Syrah, 42% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Petit Verdot that comes all from his estate vineyard. It’s locked and loaded with black and blue fruit, crushed rock, liquorice and ground herbs, and I wrote that it seemed like it was filtered through a rocky riverbed in my notes. Serious, structured and tight, yet fabulously concentrated and pure, it needs 3-4 years of cellaring and will keep for two decades. 97+While the 2013s are small step back from Stephan’s insanely good 2012s, they’re still near the top of the hierarchy in Paso Robles. I tasted the 2014s from barrel and they might just rival the 2012s. 97 Points – Jeb Dunnuck, August 2015

Food pairing

Perfect partner to beef. Great with a boeuf bourguignon, grilled steaks and also venison.