L’Aventure’s 2008 Estate Cuvee would be it.  I’ve been telling anyone who will listen to buy this wine and with the price now down to $59.95, it makes a perfect gift for a friend or yourself!  Most retailers are charging over $70 for the 2008 vintage and the recently released 2009 vintage, which received the same score, is going for $85-90.  You can read up on what makes L’Aventure’s Cabernet/Syrah blend so awesome in one of my previous posts here.

Paso Robles is heating up and I predict that this wine will be mailing list only soon.  It certainly won’t be available for under $60.  This is an incredibly unique, rich,and mind blowing (but sophisticated) wine that I personally find unrivaled. Just look at how the reviewers rave about it.  Do a friend, or better yet, yourself a favor and buy some!

Buy Here: L’Aventure Estate Cuvee 2008 $59.95

Wine Advocate 94 points

“The finest 2008 I tasted is the 2008 Estate Cuvee, a blend of 50% Syrah, 36% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 14% Petit Verdot. Mocha, fudge, blackberry, graphite, cassis, and smoky barbecue scents jump from the glass of this dense purple-colored 2008. Full-bodied, rich, textured, and layered, this terrific effort is surprisingly soft and accessible. Drink it over the next decade.

Consistently brilliant wines are produced by former St.-Emilion native, Stephan Asseo, who is now ensconced in the wine world of Paso Robles. These distinctively styled wines offer the power and exuberance of the fruit grown in this region along with a structured, delineated style (no doubt part of Asseo’s French DNA). These are all big wines, with the reds fashioned from innovative blends and displaying significant aging potential. The 2008 red wines are strong efforts, but they do not measure up to the brilliant 2007s Asseo produced. The two late-released 2007s I reviewed last year are certainly living up to my hype.”

International Wine Cellar 94 points

“($85; 50% syrah, 36% cabernet sauvignon and 14% petit verdot; 15.9% alcohol) Inky purple. Cassis, blueberry and smoky Indian spices on the expansive, heady nose, with a sexy floral quality that gains strength with air. Deep, sappy and palate-coating dark fruit compote flavors show unlikely energy and become spicier with air. Strikingly expressive, potent and compellingly fragrant wine that finishes with remarkable clarity and sweet persistence. This was raised in 100% new French oak, but I’d never have guessed it.”

Many of our readers had great things to say about the 2008 Titan Hills “Fiasco” by Tobin James.   But I heard some tried to place orders and the giant stack of cases I saw when I bought it was already gone.

Well it’s back at the same price.  You can read the full post here, but the summary is “The Prisoner for one fifth the price”.  This wine is one heck of a value.  For those that missed it, have at it!  For those that already tried it, I’m sure you will be back.

Buy Here: Tobin James 2008 Titan Hills “Fiasco” Red Blend $6.99

Tobin James is known for their Zinfandel, Syrah and their “country party” themed tasting room in the heart of the Central Coast’s Paso Robles wine region.  If you’re ever in the area, it’s worth checking out their tasting saloon and picking up one of their signature star patches for the memory book.  Their wines are well reviewed, popular and range in price from $12 to $150.

Producers like Tobin James are often contracted to make wines for “private label” applications at grocery stores or restaurants.  Rumor has it, Tobin James created the Titan Hills label for one of those private label projects, but somehow the deal fell through, so we the consumer are left with an incredible value they call “Fiasco”.  Maybe the name hints at how this wine made it to the market?

This weekend, I drank a bottle of Orin Swift’s $35 “The Prisoner” – a wine I really enjoy – and would call Titan Hills “Fiasco” very comparable.  That’s high praise for a wine 1/5 the price.  It’s not listed anywhere, but my understanding (and taste) suggests that this is a Zin, Syrah, Petite Sirah blend.  This wine has a sweet, alluring nose and bright, juicy, full bodied taste with a spicy finish.   It’s without fault, and a perfect daily drinking complement to Trader Joe’s turkey bolognese, as I discovered tonight.

In a world with so many sucky $10 wines, it’s great to find a case worthy value that beats that magic $10 mark handily.  Titan Hills might be a generic name, but what’s inside the bottle is anything but.

Buy Here: Tobin James 2008 Titan Hills “Fiasco” Red Blend $6.99

I wrote about what makes L’Aventure Winery’s wines so unique last May, but since barely anyone read this blog back then, I think I’ll revisit.  My hope is that our thousands of weekly readers can get to know these wines and will come to enjoy them as much as I do.

Stephan Asseo, the French winemaker and owner of L’Aventure, is leading the Paso Robles charge as the Rhone style capital of the United States.  Though some of Asseo’s wines feature Cabernet, Rhone varietals are his focus – the “special sauce” for his wines and the Paso Robles AVA as a whole.  A Paso wine earned Wine Spectator’s Wine of the Year honor, with Justin Smith’s 2007 Saxum James Berry Vineyard, but luckily for those of us who aren’t on their mailing list, Saxum isn’t the only game in town.

