Decanted for 30 minutes, drank over 1 hour. amazingly full bodied and tannic for its age, with a dark color. Dark fruits reflect the Syrah, mostly fruit and little earthiness. Firm tannic backbone. Very enjoyable. Very well built wine.
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The second-best of a trio of 10, 09, and 07. Terrible cork. Decanted for half-hour. Nice fruit, lovely structure, and at the far edge of its plateau. Drink now.
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This is really in an outstanding place. Maybe not my go-to style these days—and Stephane Asseo's wines shine best in the company of other imbibers (the pre-COVID past and, one hopes, the near future, but not my present)—but this is so rich, lush, and layered with black currant and lack cherry that it brings a smile. My best bottle yet. At peak, would my guess.
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Vin puissant, confituré aux notes prononcées de menthol. C’est rond et très mûr, du bois. Pas mauvais mais à l’opposé de ce que je recherche en ce moment. 88 pts pour moi.
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Somehow earthy and even barnyardy but still having a clean and polished character. Its primary delights are blackberry, blueberry, and leather, and youthfully juicy acidity. Long finish, promises to last at least another ten years.
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In an excellent drinking window and has a few years left in it. Decanted for 1 hour and drank with smoked rib eyes. The syrah and cab balance was fantastic and paired perfectly with our steaks.
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My experiences with the 06 and 08 were better. But I pulled this because I was in the mood for something with higher ABV, because, you know. Definitely savory and peppery. But tannins are drying here which hurts the texture and then it has a harder time carrying the heat. But I wanted that so it worked out fine.
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I have stored this wine for 8 years. When we opened it tonight, I was amazed at the color of the wine; deep dark color. The wine was fabulous. full of dark fruit, yet silky and smooth. I wish I had several more cases in my cellar. Thank you Stephan...The wine is a work of art.
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The 07 Estate Cuvée is a blend of; 49% Syrah, 37% Cabernet and 14% Petit Verdot.
The nose reveals, bright, ripe, ruby fruits of; mulberries, boysenberries, olallieberries, black plum, plum, blackberries and black cherries. Some black pepper, melted dark chocolate, mocha powder, vanilla, dark, rich soil, limestone minerals, dry sage, bay leaf, understated dark spice, dry crushed rocks, burnt ambers, incense, underbrush, soft leather & woody notes with loads of fresh, fragrant violets and lavender.
The body is; full, ruby, lush and voluptuous. The tannins are powdery dry with some meaty, stickiness. The structure and tension are still quite big. The length and balance are in the first phase of their good groove. It has another 6-8 years of very good drinking going forward. Dark currants-cassis, bright, ripe, ruby, jammy fruits of; mulberries, boysenberries, olallieberries, black plum, plum, blackberries, creamy black raspberries and black cherries. Warm blueberry pie, more black pepper on the palate then the nose, melted dark chocolate, mocha powder, vanilla, some clove, cinnamon stick, black licorice, sweet tarriness, dark, rich soil, moist clay, limestone minerals, dry sage, bay leaf, dark spice with some uplifting palate heat, dry crushed rocks, burnt ambers, incense, savory meats, underbrush, suede style leather, cedar with loads of fresh, fragrant violets and lavender. The acidity is round and beautiful. The long, rich, ruby, well balanced, voluptuous, nicely polished finish is delicious and persists on and on.
This is a wine where Southern Rhône meets Bordeaux.
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Zurich Supper Club convenes in NYC - Andrew, Pohlin and Paolo (Casa Apicii, NYC): Last bottle of the evening. One of my contributions for the evening, brought for our Syrah aficionado (Andrew) to try. Really interesting blend of Syrah, Cab and Petit Verdot. Decanted for about an hour prior to drinking. Had to save the "biggest" wine for the finish.
Prior notes: "Deep purple/velvet color. Very young nose, dark fruits, floral notes, vanilla and oak. Palate is smooth - dark/blue fruits, cassis, blueberry, black currants, spices. Great texture, medium/long finish..."
Even at 11 years, still a deep, inky purple color. Nose has wild aromas of blackberry preserves, garrigue, violets. Rich palate of brambly fruits, boysenberry and spice. Floral notes on the mid and back palate as well.
New world version of a Northern Rhone. Great wine, aged well. Style is big, not for everyone. In a great spot but should last a while if cellaring...
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Excellent Syrah/Cab/Petit Verdot blend that is maturing, developing some secondary flavors, mellowing the tannins and losing the alcohol making it a smooth rounded wine that still shows the influences of its blend. Very enjoyable with a marinated tri-tip roast.
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Gave this a one hour decant and returned to bottle. Drank over dinner and it seemed a bit tight. Bouquet was not so expressive. Plenty of nice, dark fruit on the palate but not as explosive as I would expect from this wine in 2007.
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The second in a flight of three L'Aventure Estate Cuvées: 2009, 2007, 2006. All were excellent, showing lovely fruit and elegant balance, but the 2007 and the 2006 were just a point behind the 2009 on this evening.
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Decanted for 2 hours. Dark purple, full bodied, complex aromas and flavors, blackberries and tobacco, noticeable tannins but well integrated, very good acidity. An excellent Cab in all respects. May have peaked. Starting to drop sediments.
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I still really enjoyed this wine but it is seems to be going through a somewhat less enjoyable phase than earlier tastings. Getting rounder and more stewed without a lot of interesting secondary characteristics emerging. Looking forward to seeing if it comes out the other side in good shape.
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PnP. Dark violet red. Stewy dark berries on nose. Heavy fruit that is clearly aging on the palate. Low acid, medium tannins, some etoh heat. Fruit smells good and is tasty, but the wine lacks any joy-inducing balance or interesting secondary flavors or texture.
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Interesting and delightful Paso Robles blend of Syrah 49%, Cabernet Sauvignon 37%, and Petit Verdot 14%. Nicely integrated. Each varietal revealing itself as it evolved in the glass. Good drinking window.
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A little hint of alcohol on opening which blew off with a decant. Big black fruits on both nose and palate, a hint of pepper and smooth and silky in the mouth. Lingers on the palate and enjoyed by all with with our steaks. Min 30 minute decant to allow this to shine.
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Solid with good sweet fruit on the palate and a very good nose to start it off. Vwey well integrated tannins and although I thought there was still some oak on the nose I don't mind it mixed up with the fruit. Ready to drink but showing very little pf secondary notes...
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Had with wine tasting group. Some of the better noses in the group identified it as a California Syrah right off the bat. Opened for about 30 minutes before tasting. Classic notes of this Syrah blend, some good graphite in there but it was pretty hot in general and started to cool down after about an hour. Solid wine.
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Dinner with Joby and Lorraine at our house, paired this with the main course of my "famous" wine braised brisket and pureed garlic cauliflower. Needed a big wine to pair with the meat. Decanted for about 90 minutes before drinking.
