2016 L'Aventure For Her
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Tasting notes
The 2016 For Her got more than one “Wow” in my notes and boasts a rock star nose of pure blueberry and blackberry fruits, liquid violets, crushed herbs, and ground pepper. A blend of 46% Syrah, 39% Graciano (which they originally thought was Monastrell), and 15% Viognier, this full-bodied effort cuts a straight, focused path on the palate and has good acidity, awesome purity of fruit, and a great, great finish. Give bottles 2-3 years of bottle age and drink over the following decade or more. Consistently thrilling wines come from l’Aventure, which is run with incredible talent and passion by St. Emilion native Stephan Asseo. His 2016s are incredible efforts, and the 2017 more Rhône blends are certainly in the same ballpark. Due to the heat spikes at harvest, Bordeaux varieties were much more difficult and hit or miss.
Critic scores
Average Score
William Kelley, Wine Advocate
Jeb Dunnuck
More reviews and scores
Inky ruby. Pungent, highly expressive aromas of ripe dark berries, potpourri, sandalwood and smoky minerals pick up a spicy nuance with aeration. Sweet and seamless in the mouth, displaying superb clarity to the sappy, mineral-tinged black raspberry, boysenberry, candied violet and spicecake flavors. Possesses a suave blend of power and finesse and finishes strikingly long and sweet, with slow-mounting tannins framing the lingering blue fruit and flowers.
A blend of 46% Syrah, 39% Graciano and 15% Viognier, the 2016 For Her bursts from the glass with an expressive bouquet of ripe cassis, orange blossom and pepper that’s strongly marked by exotica from its Viognier component. On the palate, it’s full-bodied, supple and velvety, with an expansive attack, fine-grained tannins and a ripe but succulent core of fruit. The finish is long, fine-grained and fragrant. Its textural elegance and integration made this one of my favorites in the L’Aventure range.
A blend of 46% Syrah, 39% Graciano and 15% Viognier, the 2016 For Her bursts from the glass with an expressive bouquet of ripe cassis, orange blossom and pepper that’s strongly marked by exotica from its Viognier component. On the palate, it’s full-bodied, supple and velvety, with an expansive attack, fine-grained tannins and a ripe but succulent core of fruit. The finish is long, fine-grained and fragrant. Its textural elegance and integration made this one of my favorites in the L’Aventure range. May 2018, www.robertparker.com
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.