L'Aventure Optimus 2020

Product info about L'aventure Optimus 2020

L'Aventure Optimus 2020 is a dry red blend from Paso Robles in California, made from estate-grown fruit at L'Aventure Vineyard. With Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot in the blend, it speaks in a dark-fruited, savoury and structured register, very much in the full-bodied Californian red wine tradition.

The estate was founded by Stephan Asseo, a French winemaker with a Bordeaux background who settled in Paso Robles in 1998 in search of greater freedom outside French appellation rules. Optimus is described by L'Aventure as the introduction to the range, though this is far from a simple entry-level wine. It reflects the west side of Paso Robles, where warm days and cooler nights play an important role in ripeness and freshness.

For the 2020 vintage, the wine spent 14 months in French oak, with a significant proportion of new barrels, and malolactic fermentation took place in barrel. It was bottled unfined and unfiltered. That helps explain the generous yet structured style: dark fruit, savoury Syrah-like notes, floral detail and tannins that are present without making the wine feel heavy.

At Drankenshop Broekmans, this is the kind of bottle we would point to for someone looking for a serious Californian red with depth beyond ripe fruit alone. It has the body and savoury edge to sit comfortably alongside red meat, lamb, duck, barbecue dishes, stews, charcuterie or cheese. As these are last bottles, the 2020 vintage is becoming a more limited find.

The colour is deep ruby to dark purple. Aromatically, it moves through red and black cherry, black raspberry and dark berries, with violet, dried floral notes, thyme and olive tapenade adding lift and savoury detail.

On the palate, it is medium to full-bodied, with juicy acidity and a rounded, sometimes creamy texture. Dark fruit is joined by tobacco, pepper, graphite, smoky earth, tar, dark chocolate and savoury impressions of grilled meat, bacon fat and charcuterie.

The tannins are present and slightly grainy, but they sit well within the fruit. The finish is long, dark, spicy and savoury.