Prior notes: "Deep purple/velvet color. Very young nose, dark fruits, floral notes, vanilla and oak. Palate is smooth - dark/blue fruits, cassis, blueberry, black currants, spices. Great texture, medium/long finish..."
This evening the wine had a gorgeous tart dark berry, bramble/blackberry and boysenberry profile. This is a big wine throughout, but not overpowering; flavors are concentrated but still refined. Nice spice coming through on the mid palate.
In a great spot right now. The decant made a big difference in getting the secondary characteristics to show.
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Opened, tasted and immediately decanted for 1/2 hour. Those early drying tannins mellowed in the decanter leaving plum, earth, roasted herbs. Full bodied, good finish. Has years left.
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This is a beautifully stunning wine and I wish I had more! Rich, layered and a long finish... what a stunner! Notes of dark chocolate, cocoa and deep black fruit. Spices, tobacco leaf, and cigar flavors swirl throughout the palate. One on my best wines consumer of 2016!
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Rich deep flavors. Perfect integration fruit and tannins. Long beautiful finish. At it's peak now, but should stay plateaued at this level for 5-8 more years. I bought a six pact at the winery in 2010, and have been drinking a bottle yearly. Each year showed improvement, but this last bottle was the eureka moment. I went on the internet and bought as much more as I could find. As good or better than any CA big red wine at any price.
Really nice as were the previous bottles, dark chocolate, black and dark red fruits, cooking spices, earth, chewy tannins. Nice length and mouthfeel. really good!
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This is a very well made, complex, hedonistic, red blend. It is concentrated and fruit-forward, but also has a firm structure. It is drinking well now, but easily has another five years of aging potential.
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My second of three and my first bottle since 2011. This wine continues to deliver hedonistic pleasure. Big bold black fruits, licorice, spice, cassis. Happy to have one more of these beauties.
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Remains very consistent and drinking very well right now. Milk chocolate, velvety texture and tannins, dark red fruits, cook spices and some meat. Very good wine.
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Big, viscous, dense wine with large fruity notes. Plumb, cherry, Coca Cola, leather. Medium acidity, nice fine tannins. Balanced. Still could use more time, but drinking well now. After letting it sit for a bit, I'm getting a bit of bacon and/or toasted oak.
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Pop 'n pour and consumed over 2 hours. A strong coconut-toasted oak thing going on with the nose. On the palate, very dense, good concentration, not what I would call overripe, even though the varietal character is hard to distinguish. The heavy oak signature also carries through on the palate, giving a heavy feel to the wine. Overall, this is beyond the limit of my oak tolerance but everyone else at the party raved about it. Tasted alongside the 2007 Cab Estate which I had a similar reaction to.
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Full nose of dark fruit notes and spice. Almost Valpolicecella-like. But not pruney. Still has the light red fruit notes that the 2007 Estate Cab had such as a strawberry tinge. Good wine that is fully mature.
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PnP, Dark fruit, cooking spices and raisin on the nose, full throttle, good tannin structure still, more dark fruits, current, licorice, grilled meat, and lots of raisin on the finish. 45 second finish for me, it's a great bargain if you can get at auction pricing, but not that great at retail IMO.
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From memory: Had over a couple of nights. Big, dense, dark, but not over-extracted or too mouth coating, some nice aromatics, chocolate, dusty earth, dark fruits. Overall a pleasant if typically massive wine from L'Aventure, holds together pretty well. OK to poor QPR depending on tastes.
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Drinking so well right now. Velvet texture, dark fruit, licorice camphor, asphalt, black cassis and squid ink. Will still last another 3-5 years but entering a good drinking window now.
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Consumed as a side-by-side with the '08. Compared to '08, this is a chiseled and structured cab blend. '08 is super round and fruity, this has a core acidity to it that really can stand up with food or by itself (the '08 is more of a standalone drinker, though a great one at that). This really shined at about 4 hours of air - many years ahead of it, but at a really nice point balancing strength (which will likely always be there) and finesse.
WOTN, hands down (others: 2008 Justification, 2005 Cuvee du Vatican CDP and 2005 Cuvee du Vatican Reserve Sixtine. Three bottles, all apparently consistent. Very Paso Robles: I think this may be what L'Aventure does best. Rich and opulent.
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Good extraction and silky mouthfeel. It's on the over ripe side with a strong raisin nose, palate is well balanced and really shouldn't start declining for many years so drink or hold
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Poured a very dark purple, almost inky. Rich nose of blackberry jam, dark tea, and baking spices; palate of blackberries, herbs, and a hint of balsamic richness/umami at the end. Tannins are present but wrapped in fruit; acid is clearly present but well balanced and incorporated into the flavors. Finish goes on and on.
Wonderful wine. Would be perfectly happy aging another 5-7 years most likely.
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Popped and poured. Powerful fruit forward wine. Full bodied, good finish, well integrated. Unfortunately, the Petit Verdot component took it down as it just didn't work well for me. We had with some strong cheese which it worked well with. When we poured with dinner, it just overpowered the food. Definitely down from the 2006.
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Tasted in 2010 and 2011. Now again 2014. I loved the earlier tasting but the wine had started to close down in 2011. It is opening nicely now. Intense purple. Pungent, black and red preserved fruits waft from the glass. This definitely reminds me of other high end North American Syrahs I have had. Deeply concentrated, black fruit sweet juice with complicating sour notes and spiciness on the back end. The overall impression was rounder and softer than the earlier versions. An extremely good glass of wine. Nothing I would call elegant but sometimes it is good to just take your clothes off and go for it.
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Dinner with Rich at I Trulli, splash decanted for 30 minutes, would benefit from a longer decant.
Deep purple/velvet color. Very young nose, dark fruits, floral notes, vanilla and oak. Palate is smooth - dark/blue fruits, cassis, blueberry, black currants, spices. Great texture, medium/long finish. drinks beautifully now, may add complexity and mellow in time. Drinking window of 10+ years.
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in a nice drinking spot with tannins somewhat settled some new world richness combined with some deeper rhone hints makes for an interesting evening really good qpr for us
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Huge herb and pepper nose. Flavors of blackberry and star fruit are added when tasted, but there is a strong balance between fruit and earthy tones. Long, long finish - solid acidity is more the backbone than harsh tannins.
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SLow-O'd for three hours, decanted for an hour. Beautiful deep crimson, the scent of a young wine. Medium body, smooth texture, concentrated fruit, integrated tannins, but way too much oak on the finish, marring what should otherwise be a very pleasant experience. Very disappointing, especially at the $68 price point on release. I'm moving my personal drinking window on these to begin in 2014, and that may be too soon.
