L'Aventure Cabernet Sauvignon Estate 2004 (Paso Robles)

Very deep purple/red.

Packed nose - creamy, grilled oak with black fruit pooled underneath. Suggestion of Chambord and a slight tidal character I associate with reduction (needs air). Black pepper too.

Quite sweet palate-impression that is immediately tempered by a massive dose of grainy tannin, which is not abrasive. Alcohol does intrude a bit (15.9%), but I think it will integrate well with several more years in the bottle. Very long chewy finish is a bit spiky, but, again, I see this integrating nicely over time.

Huge, concentrated Cabernet. Just unlikely to have any real complexity.



$70?