2015 L'Aventure Cote A Cote

Blended of 60% Grenache, 30% Mourvèdre and 10% Syrah, the medium to deep garnet colored 2015 Cote a Cote has a wonderfully vibrant perfume of red roses, red cherries and cinnamon stick over nuances of mulberries, vanilla pod, garrigue, dried lavender and white pepper. Full-bodied, rich, concentrated and oh-so-decadent, it completely fills the palate with seductive kirsch and spicy layers, supported by firm yet velvety tannins and seamless freshness, finishing with epic length. Bravo!

The 2015 Cote a Cote checks in as 60% Grenache, 30% Mourvèdre and 10% Syrah that was brought up in 60% barrels and 40% in concrete and amphora. It offers lots of minerality as well as classic notes of black raspberries, spring flowers, crushed rocks and violets. It has plenty of grippy tannin and is going to benefit from a year or three of bottle age, but it has the vintage’s elegant, fresh character. Located in the heart of the appellation, just off highway 46, Stephan Asseo’s l’Aventure Winery is unquestionably in the top 3-4 estates in Paso Robles. While he made just a handful of cuvees in the past, today he releases upwards of eight cuvees in each vintage. In addition, he’s just completed construction on a new cave/winery, and he continues to fine tune the style here, experimenting with amphora and larger barrels, with the goal of getting more elegance and purity into his wines. Looking at the wines reviewed here, the 2015s are certainly rock solid, and show tighter, elegant, and structured personalities. His 2016s are a step up over the 2015s and will be the first vintage completely made in the new cellar. They offer broad, sumptuous profiles, yet with no loss of purity or precision.