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From magnum at Prime for Jeff Good's party. Nice ripe lush dark nose of plums, blue fruit and some char coal. Palate has excellent grip but perfect balance. Not a rough edge.
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Purple and nearly opaque in the glass, crimson meniscus. Blackberry, blueberry, vanilla on the nose. Smooth, deep fruit, scrumptious. Seems very young but highly drinkable at this stage. very much looking forward to the evolution of remaining bottles. Certainly outstanding at this stage and will likely improve with more time sideways
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Decanted this bottle for 5 hours. During the first three hours it was still ungiving and tight. I was hoping for so much more and was worried it wasn't going to show. Then during the fourth hour it started to budge. It really changed throughout the night and showed boysenberry, raspberry jam, and blackberry liqueur. On the mid palate there was coffee grinds and truffle. Rich, super extracted and silky smooth. An outstanding effort!
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Purple ink and heavy in the glass. Explosive nose of blackberry, slate, coffee, vanilla, and tobacco. Secondary pepper, sage, licorice and freshly baked bread. Full body with blackberries framed in tight, chalky and mouth coating tannin. Blueberry, chocolate, coffee and vanilla on the palate. Secondary tobacco, pepper and toast. Long finish. Decadent, mouth puckering and also paired surprisingly well with food. Needs more time.
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Decanted and poured. Big, bold black fruit with vanilla. Just missing the complexity of the 2006. Not sure where this will go but shouldn't decline for a while.
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Deep, dense, brooding; rich blueberry and blackberry notes; slight cabernet character, rich, sweet cigar, concentrated and huge; explosive blackberry; pie crust notes, powerful. If you like bigger wines, this is for you. Maybe 92
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Super tight but opened up beautifully after about three hours in the glass. Was even better the next night (vacuum) and still delicious on te third night! Wow.
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Lots of dark fruit, some herbs and spices and perhaps some licorice. A big wine, with a pretty balanced follow through. Enjoyable to sip on and watch evolve some over the night. Somewhat reticent, a few more years will probably do this some good.
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Decanted for 1/2 hour. Unfortunately, it was too warm as I had it in the car bringing it home and didn't realize how warm it got. Strong tannins dominated a powerful wine with black fruits, espresso, herbs. I'll wait for a while before I open another and make sure its the right termpature next time.
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Black opaque color; spicy red fruit, rich heady nose, blackberry medicine notes; Huge, bug massive tannins with coffee liqueur in the mouth. Big and beautiful Paso red. 95 RP
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deep dark red fruit. Opened and decanted for 2 hours. Drank over course of 2 more hours. Long finish. I expected a bit more. May need more cellaring. May wait another year or two for others.
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Decanted for two hours, then finished the following day. Deep crimson-garnet and a lightening rim. Plum, chocolate pudding, licorice stick, crushed lava rock and a little dark berry. Generous and ideal on the palate, with a long finish of tobacco leaf and plum, then showing a round and polished mid and tannin. In my opinion, this is still a little closed and would benefit from a few more years of bottle age and could cellar for at least fifteen to twenty years. No heat, also showing a judicious amount of acidity and freshness. This reminds me more of Guado al Tasso than Provence, which is intriguing and shows the wondrous ability Paso does/can have. Well-deserving of the accolades and worth picking up a few bottles. Drink 2014 - 2029
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Yum. Why do I only have 2 more of these? Love the complexity of the mixture of syrah and cab. A deep purple color, very smooth in the mouthfeel. Lots of layers.
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Wowser! This wine is the real deal. This wine was opened 3 hours before dinner and double decanted. the wine is an inky purple. The nose is dark fruit, cherry, spice and licorice. The flavor is concentrated and complex with dark fruits, especially blackberry and cherry, earth, pepper and spice. Balance and integration are excellent. If you have some of these I would certainly pop one but there is really no rush as this baby has the stuffing for the long haul.
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I liked this wine but it shows at this age a good dose of oak, some forward fruit and heat and dark color. It needs to sleep. I think it will soften out and be pretty good although the alc level might be a point of discussion. Still akin to a barrel sample now so don't rush unless you have several.
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Christmas day. Drank over the course of about 7 hours and had again the next day from an uncorked bottle. Opaque dark purple. Ripe berries the nose- predominantly black berries and raspberries- with nice oaky vanilla notes. Incredibly dense and sweet in the mouth. Similar the following day! The wine feels a little closed now but I think this will evolve beautifully. I suspect my score will go higher.
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15.4% ABV. Opaque dark garnet and a bit inky looking in the glass. Ripe sweet blackberry and black raspberry like nose with hints of nuttiness and vanilla nose. Really great nose. Full bodied with ripe blackberry fruit. On this occasion, the wine might have benefited from being about 5 degrees cooler. Really delicious anyway. 94-96ish.
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Really enjoyed the perfumed nose on this one... so tasty too! It has really opened up since I tasted this last year and will likely get even better with more time.
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Big and thick, nice balance, good length. Not a very good wine to accompany food, its a bit overbaring, but pretty enjoyable if the style is what you want.
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Intense and rich. Powerful, layered, complex. Incredible midpalate. Concentration through the roof. i can see why people who are not into new world could be a bit turned off by this. The jammyness and thickness of the wine is pretty impressive. The wine is truely massive and I think quite profound. I think Parker under scored this wine, 96+. A great wine from one of the most interesting terroirs in Paso Robles. Drink now or over the next 10 years.
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Slightly backwards at this point, this wine would should blossom with just a little time in the cellar, as it possesses an immense stucture, and powerful layers of deeply concentrated black fruit flavors.
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L'Aventure Wine Tasting (Farpointe Cellar): The nose had blueberry, burnt wood, blackberry, graphite and vanilla. The palate was thick and rich, and had blueberry, blackberry, pencil lead, charcoal, and an oak finish.
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No detailed report. Still young. Deep beautiful purple color. Great aromas of plums, chocolate and red fruit. Smooth taste of berries. Really well balanced and easy drinking. A little simple the group said. Nice long finish. Interested to age the other bottle I have and compare.
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Le vin phare du domaine (49% Syrah, 37% Cabernet, 14% Petit Verdot), mais aussi le plus intense. Une bombe de tanins et d’alcool tout simplement inapprochable pour le moment. Une gorgée suffit à saturer la bouche, un vin extrême. Ce vin obtient généralement des gros scores de Parker (98 pour le 2006) et on comprend pourquoi. Même si je reconnais l’honnêteté dans la démarche (on veut en mettre plein la vue et on ne s’en cache pas) c’est loin d’être mon style. L’amateur de blockbuster sera ravit.
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Very, very concentrated, almost like an amarone. Extracted, dried fruit. Almost hard to swallow, the flavors and fruit are so intense! Worth it if you like a very powerful red wine. Tasted at the winery.