How L’Aventure is still available in retail stores (vs. mailing list only) is somewhat beyond me, considering that they are favorites of Parker and Tanzer.  Not only are they still available, but the prices of their top wines have actually dropped below the $60 mark this year, having been as high as $80.  I wouldn’t expect that trend to continue, but plan to get while the gettin’s good as this is by far the lowest price I can find anywhere.

L’Aventure makes two top tier wines, the Estate Cuvee and the Cote a Cote.  If you are just getting in to Paso Rhone blends I would recommend the Estate Cuvee, which is 50% Bordeaux varietals and 50% Syrah.  It’s a spectacular and unique blend that usually tastes more Cabernet than Rhone.  For those that are already sold on the Rhone blends, the Cote a Cote is 40% each of Syrah and Grenache, with 20% Mourvedre, and more indicative of what is making Paso such a hot wine region.  Even within Paso, L’Aventure has found a totally unique piece of land (pictured above), which has enabled Stephen Asseo and his team to grow some of the region’s premier wines.

Buy Here: 2008 L’Aventure Estate Cuvee $59.95

2008 L’Aventure Cote a Cote $59.95

Estate Cuvee: International Wine Cellars 94 points

“($85; 50% syrah, 36% cabernet sauvignon and 14% petit verdot; 15.9% alcohol) Inky purple. Cassis, blueberry and smoky Indian spices on the expansive, heady nose, with a sexy floral quality that gains strength with air. Deep, sappy and palate-coating dark fruit compote flavors show unlikely energy and become spicier with air. Strikingly expressive, potent and compellingly fragrant wine that finishes with remarkable clarity and sweet persistence. This was raised in 100% new French oak, but I’d never have guessed it.”

Cote a Cote: International Wine Cellar 94 points

“($85; 40% each of syrah and grenache, with 20% mourvedre; 15.9% alcohol) Opaque ruby. Very sexy aromas of black raspberry, blueberry, apricot pit, licorice and violet. Wonderfully precise and vibrant, with terrific cut to its creamy flavors of dark berry compote and candied violet. Round and sweet on the back end, finishing with excellent clarity, length and a lingering note of floral pastilles. Asseo called this wine “a bit of a prostitute, but a very nice one.”

It’s rare to see non-varietal designated wines coming out of the United States.  For some reason we love to know that we’re drinking Syrah rather than a “Paso Robles red”.  In the rest of the world, wines are designated with admittedly complex naming conventions usually combining the region in which the grapes were grown and the quality standards of the production.  That’s partially because a wider range of varietals thrive in the U.S.  But that same tendency can preclude us from enjoying blends because we’re used to wine tasting like a specific grape.

Enter the Perrin family of Chateau Beaucastel in Chateauneuf du Pape, makers of $80-350 wines, all of which are blends.  In collaboration with Robert Haas, they are on a mission to bring the spectacular blends of the Rhone Valley to the United States, with their organically farmed estate vineyards in Paso Robles.  Pouring a beautiful deep straw color, the nose is floral with hints of popcorn.  On the palate this wine is full bodied with tons of citrus and minerals and a little wheat beer.

The grapes (Roussanne, Grenache blanc and Picpoul) may not be familiar but the complex flavors of a well made white wine are.  This is fantastic wine that all Rhone fans should really try.  I’m looking forward to trying their red soon, so watch for it on these pages.

As usual, L.A. Wine Co. has the lowest price in the country on both half bottles and fulls.

Buy Here: 2008 Tablas Creek Esprit de Beaucastel Blanc $31.95

2008 Tablas Creek Esprit de Beaucastel Blanc 375ml $16.95

Wine Advocate 94 points

“The flagship white is the 2008 Esprit de Beaucastel Blanc, a blend of 65% Roussanne, 30% Grenache blanc, and a rarity of 5% Picpoul. This is really great stuff in 2008. The wine displays plenty of honeyed citrus, spring flowers, white peach, apricot, quince, and loads of wet rocks, giving a steely definition to its opulent, full-bodied, yet fresh flavors. This is a tour de force in dry white and Rhone Ranger blends. It’s impossible to know how long it will last, but I would drink it sooner rather than later.

Robert Haas, the iconic French wine importer, who was one of the first to bring estate-bottled French wines into the United States, continues to go from strength to strength at Tablas Creek. His partner remains the Perrin family of Chateau Beaucastel in Chateauneuf du Pape. They have had three tiny vintages in a row, all producing very small yields, but the quality of their 2007s is the best in the history of the winery, and 2008 is certainly a strong vintage as well. These are wonderful, food-friendly wines with considerable complexity. While they do some varietal naming, the strength of Tablas Creek is their extraordinary Rhone Ranger blends, whether white or red. The 2009 vintage turned out to be an even smaller crop than 2008 and 2007 as a result of spring frost.”

