L'Aventure, or Stephan Vineyards, is a California wine estate producing red wine blends of the Bordeaux and Rhône grape varieties. The winery is located southwest of Paso Robles, California, along the Pacific Coast in the Santa Lucia Mountain range.
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Ok, not sure where to start, I got mixed feelings.
I was here almost 3 years ago on a Sunday morning for the very first time, and yes, I loved it, reason why I was back today.
Since then, I have been back to Paso about 4-5 times and I was not able to get a reservation again because L'Aventure was always sold out which is great, I guess people love it.
I decided to drive into town today from LA to treat some friends with a great wine experience. I gave L'Aventure a call in the morning to see if they could accommodate us even though they were booked for the day online. Nicole graciously was able to find a spot for us towards the end of the day. I give them credit for that, maybe because I mentioned I was there before, that I love the scenery and was planning on joining the wine club, I don't know if that was the ultimate reason but yes, they got me in. Thank you for that Nicole!
We showed up right on the dot, sat and the whole flight was provided in a nice woody tray. She recited what the wines were, I mean the names of the wines; no further explanation about the wines, the story behind L'Adventure and how they differentiate from their neighbors. She didn't offer nor make any interest about selling the wine club to me, even thought I had volunteered earlier in my call I was interested on joining the club.
To be honest, it was like from day to night, comparing my first experience to this one, even the wines tasted like whatever today.
My recommendation to Stephan(L'Adventure's owner), please send your tasting room employees to your "Favorite Neighbor"(Booker), like the way they refer to L'Adventure, so your employees could learn customer service etiquete from them.
Ok, long story short, after we finished the tasting, I went inside, pulled my credit card out, paid and more importantly I was not asked if was interested on buying anything or if I wanted to revisit any wine, etc.
My recommendation to other wine lovers who are coming down to Paso, stay away and certainly visit other wineries such as Alta Colima, Law or Booker. You will appreciate my...
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The wife and I were having an anniversary getaway in Santa Barbara and while visiting Jamie Slone we were told that we needed to visit L'aventure. The tasting room is appointment only so I made an appointment for the next day.
L'aventure is a bit out of the way, you even travel on a dirt road for part of the way. But when you finally arrive at the wooden gate and drive up to the tasting room you'll swear you hear angels singing softly.
The facility is nestled between 2 vine covered hills in an idyllic setting. Just stop and take a look around before you begin your tasting. This can't help but put you in the right frame of mind. The tasting room is a modern marvel of sleek concrete and glass.
We were about 10 minutes late for our appointment as the drive from Santa Barbara took a little longer than expected but we were greeted immediately and got taken care of by Leanne. She was a fountain of knowledge about L'aventure and wines in general. We had a great time getting to know her and the winery. All of the wines we tasted were excellent. We especially liked the Cote de Cote and the Estate Cuvee, smooth mouth feel with big, velvety fruit. For years I've said that my limit for a bottle of wine was $50. The Cote de Cote and Cuvee were both $100 and I bought a bottle of each. That's how good they were.
Who would have thought that little old Paso Robles would become a hotbed of wine production but it certainly has. If it weren't for recommendation of Jamie and Kim at Jamie Slone we never would have found about this diamond in Paso.
Why are you still reading this review? Call L'aventure and make an appointment of your own. You...
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More wine lovers should understand Paso Robles. Beyond being a large area that produces some excellent wine, there are unique elements. For example, there are a massive number of microclimates. This variation enables a wide range of varietals to be planted. Further, the same varietal can be in multiple microclimates, thus creating meaningful differences in the resulting wine from a single varietal.
One of the wineries that best understands how to get the most from this uniqueness is L'Aventure. The patriarch of this winery left France to get away from the strict rules in their AOCs. He took his winemaking skills to Paso Robles. The freedom he found here allowed him to make fantastic wine, often with unusual blending.
The new cave system is amazing. Make sure that they have wine is your glass as you tour them. If you are serious about wine, then do the Library Tasting. This wineries' wines are designed for aging, so you will get a better understanding of what your purchases will become.
My only request of L'Aventure is to do more with food. Wine is designed to go with food. Big, complex wines almost...
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