America has long held a fascination for people across the world to go and seek their fame and fortune. But for Stephan Asseo the goal was not a desire to make copious amounts of money, but a winemaking call to follow his heart and find the right soils, terroir, and climate conditions to make and blend his two true passions - Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah.
A search that took him to wine regions and countries around the world, including Lebanon, Argentina, South Africa and Napa Valley. But in the end it was Paso Robles that had all the winemaking ingredients and credentials - at the right price - for him to set up his new winemaking home in the late 1990s.
The Asseos: Stephan, Beatrice and daughter Chloé
Even then it still took some time for Asseo to do the soil and climatic analysis he needed to be convinced Paso Robles - and the Santa Lucia Mountains to be exact - was the right place to be. With terroir that could have come straight from the Rhône.
At the time the region was also not the hot bed of winemaking talent and investment that it is today. When he first started L’Aventure it was only the 25th winery in the region - now there are over 250. Hence the name L’Aventure.
The estate has now grown to 25 hectares of vines, planted with a mixture of 10 Bordeaux and Rhône varieties spread across 40 vineyard blocks.The majority of which is Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon followed by Petit Verdot, Grenache and Mourvèdre, then smaller plots of Graciano, Cabernet Franc, white Grenache, Roussanne and Viognier.
Complex terroir
With all its wines made from its own estate fruit that come from the west side of Paso Robles, known for its sloping hills and quality terroir,Asseo saw the multiple hills that make up the estate as been key to the kind of wines he wanted to make with its “various elevations, complex soils, and excellent water drainage”. The exact “aspects of terroir” that he sees as being “fundamental” in producing the high quality fruit necessary to make L’Aventure wines.
Being close to the ocean means the vineyards get warm clear days and then what can be a 20-25 °C degree drop in temperatures at night. Which is key to how long it takes for the grapes to mature, providing fruit that “creates a more complex and balanced wine”.
Location, location, location has been critical for Stephan Asseo in finding the right sites for his vineyards in Paso Robles
As its website says: “With clear, sunny days typically lasting well into November, our fruit has the chance to stay on the vine longer to develop mature polyphenols, while the cool nights help retain acids, resulting in the ideal combination of maturity and balance.”
The hills where the vines are situated have a thin layer of topsoil that covers a bed of siliceous and calcareous shale which consists of old marine bones, shells, diatoms, and plankton that have been moved from the sea bed and date back millions of years.
“The combination of these base soils with clay, metals, and quartz contributes to the complexity of the fruit in multiple ways. This soil locks up nutrients coaxing the vines to create small, thick skinned berries to ensure protection of its precious seeds. The shale also acts like a sponge, storing water during the rainy season and redistributing it back to the roots in dry seasons,” says its winemaking notes.
“This assures a perfect feeding for the vines, giving them a balanced water source from which they regulate themselves, as opposed to the bingeing characteristics typically developed with irrigation. The shale also coaxes the vines to send roots deeper to collect water as the surface dries, rather than staying close to the surface and collecting from the drip system.”
Asseo's choice of this lean terroir provides him with the fruit necessary to create wine with a good balance between alcohol and acidity. The resulting wines are full and rich yet well balanced with finesse and elegance.
Careful allocations
Around 8-12% of L’Aventure’s wines are now sold internationally thanks to its long-standing relationship with major négociants - like CVBG, Joanne and Twins - that are part of La Place’s premium distribution network. Dufeu was part of the team talking to existing and potential buyers at this year’s Wine Paris and she admits it is in the enviable position of being able to largely cherry pick where it wants its wines to be around the world.
“We want to be in high-end environments, as well as in curated places for wine lovers and connoisseurs and we are very strong in those areas,” she says. “About 90% of our sales are in the US and Canada and the rest around the world which we think is the right mix.”
But stresses Dufeu: “Stephan wants to make wines of the vintage and is production driven and not marketing driven.Every year the blended wines will be different and we are very clear about what we do and what we want. We want wines that show the expression of the terroir and we are are not making wines for points.”
L'Aventure has built up a strong cellard door and wine club following
Dufeu says it is a delicate balance act between being loyal to its long standing private customer base, whilst looking at more trade opportunities, particularly with listings in high end restaurants and venues around the world. “There is more of a focus on restaurants now and we want to develop that side of things,” she adds pointing to the success it has had with listings in target areas such as the UK, Japan and Hong Kong.
“It is very important for us to have trusted relationships with our distributors. We are very much a people business and rely on so many individuals who work with us. We want to support them as much as possible. People who really know their local market and who we can trust.”
It’s why events such as Wine Paris and other major trade shows are crucial in helping L’Aventure develop those relationships and start new ones.
It is also why it invested in new vineyards in 2017, taking on eight more hectares on land to help offer a wider selection of grapes to its winemaking team, but also helps bring “us more flexibility in providing the best quality” wines.
“But we are still very focused on quality,” she stresses.
In fact, it is quite prepared to lose volumes of grapes if it means keeping the overall high quality level in check. “We don’t want any green flavours in our wines,” she adds. “We want to be consistent with our production.”|
It does mean, though, its overall capacity can rise slightly, depending on vintage variation, from its current 10,000 cases a year.
The wines
L'Aventure's range of wines consistently get high 95+ scores by the US wine critics
L’Aventure’s range of wines is consistently awarded scores of 95 plus by the major wine critics and have become one of the most sought-after estates in Paso Robles — a position further strengthened by its rare and strategic presence on La Place de Bordeaux which is proving to be
“a valuable asset for expanding our international reach”.
Its three main wines are:
- Optimus: The first wine to be produced from the beginning has gone on to be one of the classic Paso Robles blends and is an award-winning herbaceous blend of Syrah, Cabernet and Petit Verdot.
- L'Aventure Côte à Côte: A blend of Mourvèdre, Grenache and Syrah which spends up to 18 months in barrel and is aged in concrete and amphora.
- L’Aventure Estate Cuvée: The estate’s flagship wine was first released in 2001. It is a bold, limestone-grown blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, and Petit Verdot—offering dark fruit, spice, and a saline finish. It spends 20 months in barrel and is released in September.
“After spending between 15 and 18 months in barrel, we also like to keep our wines in bottle for at least a year before releasing them,” says Dufeu. “These are wines you can enjoy on release and also age for a long time.”
French are coming
Dufeu herself is another example of a French native wanting to make their home and career in the United States. Prior to working at L’Aventure she spent time working on both coasts for wine distributors and importers.
She also earned her spurs at L’Aventure by working a harvest before taking up her position, including a three week “eye-opening” experience working in the cellar.
“When you study wine you don’t realise what it is like when you in the cellar and experiencing the harvest for yourself.”
Chloé Asseo has now joined her parents at the estate as general manager
Stephan and Beatrice Asseo have been joined al the winery by their daughter, Chloé Asseo-Fabre, who as general manger is responsible for the day-to-day running of the winery, its club and hospitality services and also works with Dufeu on building its brand, profile and international distribution.
The Asseos and the L’Adventure team now have the support of Champagne Thiénot and its investment has helped them introduce caves, built under the hill, where the temperature and humidity are naturally ideal and build a new tasting room on the property.
As fellow members of La Place it has been invaluable in sharing its experiences and helping the Asseos make the right and necessary steps in their development of the estate and the profile of the wines, both in California and across the US, and around the world.
“They have helped bring the winery to the next level,” confirms Dufeu.
* You can read more about L'Aventure at its website here.