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Winemaker's Notes: 49% Syrah -- 37% Cabernet Sauvignon -- 14% Petit Verdot. Powerful, complex aromas of graphite, seared meats, dark fruit, licorice and tea leaf. Spicy notes introduced in the aroma linger like cloves and sage in a rich tapestry of flavors that include wild blackberry, tar, gooseberry and acacia. Very long and memorable finish.
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Inky dark, and velvety smooth, with tremendously concentrated doses of licorice, tobacco and coffee. This is truly among California's best wines, year over year. It takes the miracle that is Paso Robles terroir to the n'th degree. Seriously good stuff. Just released, the 2007 Estate Cuvee is showing great quality and potential for aging.
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3/6/2022 - richardkim wrote: 93 Points
Decanted for 30 minutes, drank over 1 hour. amazingly full bodied and tannic for its age, with a dark color. Dark fruits reflect the Syrah, mostly fruit and little earthiness. Firm tannic backbone. Very enjoyable. Very well built wine.
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7/28/2021 - prism wrote: 94 Points
The second-best of a trio of 10, 09, and 07. Terrible cork. Decanted for half-hour. Nice fruit, lovely structure, and at the far edge of its plateau. Drink now.
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6/18/2021 - short and confused wrote:
getting pretty tired
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6/13/2021 - Hanibal wrote: 90 Points
Fruit driven by waaaay too much oak and vanilla even after 14 years...heavy and hard to drink this gingerly... not for me
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6/12/2021 - rogerr Likes this wine: 94 Points
Similar to my note in 2019 -- In a good drinking spot right now. Silky texture and beautifully integrated.
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3/19/2021 - prism wrote: 95 Points
This is really in an outstanding place. Maybe not my go-to style these days—and Stephane Asseo's wines shine best in the company of other imbibers (the pre-COVID past and, one hopes, the near future, but not my present)—but this is so rich, lush, and layered with black currant and lack cherry that it brings a smile. My best bottle yet. At peak, would my guess.
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12/30/2020 - dsimmons Likes this wine: 93 Points
Last bottle of this delicious red blend drunk with leftover rib roast. Still plenty of fruit plus secondary flavors. Drink.
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11/3/2020 - d'Artagnan wrote: 88 Points
Vin puissant, confituré aux notes prononcées de menthol. C’est rond et très mûr, du bois. Pas mauvais mais à l’opposé de ce que je recherche en ce moment. 88 pts pour moi.
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9/7/2020 - prism wrote: 94 Points
Popped and poured. Mature and delicious with rich, concentrated fruit.
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7/6/2020 - dabovino Likes this wine: 95 Points
Simply outstanding. Well balanced. Long spicy finish great mature fruit.
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5/30/2020 - pgm wrote: 94 Points
Somehow earthy and even barnyardy but still having a clean and polished character. Its primary delights are blackberry, blueberry, and leather, and youthfully juicy acidity. Long finish, promises to last at least another ten years.
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5/16/2020 - AdamWallstein wrote: 95 Points
Really great shape at the moment. Full body, bordering on lush, easy-drinking fruit with plenty of complexity and length.
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5/15/2020 - PDXWineO Likes this wine: 95 Points
In an excellent drinking window and has a few years left in it. Decanted for 1 hour and drank with smoked rib eyes. The syrah and cab balance was fantastic and paired perfectly with our steaks.
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4/9/2020 - DollarMenunaire wrote:
My experiences with the 06 and 08 were better. But I pulled this because I was in the mood for something with higher ABV, because, you know. Definitely savory and peppery. But tannins are drying here which hurts the texture and then it has a harder time carrying the heat. But I wanted that so it worked out fine.
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3/22/2020 - ljl203 wrote: 93 Points
Blueberry, oregano, allspice, plumb, anise notes in tremendous harmony. Great length - one of the best wines to relax with given the craziness.
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12/29/2019 - Kurt and Ruthann wrote: 97 Points
I have stored this wine for 8 years. When we opened it tonight, I was amazed at the color of the wine; deep dark color. The wine was fabulous. full of dark fruit, yet silky and smooth. I wish I had several more cases in my cellar. Thank you Stephan...The wine is a work of art.
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6/8/2019 - Somm David T Likes this wine: 93 Points
The 07 Estate Cuvée is a blend of; 49% Syrah, 37% Cabernet and 14% Petit Verdot.
The nose reveals, bright, ripe, ruby fruits of; mulberries, boysenberries, olallieberries, black plum, plum, blackberries and black cherries. Some black pepper, melted dark chocolate, mocha powder, vanilla, dark, rich soil, limestone minerals, dry sage, bay leaf, understated dark spice, dry crushed rocks, burnt ambers, incense, underbrush, soft leather & woody notes with loads of fresh, fragrant violets and lavender.
The body is; full, ruby, lush and voluptuous. The tannins are powdery dry with some meaty, stickiness. The structure and tension are still quite big. The length and balance are in the first phase of their good groove. It has another 6-8 years of very good drinking going forward. Dark currants-cassis, bright, ripe, ruby, jammy fruits of; mulberries, boysenberries, olallieberries, black plum, plum, blackberries, creamy black raspberries and black cherries. Warm blueberry pie, more black pepper on the palate then the nose, melted dark chocolate, mocha powder, vanilla, some clove, cinnamon stick, black licorice, sweet tarriness, dark, rich soil, moist clay, limestone minerals, dry sage, bay leaf, dark spice with some uplifting palate heat, dry crushed rocks, burnt ambers, incense, savory meats, underbrush, suede style leather, cedar with loads of fresh, fragrant violets and lavender. The acidity is round and beautiful. The long, rich, ruby, well balanced, voluptuous, nicely polished finish is delicious and persists on and on.
This is a wine where Southern Rhône meets Bordeaux.
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4/26/2019 - prism wrote: 94 Points
WOTN. With grilled prime ribeye, a perfect pairing. Fulsome, rich, and delicious.
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4/20/2019 - rogerr Likes this wine: 95 Points
In a great spot right now. Silky texture and beautifully integrated.
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2/10/2019 - jsmorris707 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Similar to prior note; delicious, drink or hold, great QPR
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2/2/2019 - walkerjfw wrote: 94 Points
Zurich Supper Club convenes in NYC - Andrew, Pohlin and Paolo (Casa Apicii, NYC): Last bottle of the evening. One of my contributions for the evening, brought for our Syrah aficionado (Andrew) to try. Really interesting blend of Syrah, Cab and Petit Verdot. Decanted for about an hour prior to drinking. Had to save the "biggest" wine for the finish.
Prior notes: "Deep purple/velvet color. Very young nose, dark fruits, floral notes, vanilla and oak. Palate is smooth - dark/blue fruits, cassis, blueberry, black currants, spices. Great texture, medium/long finish..."
