L’Aventure Winery

Absolutely top notch wines. Incredibly good. On our appointment Chloe, the winemakers daughter, took care of us. Loved to have someone so knowledgeable pouring — intimate experience, and part of why we wanted to come here. Very small, independent operation. The other bigger reason was the wine — everything we tried was complex, full and big, and had lots of personality. We were in the region for 5 days and this was our favorite winery. Hands down exceptional.

First off, I want to compliment our wine server. She was BEYOND and above all we’ve come across in our tastings. Her excitement and knowledge about the wines, created a fun and enjoyable experience. She really KNOWS her stuff!
We enjoyed the wine very much although, seemed a bit pricy when compared to the rest of Paso Robles wines. Along with some other reviews, we felt $ 15 for tasting should be complementary with the purchase..

Lovely wines. Joined the wine club.
Wish there were a view, vineyard or otherwise, and a seated tasting. Can’t wait to see the new tasting room when it opens.

The tasting room is by appointment only. The wines are very pricey, but are really delicious. Make sure you call ahead for an appointment!

We made reservations and promptly received an email over stressing the importance of being punctual. We arrived about 10 minutes early. We walked in and were asked to sit outside in the 95 degree dry heat. We were handed out first tasting without any history of he winemaker or the wine. No big deal, we were a bit early. We waited, and waited. I’m sitting outside with an empty glass for twenty minutes. Apparently my time is not as important as theirs.
We’re finally invited in out of the 95 degree heat by Martin. He was a bit dry, making little excuse for the lateness while pushing everyone toward feeling ok with it, «no one has anywhere they need to be, right?»
There was a bit of arrogance about the wines. Everyone’s palate is different, but I found them acceptable. The rosé fell short. A bit too dry and acidic for me, but good rosés are few and far in between. The blend that the winemaker came to America for was also better than average, not great though. We tasted the 2012 Optimus, yet the 2013 is what was being sold. Neither were particularly exciting. The 2013 might be better, one day. I can’t even remember the last one. Nothing memorable.
Overall I we were disappointed. Perhaps it was the experience that affected our tastings. We left with just the tasting.

Stephan Asseo’s wines are world class! He has produced year after year consistency that is impressive! Visitors are treated like VIPs and all visitors should consider joining their wine club due to the limited availability outside the winery. The winemaker’s passion creates wines that are stunning!

Some of the best wines of paso with great concentration and elegant complexity. Tasting room staff are very professional. Doesn’t have an Opolo or Tobin James type of atmosphere, is more or less just about the wine.

A humble mans opinion. best wine in CA, certainly Paso. Make sure you taste the Estate Cuvee, its a rockstar ready for a world tour!

Have never ever posted a review anywhere… But, felt compelled to after a phone call I just had with a staff member…
Bf and I tasted the wines, we felt they were good and purchased two bottles at $ 85 and two bottles at $ 50 each (wish I could tell you what they were but I just shredded the receipt…) Anyway, noticed they still charged the tasting fee so called and talked to a woman who said that if we had bought SIX bottles the fee would’ve been comped, even though they don’t «advertise that.» I said «Really? We purchased FOUR bottles at almost a total of $ 300 and you couldn’t waive the fee?» She said No. I said «At this point, I don’t care because $ 15 is not gonna bankrupt me but I think it is a very poor reflection on your winery.» Her response? «I understand.» Wow! I’d NEVER go back! Plus the tasting room was super small and uncomfortable and we had to stand next to an obviously drunk taster. If you want to join the peeps fawning over a French ex-​pat, by all means, go ahead! Big deal if you ask me…

Good big bold wines but $ 15 for 4 tastings and fee isn’t waived with purchase. Kinda funky to me so just buy the Optimus and save $ 15 bucks. It’s good you’ll like it.

