The 2020 L'Aventure Estate Cuvee is a proprietary blend from Paso Robles, California. This red wine, crafted by L'Aventure, is a blend of 45% Syrah, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 15% Petit Verdot. With an alcohol content of 15.1%, it is sealed with a cork closure and presents a deep ruby-purple color.
The wine has garnered exceptional reviews from multiple respected critics. Robert Parker's Wine Advocate awarded it an outstanding 99 points, praising its "singular concentration and elegance". The review highlights the wine's "pure core of cassis" and "slowly unfolding accents of licorice, cured meats, tobacco leaves, cedar, and truffle". It is described as "full-bodied, juicy, and alluring", with a "tremendously long, detailed finish".
Decanter also provided a stellar review, scoring the wine 97 points. The publication described it as "dark chocolate, a bit animalistic, so brooding and dark". The review noted its "sumptuous texture, rich and deep yet vibrant". Additional descriptors included "strawberry touches, blackberries, cinnamon, pepper, toast, tobacco, and cocoa, all melding together". The wine is aged for 15 months in French oak, with 80% of the barrels being new and 20% one year old.
Jeb Dunnuck rated the wine at 96+ points, noting its "big, black-fruited bouquet with lots of graphite, smoky oak, chocolate, and chalky minerality". Dunnuck emphasized the wine's "savory tannins," "plenty of mid-palate flesh," and "sweet tannins," calling it "unquestionably one of the top wines in this vintage".
James Suckling, who also awarded the wine 96 points, admired its "violets, blueberries, blackberries, graphite, ink, and chalk to the nose". He described it as "rich, voluptuous and flavorful with firm, but silky tannins" and commended its "lingering finish that goes on and on".
Vinous matched Decanter's score of 97 points, describing the blend as "beguiling" with "dusty violets, crushed stone, musky black currants and grilled herbs". The review highlighted the wine's "zesty acidity" and "grippy tannins," concluding that it has a "very bright future".
In summary, the 2020 L'Aventure Estate Cuvee is a complex, robust, and highly acclaimed wine, notable for its depth, balanced structure, and long-lasting finish.