Even at 11 years, still a deep, inky purple color. Nose has wild aromas of blackberry preserves, garrigue, violets. Rich palate of brambly fruits, boysenberry and spice. Floral notes on the mid and back palate as well.
New world version of a Northern Rhone. Great wine, aged well. Style is big, not for everyone. In a great spot but should last a while if cellaring...
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12/2/2018 - D.Callahan Likes this wine: 93 Points
Excellent Syrah/Cab/Petit Verdot blend that is maturing, developing some secondary flavors, mellowing the tannins and losing the alcohol making it a smooth rounded wine that still shows the influences of its blend. Very enjoyable with a marinated tri-tip roast.
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11/17/2018 - jsmorris707 Likes this wine: 96 Points
Double decanted for an hour, deep ruby, black & some blueberry with a touch of pepper, med. tannins, long finish; delicious, drink or hold, no rush
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7/11/2018 - europat55 wrote: 92 Points
Rich. Smooth. Quite predominant Syrah component. Will probably continue to improve over the next 5 years.
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5/4/2018 - signotim wrote: 90 Points
Gave this a one hour decant and returned to bottle. Drank over dinner and it seemed a bit tight. Bouquet was not so expressive. Plenty of nice, dark fruit on the palate but not as explosive as I would expect from this wine in 2007.
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3/30/2018 - prism wrote: 93 Points
The second in a flight of three L'Aventure Estate Cuvées: 2009, 2007, 2006. All were excellent, showing lovely fruit and elegant balance, but the 2007 and the 2006 were just a point behind the 2009 on this evening.
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2/6/2018 - jeginmt Likes this wine: 95 Points
Decanted for 2 hours. Dark purple, full bodied, complex aromas and flavors, blackberries and tobacco, noticeable tannins but well integrated, very good acidity. An excellent Cab in all respects. May have peaked. Starting to drop sediments.
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1/16/2018 - short and confused wrote: 92 Points
I still really enjoyed this wine but it is seems to be going through a somewhat less enjoyable phase than earlier tastings. Getting rounder and more stewed without a lot of interesting secondary characteristics emerging. Looking forward to seeing if it comes out the other side in good shape.
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12/30/2017 - thomaskeil wrote: 87 Points
PnP. Dark violet red. Stewy dark berries on nose. Heavy fruit that is clearly aging on the palate. Low acid, medium tannins, some etoh heat. Fruit smells good and is tasty, but the wine lacks any joy-inducing balance or interesting secondary flavors or texture.
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11/22/2017 - HOS wrote: 90 Points
PnP. On the way down. Suggest drinking up.
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11/13/2017 - ELH wrote: 93 Points
Interesting and delightful Paso Robles blend of Syrah 49%, Cabernet Sauvignon 37%, and Petit Verdot 14%. Nicely integrated. Each varietal revealing itself as it evolved in the glass. Good drinking window.
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9/9/2017 - Ineosmith Likes this wine: 94 Points
Outstanding Paso cab blend
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8/25/2017 - mattdathan Likes this wine: 95 Points
Still so powerful with such integrated elegance and length
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5/28/2017 - RedFilth wrote: 93 Points
A little hint of alcohol on opening which blew off with a decant. Big black fruits on both nose and palate, a hint of pepper and smooth and silky in the mouth. Lingers on the palate and enjoyed by all with with our steaks. Min 30 minute decant to allow this to shine.
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5/6/2017 - robertek wrote: 93 Points
Solid with good sweet fruit on the palate and a very good nose to start it off. Vwey well integrated tannins and although I thought there was still some oak on the nose I don't mind it mixed up with the fruit. Ready to drink but showing very little pf secondary notes...
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4/8/2017 - napasoutherner Likes this wine: 93 Points
Had with wine tasting group. Some of the better noses in the group identified it as a California Syrah right off the bat. Opened for about 30 minutes before tasting. Classic notes of this Syrah blend, some good graphite in there but it was pretty hot in general and started to cool down after about an hour. Solid wine.
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2/10/2017 - walkerjfw wrote: 94 Points
Dinner with Joby and Lorraine at our house, paired this with the main course of my "famous" wine braised brisket and pureed garlic cauliflower. Needed a big wine to pair with the meat. Decanted for about 90 minutes before drinking.
Prior notes: "Deep purple/velvet color. Very young nose, dark fruits, floral notes, vanilla and oak. Palate is smooth - dark/blue fruits, cassis, blueberry, black currants, spices. Great texture, medium/long finish..."
This evening the wine had a gorgeous tart dark berry, bramble/blackberry and boysenberry profile. This is a big wine throughout, but not overpowering; flavors are concentrated but still refined. Nice spice coming through on the mid palate.
In a great spot right now. The decant made a big difference in getting the secondary characteristics to show.
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12/15/2016 - HOS wrote: 93 Points
Opened, tasted and immediately decanted for 1/2 hour. Those early drying tannins mellowed in the decanter leaving plum, earth, roasted herbs. Full bodied, good finish. Has years left.
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10/27/2016 - napasoutherner wrote: 97 Points
This is a beautifully stunning wine and I wish I had more! Rich, layered and a long finish... what a stunner! Notes of dark chocolate, cocoa and deep black fruit. Spices, tobacco leaf, and cigar flavors swirl throughout the palate. One on my best wines consumer of 2016!
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10/15/2016 - wcf1946 Likes this wine: 98 Points
Rich deep flavors. Perfect integration fruit and tannins. Long beautiful finish. At it's peak now, but should stay plateaued at this level for 5-8 more years. I bought a six pact at the winery in 2010, and have been drinking a bottle yearly. Each year showed improvement, but this last bottle was the eureka moment. I went on the internet and bought as much more as I could find. As good or better than any CA big red wine at any price.
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10/7/2016 - pakabear Likes this wine: 93 Points
Really nice as were the previous bottles, dark chocolate, black and dark red fruits, cooking spices, earth, chewy tannins. Nice length and mouthfeel. really good!
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10/6/2016 - TannicBeast Likes this wine: 93 Points
This is a very well made, complex, hedonistic, red blend. It is concentrated and fruit-forward, but also has a firm structure. It is drinking well now, but easily has another five years of aging potential.
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9/5/2016 - dsimmons Likes this wine: 96 Points
My second of three and my first bottle since 2011. This wine continues to deliver hedonistic pleasure. Big bold black fruits, licorice, spice, cassis. Happy to have one more of these beauties.
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8/26/2016 - bugdoced Likes this wine: 92 Points
deep dark and delicious in a new world syrah way
drank at Astor and paired well with duck
Liked by all
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7/31/2016 - pakabear wrote: 93 Points
Consistent to previous notes, great texture, cocoa, dark/black fruits with a nice acidic and tannic backbone. Really good!
