2016 L'Aventure "Côte a Côte Estate" Paso Robles Rhône Blend

The 2016 Côte a Côte is blockbuster and one of the wines of the vintage. A blend of 55% Grenache, 25% Mourvèdre, and the rest Syrah, brought up in a mix of 30% new French oak, 28% once used barrels, and the rest in amphora and concrete tanks, it offers a heavenly perfume of blueberries, blackberries, crushed violets, wild strawberries, ground pepper, and spring flowers. About as pure and seamless as it gets, this beauty hits the palate with full-bodied richness, a multi-dimensional texture, no hard edges, and a huge finish. I finished my note on this wine with 'Killer stuff!' You can drink this today or cellar it for 10-15 years. (11/2018)

The 2016 Cote a Cote from L'Aventure offers up aromas of black cherries, clove, anise and dark chocolate. On the palate, the wine is full-bodied, rich and expansive, with a broad attack, a sweet, rounded mid-palate and a firm, chewy finish that shows a bit of stem tannin. There's a nice juiciness and purity to this large-scaled, powerful effort that's a blend of 55% Grenache, 25% Mourvèdre and 20% Syrah. (WK) (5/2018)

Deep bright-rimmed ruby. Intensely perfumed red and blue fruit, floral pastille, cola and allspice aromas are sharpened by a powerful mineral note. Juicy and densely packed on the palate, offering sappy black currant and cherry-vanilla flavors that take on a spicy nuance with aeration. Finishes sweet, smooth and impressively long, displaying lingering spiciness and smooth, well-knit tannins. (JR) (9/2018)