2020 L'Aventure Estate Cuvée Willow Creek District
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Tasting notes
45% Syrah, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Petit Verdot. Yield 1.5–2 ton/acre. Aged for 15 months in French oak, 81% new, remainder second use. Bottled March 2022. Smoky and rich with a sweet-and-sour character that blends kirsch and green notes on both nose an palate. There is an earthy quality to the palate that detracts from the fruit purity, leaving an awkward savoury finish. (TP)
Critic scores
Tom Parker MW, jancisrobinson.com
Tom Parker MW, jancisrobinson.com
More reviews and scores
A beguiling blend of dusty violets, crushed stone, musky black currants and grilled herbs makes the 2020 Estate Cuvée impossible to ignore. Racy yet supple, this soothes with its ripe red and black fruits while also exciting the palate through a core of zesty acidity. A staining of minerality lingers as the 2020 finishes with epic length and potency. Grippy tannins tug at the perimeters of the palate, leaving nuances of black licorice and clove to resonate. This radiant beauty has a very bright future. It's a blend of 45% Syrah, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Petit Verdot.
A blend of 45% Syrah, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Petit Verdot, the 2020 Estate Cuvée is another outstanding wine from L'Aventure in the challenging 2020 vintage, offering singular concentration and elegance. Deep ruby-purple, it has a pure core of cassis and slowly unfolding accents of licorice, cured meats, tobacco leaves, cedar and truffle. Full-bodied, juicy and alluring, it floods the mouth with layers of blue fruit, floral perfume and spice. It is supported by powdery tannins and boasts a tremendously long, detailed finish.
45% Syrah, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Petit Verdot . Very deep in colour with dark, roasted fruit on the nose. Tarry black fruit and glossy structure dominate a powerful and intense palate. This is full-bodied and sweet, but does show signs of depth and spiciness behind the glob of sweet fruit in the middle. (TP)
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.