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3/6/2016 - pakabear Likes this wine: 93 Points
Remains very consistent and drinking very well right now. Milk chocolate, velvety texture and tannins, dark red fruits, cook spices and some meat. Very good wine.
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2/7/2016 - pakabear Likes this wine: 93 Points
Great texture and balance, very consistent bottling for me, it's drinking well now and should for the next 5 years or more.
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2/6/2016 - flyboysql Likes this wine: 91 Points
Big, viscous, dense wine with large fruity notes. Plumb, cherry, Coca Cola, leather. Medium acidity, nice fine tannins. Balanced. Still could use more time, but drinking well now. After letting it sit for a bit, I'm getting a bit of bacon and/or toasted oak.
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12/13/2015 - PIntag wrote:
Pop 'n pour and consumed over 2 hours. A strong coconut-toasted oak thing going on with the nose. On the palate, very dense, good concentration, not what I would call overripe, even though the varietal character is hard to distinguish. The heavy oak signature also carries through on the palate, giving a heavy feel to the wine. Overall, this is beyond the limit of my oak tolerance but everyone else at the party raved about it. Tasted alongside the 2007 Cab Estate which I had a similar reaction to.
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12/9/2015 - pakabear Likes this wine: 93 Points
Chocolate, mocha, dark fruits, cinnamon, and coffee. Very good, not super complex, but extracted and balanced and drinking very well right now.
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10/29/2015 - Vitis Maximus Likes this wine: 92 Points
Full nose of dark fruit notes and spice. Almost Valpolicecella-like. But not pruney. Still has the light red fruit notes that the 2007 Estate Cab had such as a strawberry tinge. Good wine that is fully mature.
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10/23/2015 - pakabear Likes this wine: 93 Points
PnP, Dark fruit, cooking spices and raisin on the nose, full throttle, good tannin structure still, more dark fruits, current, licorice, grilled meat, and lots of raisin on the finish. 45 second finish for me, it's a great bargain if you can get at auction pricing, but not that great at retail IMO.
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10/1/2015 - pakabear Likes this wine: 93 Points
Very consistent with my previous notes, and an absolute steal if you can get it cheaply at auction!
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9/11/2015 - tward wrote:
From memory: Had over a couple of nights. Big, dense, dark, but not over-extracted or too mouth coating, some nice aromatics, chocolate, dusty earth, dark fruits. Overall a pleasant if typically massive wine from L'Aventure, holds together pretty well. OK to poor QPR depending on tastes.
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8/14/2015 - pakabear Likes this wine: 93 Points
Drinking so well right now. Velvet texture, dark fruit, licorice camphor, asphalt, black cassis and squid ink. Will still last another 3-5 years but entering a good drinking window now.
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7/12/2015 - pakabear Likes this wine: 93 Points
Ready to go now, drink or hold for 5
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6/21/2015 - pakabear Likes this wine: 93 Points
Consumed on Father's Day, pop and pour, similar to previous notes and drinking very nice currently.
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6/19/2015 - mrmedoes Likes this wine: 94 Points
Consumed as a side-by-side with the '08. Compared to '08, this is a chiseled and structured cab blend. '08 is super round and fruity, this has a core acidity to it that really can stand up with food or by itself (the '08 is more of a standalone drinker, though a great one at that). This really shined at about 4 hours of air - many years ahead of it, but at a really nice point balancing strength (which will likely always be there) and finesse.
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6/5/2015 - prism wrote: 94 Points
WOTN, hands down (others: 2008 Justification, 2005 Cuvee du Vatican CDP and 2005 Cuvee du Vatican Reserve Sixtine. Three bottles, all apparently consistent. Very Paso Robles: I think this may be what L'Aventure does best. Rich and opulent.
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5/20/2015 - pakabear Likes this wine: 93 Points
Consistent to last bottle
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5/16/2015 - pakabear Likes this wine: 93 Points
Good extraction and silky mouthfeel. It's on the over ripe side with a strong raisin nose, palate is well balanced and really shouldn't start declining for many years so drink or hold
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4/28/2015 - Mild Plaid Likes this wine: 97 Points
Poured a very dark purple, almost inky. Rich nose of blackberry jam, dark tea, and baking spices; palate of blackberries, herbs, and a hint of balsamic richness/umami at the end. Tannins are present but wrapped in fruit; acid is clearly present but well balanced and incorporated into the flavors. Finish goes on and on.
Wonderful wine. Would be perfectly happy aging another 5-7 years most likely.
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12/28/2014 - HOS Likes this wine: 90 Points
Popped and poured. Powerful fruit forward wine. Full bodied, good finish, well integrated. Unfortunately, the Petit Verdot component took it down as it just didn't work well for me. We had with some strong cheese which it worked well with. When we poured with dinner, it just overpowered the food. Definitely down from the 2006.
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12/26/2014 - wilsp wrote: 94 Points
This wine has come together.
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12/22/2014 - jpwines Likes this wine: 90 Points
enjoyable but not worth the bucks.
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11/8/2014 - danielbleier Likes this wine: 95 Points
Even better than the last time, this wine is a monster blend of blackberry and grilled herb...minerality by the bucket, and a sweet smooth finish.
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9/24/2014 - short and confused wrote: 94 Points
Tasted in 2010 and 2011. Now again 2014. I loved the earlier tasting but the wine had started to close down in 2011. It is opening nicely now. Intense purple. Pungent, black and red preserved fruits waft from the glass. This definitely reminds me of other high end North American Syrahs I have had. Deeply concentrated, black fruit sweet juice with complicating sour notes and spiciness on the back end. The overall impression was rounder and softer than the earlier versions. An extremely good glass of wine. Nothing I would call elegant but sometimes it is good to just take your clothes off and go for it.
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8/17/2014 - prism wrote: 94 Points
WOTN: Lush, rich red and blue fruit; drinking spectacularly now.
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7/12/2014 - pgm wrote: 92 Points
No detailed notes taken. Fine and delicious, but it suffered by comparison to the power of the '09 Alban served beside it. Don't do that again.
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6/15/2014 - Bellalisa99 wrote: 90 Points
Herbal peppery notes. Well balanced fruit. Ready to drink.
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4/15/2014 - walkerjfw wrote: 93 Points
Dinner with Rich at I Trulli, splash decanted for 30 minutes, would benefit from a longer decant.
Deep purple/velvet color. Very young nose, dark fruits, floral notes, vanilla and oak. Palate is smooth - dark/blue fruits, cassis, blueberry, black currants, spices. Great texture, medium/long finish. drinks beautifully now, may add complexity and mellow in time. Drinking window of 10+ years.
