L'Aventure Estate Cuvee 2021
Estate Cuvée is L’Aventure’s flagship wine and the cherry picking of their top estate fruit. It is the whole reason why Stephan Asseo left Bordeaux... to make a “crazy”, high-end Paso blend. Depth, balance, texture, complexity, finish, everything is there. It is a beautiful representation of their terroir. The 2021 vintage is comprised of 50% Syrah, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 20% Petit Verdot. It has been aged for 19 months in 84% new French oak, 16% 1-year old French oak with malolactic fermentation in barrel.
Blend: 50% Syrah, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Petit Verdot
Critical Acclaim
100 Jeb Dunnuck
Pure perfection from this talented team, the 2021 Estate Cuvee checks in as 50% Syrah, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 20% Petit Verdot that was raised in 80% new French oak. Absolutely incredible aromatics of crème de cassis, blueberries, violets, ground pepper, and graphite give way to a full-bodied red with a seamless, elegant mouthfeel, ultra-fine tannins, a deep, layered mid-palate, and that rare mix of power and elegance that's so hard to come by. It shows the pure, layered, elegant style of the vintage, and this beauty offers pleasure today yet will ideally be given 3-4 years in the cellar, and it will evolve for two decades at a minimum.
98 Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2021 Estate Cuvée (a 20th-anniversary edition) is composed of 50% Syrah, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Petit Verdot. Its aromas are highly complex and pure! Chocolate-covered cherry and crushed blueberry scents are complemented by wafts of thyme, sage, vanilla, dark spices and savory tones, plus soaring violet perfume. The full-bodied palate is polished and effortlessly balanced, offering powdery tannins, a bright spine of acidity and a tremendously long finish laced with spice and floral perfume.
97 James Suckling
Immediately seductive and perfumed on the nose with aromas of dark cherries, blackberries, cassis, violets, cedar and plenty of sweet oak spices. It's full-bodied with knit-tight tannins and a velvety texture. Spicy and vibrant with poise. Good vitality with a controlled power all along. Concentrated and full of energy with a generous, peppery and berry-loaded finish.
97 Vinous
The 2021 Estate Cuvée sports a blue label signifying its 20th anniversary. It's darkly floral and stoney upon opening with notes of dusty sage, black earth and currants. This is deeply textural, velvety and supple, like molten chocolate. It flows across the palate, saturating with its intense red and black fruits while taking on graphite mineral tones and hints of exotic spice. Classically structured and long, this leaves a pleasantly bitter tinge and licorice under an air of violet inner florals.