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It seems like great California Cabernet under $15 is few and far between lately.  Sometimes  you need to look outside the Napa/Sonoma corridor to find something special and in this case we’re looking 240 miles south of Napa, halfway between Los Angeles and San Francisco, to Paso Robles.  As I’ve mentioned before, the Central Coast is producing some fantastic wine with Paso Robles standing out for their Cabernet, Rhone blends and Zinfandel.

Single vineyard wines have grown in popularity because they really reveal a sense of place in the wine.  And that’s what I love about the Vina Robles Huerhuero Vineyard Cabernet- you can almost taste the soil in which it was grown.  This truly unique wine pours an opaque purple/red and has a rich oaky nose right out of the bottle.  The taste isn’t shy either, with firm tannins and deep black fruit coming together for a long, lingering finish.  Paso Robles vintners have also found a sweet spot with a blending grape, Petit Verdot (see our L’Aventure Optimus post), which makes up 14% of this wine and adds a unique rich texture.  For those who have enjoyed the last few vintages of the Hahn Estates Meritage, this reminds me a lot of that wine.  Of note- this wine was aged in mostly new French oak, making this an even better deal.

Value seekers will love the Vina Robles Huerhuero Vineyard Cabernet and at $13.95 ($22 on their website!!!) it’s really hard to beat!

Vina Robles Cabernet Sauvignon Huerhuero Vineyard- $13.95

Stephan Asseo, who owns and makes the wine at L’Aventure Winery in Paso Robles, had the choice of any location in the world for his vineyard.  He had made wine in Burgundy and Bordeaux but was ready to explore outside of France to find the greatest terroir- which, in the wine world, means soil, land and location- in which to produce his next wine.  After searching from South Africa to Napa, he found a plot of land in Paso Robles that had the perfect terroir.  A year ago, I visited Paso Robles for a weekend of wine tasting.  I took the picture to the left because I noticed how unique the soil at L’Aventure was compared to literally every other vineyard we had seen.  It was rocky, chalky, and downright inhospitable.  And THIS is what makes L’Aventure wines so great.  The vines have to struggle to produce fruit, but the fruit they do produce comes out amazingly concentrated and flavorful.  The terroir truly comes through in his wines.

L’Aventure Optimus is a blend of Syrah, Cabernet and Petit Verdot.  It’s dense, rich and concentrated and pours a beautiful opaque ruby color.  You can tell this is a great wine just by how it looks in the glass.  This is an oaky wine but the oak is very well integrated.  While exceptionally full-bodied, the Optimus is well balanced.  The Syrah adds a pepper tone, but honestly, if you told me this was a high-end Cabernet, I would not have thought twice.  That’s not to say that the Syrah component is lost, just that it really feels like it belongs in this wine.

This wine is drinking great now, but will only improve with age.  At $39.95, it’s not cheap, but it  is a fantastic value at that price.  Robert Parker gives it 93-95 points and IWC gives it 92, so there is no question that this is a serious wine.  I’ll be buying a few more bottles to put away for 5 years.  I’m looking forward to tasting the unique terroir of L’Aventure’s estate vineyards in Paso Robles then.

L’Aventure Optimus 2007- $39.95

Robert Parker 93-95 points

“The sexiest offering at present is the 2007 Optimus Proprietary red, a blend of 45% Syrah, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 15% Petit Verdot. More fruit-forward than the 2006, the 2007 gushes with blackberry and cassis fruit, smoky, burning embers, charcoal, and toasty new oak. Full-bodied and powerful with supple tannins, decent acids, and an overall impression of voluptuousness as well as extravagant fruit and opulence, it should drink beautifully for a decade.

One of the reference point producers in Paso Robles, Frenchman Stephan Asseo continues to turn out an intriguing as well as provocative range of brilliant red wines. Sadly, his 2008 Roussanne, which I usually love, was not presented for tasting.” (WA)

International Wine Cellar 92 points

“($45; 45% syrah, 40% cabernet sauvignon and 15% petit verdot) Inky ruby. Pungent aromas of blackcurrant, cherry-vanilla, tobacco and licorice, with a strong note of peppery herbs. Supple and fine-grained, offering sweet cherry and dark berry flavors and a dusting of fine-grained tannins. Becomes spicier with air and finishes with excellent clarity and clinging floral notes. This extremely young wine deserves patience.” (IWC)

I’ve been drinking this fantastic value since the 2005 vintage and, each year, it easily outperforms its price point.  It’s tough to find a great California Cabernet for under $10, and sometimes you need to look outside of Napa/Sonoma for the best values.

Liberty School Cabernet is produced from grapes grown in Paso Robles, which lies halfway between Los Angeles and San Francisco, in California’s scenic central coast.  Paso Robles is an up-and-coming appellation that is producing some great wines at reasonable prices.  It experiences dramatic temperature swings- up to 40 degrees day to night in the summer.  This creates concentrated, ripe grapes that are producing some great Cabernet, Zinfandel and Rhone style wines. (more…)