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2/16/2014 - bugdoced Likes this wine: 92 Points
in a nice drinking spot with tannins somewhat settled
some new world richness combined with some deeper rhone hints makes for an interesting evening
really good qpr for us
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1/18/2014 - danielbleier Likes this wine: 93 Points
Huge herb and pepper nose. Flavors of blackberry and star fruit are added when tasted, but there is a strong balance between fruit and earthy tones. Long, long finish - solid acidity is more the backbone than harsh tannins.
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9/19/2013 - Amerique wrote: 94 Points
Rich, full-bodied, chewy black cherry/blackberry/bosenberry fruit, excellent structure, ample tannins, spicy, maybe a bit rough but very enjoyable
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6/28/2013 - cubswinws Likes this wine: 91 Points
Nice wine starting to come around with soft tannins and well integrated structure. Likely better in 1-2 more years.
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4/20/2013 - prism wrote: 89 Points
SLow-O'd for three hours, decanted for an hour. Beautiful deep crimson, the scent of a young wine. Medium body, smooth texture, concentrated fruit, integrated tannins, but way too much oak on the finish, marring what should otherwise be a very pleasant experience. Very disappointing, especially at the $68 price point on release. I'm moving my personal drinking window on these to begin in 2014, and that may be too soon.
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4/15/2013 - JPC91 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Beautiful dark color. Strong aroma of black currant, almost Grenache-like.
Flavor is intense and wonderful. Well done Stephan!
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3/13/2013 - rcg62 wrote: 92 Points
Plum, blackberry, blueberry and acacia on the nose. Nice smooth palate, with chunky black cherry tang. Deep and dark color. Drinking beautifully.
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2/15/2013 - beezer6 wrote: 92 Points
From magnum at Prime for Jeff Good's party.
Nice ripe lush dark nose of plums, blue fruit and some char coal.
Palate has excellent grip but perfect balance. Not a rough edge.
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12/22/2012 - cubswinws Likes this wine: 94 Points
Really nice right now. Tannins present but not too harsh. Really mellowed after an hour in the glass/bottle. Very enjoyable.
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7/15/2012 - prism wrote: 94 Points
Purple and nearly opaque in the glass, crimson meniscus. Blackberry, blueberry, vanilla on the nose. Smooth, deep fruit, scrumptious. Seems very young but highly drinkable at this stage. very much looking forward to the evolution of remaining bottles. Certainly outstanding at this stage and will likely improve with more time sideways
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7/14/2012 - epicred wrote: 96 Points
Seductive nose w/ licorice, leather & spice. My pal Stephan has done it again. Last of our '07's, looking forward for the '08's and beyond.
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7/9/2012 - vinoballo wrote: 96 Points
Poppe and poured and it drank beautifully right from the start. So glad I got my hands on six I these.
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1/21/2012 - bugdoced wrote: 90 Points
New world in a good way; dark fruit and vanilla that settled in nicely for a 2 day ride; will try and leave other bottles alone for a year or two
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1/19/2012 - STM82 wrote: 94 Points
Decanted this bottle for 5 hours. During the first three hours it was still ungiving and tight. I was hoping for so much more and was worried it wasn't going to show. Then during the fourth hour it started to budge. It really changed throughout the night and showed boysenberry, raspberry jam, and blackberry liqueur. On the mid palate there was coffee grinds and truffle. Rich, super extracted and silky smooth. An outstanding effort!
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12/17/2011 - christophee Likes this wine: 92 Points
Purple ink and heavy in the glass. Explosive nose of blackberry, slate, coffee, vanilla, and tobacco. Secondary pepper, sage, licorice and freshly baked bread. Full body with blackberries framed in tight, chalky and mouth coating tannin. Blueberry, chocolate, coffee and vanilla on the palate. Secondary tobacco, pepper and toast. Long finish. Decadent, mouth puckering and also paired surprisingly well with food. Needs more time.
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12/3/2011 - schnittle wrote: 91 Points
so god with bbq tri tip and decorating christmas trees
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11/10/2011 - HOS wrote: 91 Points
Decanted and poured. Big, bold black fruit with vanilla. Just missing the complexity of the 2006. Not sure where this will go but shouldn't decline for a while.
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11/3/2011 - macawmom&dad wrote: 90 Points
Beautiful fruit-soft but some dark berry. But did not do well overnight.
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10/5/2011 - peternelson wrote: 91 Points
Deep, dense, brooding; rich blueberry and blackberry notes; slight cabernet character, rich, sweet cigar, concentrated and huge; explosive blackberry; pie crust notes, powerful. If you like bigger wines, this is for you. Maybe 92
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9/22/2011 - handymom wrote: 95 Points
One of the best I have had. Rich and blueberry. Wish I had more.
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9/10/2011 - cookie7 wrote:
Inky in color. Cassis and licorice on the nose. Big wine with lots of complexity. Long finish - lots of aging potential.
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8/27/2011 - vinoballo wrote: 94 Points
Super tight but opened up beautifully after about three hours in the glass. Was even better the next night (vacuum) and still delicious on te third night! Wow.
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7/17/2011 - cadamson wrote: 91 Points
Lots of dark fruit, some herbs and spices and perhaps some licorice. A big wine, with a pretty balanced follow through. Enjoyable to sip on and watch evolve some over the night. Somewhat reticent, a few more years will probably do this some good.
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7/12/2011 - HOS wrote:
Decanted for 1/2 hour. Unfortunately, it was too warm as I had it in the car bringing it home and didn't realize how warm it got. Strong tannins dominated a powerful wine with black fruits, espresso, herbs. I'll wait for a while before I open another and make sure its the right termpature next time.
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6/25/2011 - peternelson wrote: 91 Points
Black opaque color; spicy red fruit, rich heady nose, blackberry medicine notes; Huge, bug massive tannins with coffee liqueur in the mouth. Big and beautiful Paso red. 95 RP
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6/25/2011 - Azbearoh wrote: 95 Points
deep dark red fruit. Opened and decanted for 2 hours. Drank over course of 2 more hours. Long finish. I expected a bit more. May need more cellaring. May wait another year or two for others.
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6/15/2011 - 560 B&W wrote: 93 Points
June 15. 2011
Impressive, if in a too unctuous Parker manner.
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6/7/2011 - Nedder_travels_the_world wrote: 94 Points
excellent blend. Strong opening flavors of boysenberry, cigar box, dark purple fruits, leather, tar, loam. wow. mellows a bit. great wine.
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4/30/2011 - Matt Scott wrote: 95 Points
Decanted for two hours, then finished the following day. Deep crimson-garnet and a lightening rim. Plum, chocolate pudding, licorice stick, crushed lava rock and a little dark berry. Generous and ideal on the palate, with a long finish of tobacco leaf and plum, then showing a round and polished mid and tannin. In my opinion, this is still a little closed and would benefit from a few more years of bottle age and could cellar for at least fifteen to twenty years. No heat, also showing a judicious amount of acidity and freshness. This reminds me more of Guado al Tasso than Provence, which is intriguing and shows the wondrous ability Paso does/can have. Well-deserving of the accolades and worth picking up a few bottles. Drink 2014 - 2029
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4/30/2011 - short and confused wrote: 93 Points
similar to prior tasting but has closed down a bit.
