L'Aventure Estate Cuvée 2018

Powerful, concentrated and confident with added swagger. Owner Stephan Asseo has deftly brought out opulent swathes of redcurrant and raspberry fruits laced with liquorice and cigar that is both striking and moreish. 100% estate grown fruit cropped to low yields of under 30hl/ha. 90% new French oak, 10% one-year-old French oak, with malolactic fermentation in barrel. No fining, no filtering. 2,000 cases produced. Drinking Window 2025 - 2042

The 2018 Estate Cuvee checks 45% Syrah, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Petit Verdot brought up in 90% new French oak. Tasting like the straight Cab, yet with more sex appeal, it offers a huge nose of crème de cassis, white flowers, crushed stone, graphite, and crushed flowers. This carries to a full-bodied, gorgeously textured red with incredible balance, no hard edges, a thrilling mid-palate, and a great, great finish. It's going to benefit from 5-6 years of bottle age and keep for upwards of two decades or more. Hats off to winemaker Stephan Asseo on another incredible wine, as well as, I suspect the wine of the vintage.