Named after Asseo’s daughter, the 2011 Cuvee Chloe is 76% Syrah (from cooler, north-facing hillsides) and 24% Grenache (from a single plot of south-facing vines) that spent 14 months in 40% new French oak. Inky colored and deeply concentrated and layered, it dishes out gorgeous aromas and flavors of smoked meats, blackberry, blueberry, graphite, licorice and chocolate. This is followed up by a full-bodied, seamless effort that has sweet tannin, no weight and a classically focused finish that keeps you coming back to the glass. Hard to resist even now, it should nevertheless be given 2-3 years of bottle age and enjoyed through 2021+. Drink 2015-2021+.
I was blown away by these wines. Easily the most impressive lineup I’ve tasted from proprietor Stephan Asseo, these 2011s show the purity and focus of the vintage, yet balance it with incredible richness and texture that never seems cumbersome or heavy. The 2012s are no less rich, yet have impeccable purity and texture, as well as brilliant overall focus and structure that will allow them to evolve gracefully. Make no mistake about it though, these are all big, ripe wines; I find them utterly compelling and hard to resist.
Tel. (805) 227-1588; www.aventurewine.com