It’s been hit or miss for me to meet with L’Aventure winemaker/​owner Stephan Asseo. Met him at a tasting event once and then missed him at his winery the next time. So when day #3 of the Paso Cab Collective ended and I got a text from writer Michael Cervin inviting me to come along on an interview with Asseo, I sort of jumped for it.
Of course, this visit was to be almost a miss too as we showed at 9 a.m., he had us on the books for 11 a.m. and was in the midst of racking. (Wikipedia definition for my wine 101ers: Racking «is a method in wine production of moving wine from one barrel to another using gravity rather than a pump, which can be disruptive to a wine.»)
So Asseo briefly stopped what he was doing, got us set up in the tasting room, and then did what any passionate winemaker would do, he went back and forth, taking breaks from his work to talk with us. And he left us in the very competent care of his daughter Chloe, the new Sales, Marketing and Communications Director.
Prompted by Michael’s questions, and her own desire to share the L’Aventure story, Chloe told us that the «whole idea of Paso Robles is blends» and each region of the huge AVA does what’s best for their own terroir. While Asseo makes outstanding Rhônes others in Paso are doing what they love with Bordeaux blends, etc.
When Asseo popped back in he told us that «marketing» does not drive his winery and instead, and here he pointed to his nose, «feeling» drives it. Asseo said that L’Aventure is small in comparison to the other larger Paso wineries, as he produces about 6,000 to 8,000 cases each year. He also «takes advantage of diversity» offered in the «Burgundian spirit, slope, exposure…» and in Paso has found the «magic spot as you get natural acidity.»
As Asseo headed back into the winery, Chloe took over again. She described the new tasting room that would be built over a new half circle of caves. As the last time I visited I had heard about the caves I thought that by now they would be done. Chloe said that after the original plans were approved her father decided to add the new tasting room, and the county scrapped the original approval and started the process all over again.
I asked how the wine was sold, to restaurants, stores or their wine club. Chloe explained that though the tasting room is appointment only, it allows them to be dedicated to each visitor, and now, with this in place, the «focus is on the direct consumer» becoming a club member.
Where Bordeaux Meets the Rhôné Tasting
(I don’t do numbers, I liked them all very much, and I want to join club too!)
Rosé Estate 2013
39% Syrah, 27% Grenache, 26% Mourvedre, 8% Petit Verdot
Refreshing, floral, peach, cantaloupe, honeydew with a hint of wet gravel.
Optimus 2011
50% Syrah, 33% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Petit Verdot
Deep and dark plums, blackberry, pepper, tannins.
Côte A Côte 2011
40% Syrah, 38% Mourvedre, 22% Grenache
Juicy fruit, blueberry, blackberry, mint, green pepper, spicy, a long finish with the tannins holding it all together with no one note in the forefront.
Optimus 2012
53% Syrah, 38% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Petit Verdot
Wine was just bottled in March, Chloe would like members to hold 6 months (if they can!) and said they were the «last one in Paso to make this blend.»
Dark fruit, toasted oak, cigar, pepper.
Estate Cuvée 2011
48% Syrah, 28% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Petit Verdot
Blackberry, blueberry dusty, black pepper. My favorite.
Chloe 2013 barrel sample
With about six months in barrel, about 73% Syrah and the rest Grenache, they made about 150 cases. Even with that little bit of time in oak you got all that dark fruit on the palate. Can’t wait for the finished product and another L’Aventure.

Love this place — have been 4 times now. The wine is the best that I have had in the area, but the pricing is outrageous. The flight for your $ 15 is short, but savor it… because really, it is amazing.
The staff in the tasting room is a combination of awesome and snotty/​stuck-​up for no reason. We LOVE the chick with the tattoos. She is hilarious, warm, welcoming, and nice. There is another gentleman (we always see these two)…glasses, no smile. We arrived last time without an appointment, and he blankly stared at us and said «I don’t take walk-​ins.» There was NOBODY else in sight, yet he wouldn’t pour for us simply because we didn’t make an appointment?! Arrogant, rude, weird. We came right before Christmas, so nobody was running about and we figured we would come by and see if we could squeeze ourselves in. This is not Napa.
Our lovely lady friend smiled and said «I will take care of you!» and continued to pour and chat with us. Meanwhile, proud peacock just polished some glasses and looked out the window with a bored, sour look.
His presence made our experience uncomfortable and weird, hence the removal of a star. But the wine was still awesome, and so is Ms. Tattoo!

