2011 L'Aventure Cuvée Chloe

(76% syrah, 24% grenache; 40% new French oak): Inky purple. Sexy aromas of raspberry liqueur, vanilla, dried flowers and exotic Moroccan spices. Fleshy, palate-staining red and dark berry flavors show impressive depth and clarity, with zesty acidity providing lift. Silky tannins add shape and grip to the smoky finish, which is long, sappy and focused. Suave, built to age, but would provide plenty of immediate gratification with a few hours of decanting.

Author: Josh Raynolds

Issue: November/December 2013

Named after Asseo's daughter, the 2011 Cuvee Chloe is 76% Syrah (from cooler, north-facing hillsides) and 24% Grenache (from a single plot of south-facing vines) that spent 14 months in 40% new French oak. Inky colored and deeply concentrated and layered, it dishes out gorgeous aromas and flavors of smoked meats, blackberry, blueberry, graphite, licorice and chocolate. This is followed up by a full-bodied, seamless effort that has sweet tannin, no weight and a classically focused finish that keeps you coming back to the glass. Hard to resist even now, it should nevertheless be given 2-3 years of bottle age and enjoyed through 2021+. Drink 2015-2021+.

Author: Jeb Dunnuck