L'Aventure : Optimus 2023

Characteristics and tasting tips for Optimus 2023 from L'Aventure

Tasting

Appearance
An intense colour, ranging from deep ruby to purple.

Nose
The bouquet reveals great purity of black fruit such as blackcurrant, blackberry and black cherry. It is enriched by spicy nuances, pepper, graphite and smoky touches, lifted by floral notes of violet from the high proportion of Petit Verdot.

Palate
Ample and generous, the wine offers a supple, rounded texture supported by ripe tannins. It shows lovely freshness and great precision, extending into a long, savoury finish with fruity and spicy accents.

Food and wine pairings
This cuvée pairs beautifully with red meats in sauce, braised beef or veal, and game stews. It is also an excellent match for Mediterranean dishes with herbs and mature hard cheeses.

Serving and cellaring
It is advisable to decant Optimus 2023 in its youth and to serve it at a temperature between 16 and 18°C. With excellent ageing potential, this wine can be enjoyed until around 2035.

L'Aventure: the boldness of a great terroir in Paso Robles, California

The estate
Founded in 1998 by French winemaker Stephan Asseo and his wife Beatrice, L'Aventure is an iconic estate located in Paso Robles, California. After a long career in Bordeaux, Stephan chose this unique terroir to break free from strict rules and create his own signature style. The estate covers 127 acres, around 58 of which are planted with vines. Today, Stephan Asseo, still the owner and cellar master, runs the estate with the growing involvement of his daughter Chloé, carrying forward an artisanal and innovative vision.

The vineyard
Located on the west side of Paso Robles, the vineyard enjoys an exceptional terroir of very thin siliceous shale soils and limestone of marine origin. The vines, planted on hillsides and plateaus, are grown at high density and farmed mainly according to biodynamic and organic principles. This microclimate, marked by wide temperature swings between hot days and cool nights, produces highly concentrated grapes while preserving lovely natural acidity. Yields are deliberately limited to around 2.5 tons per acre.

Winemaking and ageing
The grapes harvested for Optimus 2023 undergo rigorous sorting. In the cellar, fermentations often start with indigenous yeasts after a cold soak, with gentle extraction through pump-overs. Optimus 2023 is aged for 18 months in French oak barrels, 37% new and 63% one-year-old. The wine is then bottled, with bottling scheduled for March 2025, without any fining or filtration.

Grape varieties
54% Syrah, 23% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Petit Verdot