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3/4/2011 - IamNotDrinkingAny#@!%Merlot wrote: 94 Points
Dark, dense and rich, yet incredibly balanced and complex with a core of graphite and limestone running right through it. Awesome.
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2/25/2011 - macawmom&dad wrote: 92 Points
Syrah predominates the fruit. Did open with time in the glass and would keep longer.
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2/2/2011 - vegasoenophile wrote: 95 Points
- Tasted at Wine Spectator New World Wine Experience 2010
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1/31/2011 - jaylew1 wrote: 94 Points
Yum. Why do I only have 2 more of these? Love the complexity of the mixture of syrah and cab. A deep purple color, very smooth in the mouthfeel. Lots of layers.
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1/15/2011 - dsimmons wrote: 95 Points
Wowser! This wine is the real deal. This wine was opened 3 hours before dinner and double decanted. the wine is an inky purple. The nose is dark fruit, cherry, spice and licorice. The flavor is concentrated and complex with dark fruits, especially blackberry and cherry, earth, pepper and spice. Balance and integration are excellent. If you have some of these I would certainly pop one but there is really no rush as this baby has the stuffing for the long haul.
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1/5/2011 - handymom wrote: 94 Points
A fantastic wine. Blueberry cream. Side by side with Ramey C.S. Larkmead Valley, the L'Aventure was better.
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1/1/2011 - Suzi333 wrote: 93 Points
Already outstanding but needs some time to fully develop.
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12/29/2010 - Frank Murray III wrote:
I liked this wine but it shows at this age a good dose of oak, some forward fruit and heat and dark color. It needs to sleep. I think it will soften out and be pretty good although the alc level might be a point of discussion. Still akin to a barrel sample now so don't rush unless you have several.
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12/27/2010 - short and confused wrote: 94 Points
Christmas day. Drank over the course of about 7 hours and had again the next day from an uncorked bottle. Opaque dark purple. Ripe berries the nose- predominantly black berries and raspberries- with nice oaky vanilla notes. Incredibly dense and sweet in the mouth. Similar the following day! The wine feels a little closed now but I think this will evolve beautifully. I suspect my score will go higher.
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11/24/2010 - OneLastSyrah Likes this wine: 95 Points
15.4% ABV. Opaque dark garnet and a bit inky looking in the glass. Ripe sweet blackberry and black raspberry like nose with hints of nuttiness and vanilla nose. Really great nose. Full bodied with ripe blackberry fruit. On this occasion, the wine might have benefited from being about 5 degrees cooler. Really delicious anyway. 94-96ish.
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11/6/2010 - Justin B wrote: 95 Points
Really enjoyed the perfumed nose on this one... so tasty too! It has really opened up since I tasted this last year and will likely get even better with more time.
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8/25/2010 - handymom wrote: 94 Points
Deep, dark, blueberry. Yum! Allow to breathe three hours.
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6/26/2010 - rexmerlot wrote: 90 Points
No formal note
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5/18/2010 - geneswine wrote: 92 Points
Big and thick, nice balance, good length. Not a very good wine to accompany food, its a bit overbaring, but pretty enjoyable if the style is what you want.
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5/8/2010 - pian0_player wrote: 96 Points
Intense and rich. Powerful, layered, complex. Incredible midpalate. Concentration through the roof. i can see why people who are not into new world could be a bit turned off by this. The jammyness and thickness of the wine is pretty impressive. The wine is truely massive and I think quite profound. I think Parker under scored this wine, 96+. A great wine from one of the most interesting terroirs in Paso Robles. Drink now or over the next 10 years.
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5/4/2010 - wino_tim wrote: 93 Points
Slightly backwards at this point, this wine would should blossom with just a little time in the cellar, as it possesses an immense stucture, and powerful layers of deeply concentrated black fruit flavors.
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3/28/2010 - mattdathan wrote: 93 Points
Another fine L'Aventure wine! Drinks well now, but will smooth with time - has a good 8+ years left.
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2/10/2010 - mmurry wrote: 93 Points
L'Aventure Wine Tasting (Farpointe Cellar): The nose had blueberry, burnt wood, blackberry, graphite and vanilla. The palate was thick and rich, and had blueberry, blackberry, pencil lead, charcoal, and an oak finish.
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12/18/2009 - schnittle wrote: 90 Points
No detailed report. Still young. Deep beautiful purple color. Great aromas of plums, chocolate and red fruit. Smooth taste of berries. Really well balanced and easy drinking. A little simple the group said. Nice long finish. Interested to age the other bottle I have and compare.
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11/20/2009 - Justin B wrote: 93 Points
Paso Robles Blends Tasting, San Diego Bay Wine & Food Festival (San Diego Wine & Culinary Center): 49% Syrah, 37% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Petit Verdot. Deep purple color. Blueberry, pomegranate, and a touch of mint leaf on the nose. Great blackberry fruit with a super long finish. Super balanced.
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7/11/2009 - ludwigbpm wrote: 91 Points
Le vin phare du domaine (49% Syrah, 37% Cabernet, 14% Petit Verdot), mais aussi le plus intense. Une bombe de tanins et d’alcool tout simplement inapprochable pour le moment. Une gorgée suffit à saturer la bouche, un vin extrême. Ce vin obtient généralement des gros scores de Parker (98 pour le 2006) et on comprend pourquoi. Même si je reconnais l’honnêteté dans la démarche (on veut en mettre plein la vue et on ne s’en cache pas) c’est loin d’être mon style. L’amateur de blockbuster sera ravit.
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6/20/2009 - gdykema wrote: 94 Points
Very, very concentrated, almost like an amarone. Extracted, dried fruit. Almost hard to swallow, the flavors and fruit are so intense! Worth it if you like a very powerful red wine. Tasted at the winery.
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6/9/2009 - WineMavin wrote:
Winemaker's Notes: 49% Syrah -- 37% Cabernet Sauvignon -- 14% Petit Verdot. Powerful, complex aromas of graphite, seared meats, dark fruit, licorice and tea leaf. Spicy notes introduced in the aroma linger like cloves and sage in a rich tapestry of flavors that include wild blackberry, tar, gooseberry and acacia. Very long and memorable finish.
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5/10/2009 - ths wrote: 95 Points
Inky dark, and velvety smooth, with tremendously concentrated doses of licorice, tobacco and coffee. This is truly among California's best wines, year over year. It takes the miracle that is Paso Robles terroir to the n'th degree. Seriously good stuff. Just released, the 2007 Estate Cuvee is showing great quality and potential for aging.
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