Stephan Asseo of L’Aventure was trained in Burgundy and developed his skills and reputation in Bordeaux, but landed in Paso Robles after a world-wide search for a new horizon-expanding terroir. His Cote A Cote bottling fits squarely into a style we’re big fans of, namely well-crafted California-grown homage to the southern Rhone Valley. The relative warmth of Paso Robles is a perfect home for grenache, syrah, and mourvèdre. They easily reach ripeness, but Asseo only harvests when they’ve also reached phenolic concentration, resulting in a fruit-forward, full-bodied, and endlessly generous red that holds nothing back. This bottle will be a sturdy companion to a traditional cassoulet, any number of lamb preparations, or a sumac-rubbed picanha steak. The 2021 is in good form now, but will develop and hold well in the cellar for easily another decade, perhaps two. We don’t set much stock in critics reviews, preferring to stick to our own evaluations of wine, but we don’t mind sharing that Jeb Dunnuck, James Suckling, and Robert Parker rated this vintage 97, 96, and 96 respectively.
37% grenache, 32% syrah, 31% mourvedre. Aging for 16 months; 36% 1-Year Old French Oak, 30% New French Oak, 18% Concrete Tank, 16% Amphora. Unfiltered and unfined. Willow Creek District, Paso Robles, California.
Stephan Asseo of L’Aventure was trained in Burgundy and developed his skills and reputation in Bordeaux, but landed in Paso Robles after a world-wide search for a new horizon-expanding terroir. His Cote A Cote bottling fits squarely into a style we’re big fans of, namely well-crafted California-grown homage to the southern Rhone Valley. The relative warmth of Paso Robles is a perfect home for grenache, syrah, and mourvèdre. They easily reach ripeness, but Asseo only harvests when they’ve also reached phenolic concentration, resulting in a fruit-forward, full-bodied, and endlessly generous red that holds nothing back. This bottle will be a sturdy companion to a traditional cassoulet, any number of lamb preparations, or a sumac-rubbed picanha steak. The 2021 is in good form now, but will develop and hold well in the cellar for easily another decade, perhaps two. We don’t set much stock in critics reviews, preferring to stick to our own evaluations of wine, but we don’t mind sharing that Jeb Dunnuck, James Suckling, and Robert Parker rated this vintage 97, 96, and 96 respectively.
37% grenache, 32% syrah, 31% mourvedre. Aging for 16 months; 36% 1-Year Old French Oak, 30% New French Oak, 18% Concrete Tank, 16% Amphora. Unfiltered and unfined. Willow Creek District, Paso Robles, California.