Don’t get me wrong, the wines are top of the line. They are fantastic wines. But when you go for a tasting, you almost get an impression that they are doing you a favor by letting you taste. Oh and by the way it’s $ 15 and not waived no matter how much you buy.
If you know the wine then there is no reason to go here to taste it again. It’s a no frills experience that lacks any real character.

After so many recommendations, we drove out to L’Aventure for a tasting. Unfortunately, we needed a reservation, but we put our name in an stopped at a few other spots before our call time. It was great having one person devoted to each party, she made us feel special. A friend said that she left with several magnums of rosee, which I thought was a bit out of hand… until we tasted the rosee. Um, we are gonna need a mag. Put it in the car. If only it wasn’t one of our last spots, we could’ve purchased more of their wines. We will definitely be back. It is a must hit when you’re in Paso.

It’s a drive to get out to this spot. The artsy front serves as a cheerful welcome. Service was impressively professional and attentive inside this unimpressively small, cramped tasting room.
$ 15/​person for 4 tastings. I did love the wines (which are on the pricey end); we took home one of the less expensive offerings: 2011 Optimus @ $ 45.

I’m giving this place 4 stars because of price. The wines were ok but not as good as the prices dictate.
Also the wine tasting room is too small for this location and not as cool as you would think going in. Outside looks incredible and artsy. Inside looks like a bad office or a car rental desk. Yuck. You really missed the mark there guys. A little more space and thoughtful design to bring your cool outdoor vibe into the tasting room would be good.

Phenomenal Central Coast wines. This is a must visit (or drink) for wine lovers.
Small, appointment-​only tasting room.
If you’re in the area, certainly plan ahead and make an appointment (they don’t allow walk-​ins).
The tasting room is very small and isn’t meant for you limo party types.

The $ 10 tasting fee that includes the stemless Riedel glass is a bargin considering the price of the wines here. The pours are big enough to share, and there was no hesitation when we asked to revisit a couple of wines. The tasting room staff was very pleasant. The tasting room itself is a bit on the small side, and can get fairly crowded when a bus load shows up (that’s what we encountered).
We tasted the following (all 2010 I believe)
Estate Rose
Optimus
The Sibling
Cote a Cote
Estate Cuvée
The last two were my favorites. I should say at this point that these are not your usual California wines, not very fruit forward, they have a more European character.
That being said, I considered buying the two wines I liked, but couldn’t get past the $ 85 bottle price. I just felt they were overpriced. In the end we left without purchasing anything, but I will say that this place is definitely worth a visit.

Had the opportunity to taste 5 wines:
2011 L’Aventure Estate Rose
2010 L’Aventure Optimus
2009 L’Aventure Plus 16
2010 L’Aventure Estate Cabernet Sauvignon
2010 L’Aventure Estate Cuvée
Now, I USED to say that Justin Winery was my favorite winery in Paso Robles, but ever since our stop at L’Aventure, I don’t think that’s the case anymore. L’Aventure makes some of the most luscious, elegant, full-​bodied wines (with an amazingly long finish) that have ever crossed my lips. Pure. Luxury. Period.
The people behind L’Aventure are masters at creating exceptional Syrah/​Cabernet Sauvignon blends. Once I had the Optimus, I knew instantly that we were enjoying something truly special. And thennnn we tasted the silky Estate Cuvée and I was sold! Seriously, all I could muster out of my mouth was, «WOW.» I was in complete and utter bliss. Sighhh.
+ Tasting is $ 10 and you get to keep the stemless Riedel «O» series wine glass.
+ Open to the public Thursday through Sunday from 11am to 4pm; Monday through Wednesday, by appointment only.
+ Optimus is named after the winemakers favorite wineries in Napa: Opus One and Dominus. NOT because he loves the Transformers!
+ With the exception of the Estate Rose, their wines contain 15+% alcohol, which is unheard of in France!
+ Their Wine Club (6 or 12 bottle) doesn’t come with too many perks. *sad face*

For 10 bucks you get to keep the glass and sample 5 of their goods.
The girl behind the counter was amazingly friendly and provided good insight on where to eat, what to do and all the activities that were going on during the weekend.
I did not taste the wine (DD forever) but the girls enjoyed it.
If you have a big group my suggestion is to call ahead… we were able to get in at 10:30 (early I know).