The last time L'Aventure made a Cabernet Sauvignon was in 2013. The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate includes 5% Petit Verdot and is aging in 98% new oak. Very deep ruby-purple in color, it explodes on the nose with scents of lilac, lavender and violet, crème de cassis, soy sauce, cedar, leather, roast coffee, chocolate mint, blueberry coulis and game meats. The palate is full-bodied, intense and pixelated with mind-blowing freshness, finishing very long and layered. I can't wait to taste this from bottle!

Another blockbuster is the 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate. Incorporating 4% Petit Verdot, it offers telltale notes of currants, tobacco leaf, graphite and spring flower in its classic Cabernet style. Full-bodied and decidedly energetic and lively, with good acidity, it's another 2013 from Stephan that possesses a wallop of tannin in its structured, yet balanced and age-worth profile. It should be at its best from 2018-2028+.

Incorporating 9% Petit Verdot, the 2012 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon was aged in 100%, lightly toasted, new French oak. It has a Pauillac-like bouquet of graphite, cassis, spring flowers and freshly sharpened pencils, and it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, impeccable balance and high, yet sweet tannin. This is a serious Cabernet that will be better in another 2-3 years, and have upward of two decades of longevity. This was another incredible lineup by winemaker Stephan Asseo, and both his 2012s and 2013s are at the top of the vintage. Looking at the 2012s, this vintage reminds Stephan of 2004, and the wines show incredible purity, as well as blockbuster levels of depth and richness. The tannin quality here is also off the charts, and this is what puts his 2012s a notch above the 2013s. For the reds, we started the tasting with 2013s from barrel. At the moment, the 2013s have more obvious tannin structure, yet they don’t lack for fruit or texture either. It will be interesting to see how these continue to develop in barrel. Either way, both of these vintages deserve a place in your cellar and it will be thrilling stuff to follow these wines over the coming decade or longer. Tel. (805) 227-1588; www.aventurewine.com

The 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate spent 14 months in 100% new barrels. It is a rich, textured wine endowed with exquisite finesse and class in its dark black fruit, grilled herbs and cassis. Today, the wine comes across as powerful and inward, with the characteristic saline quality on the finish that is so typical of the wines here. In 2009 the Cabernet Sauvignon Estate includes 9% Petit Verdot in the blend. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2017. Stephan Asseo is one of the most intriguing characters in the Paso Robles scene. A native of Pomerol, Asseo was attracted to Paso for its soil, microclimate and, most importantly of all, an opportunity to pursue the American dream with none of the constraints imposed by French regulations. Not surprisingly, Asseo’s wines show a clear connection to Bordeaux in the use of Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot, which are not widely planted in Paso. Most importantly, though, Asseo is one of the few producers in the area who is obsessed with the way his wines age, and in this respect a little Old World perspective can only be a good thing for a region just starting to write the first chapters of its present day history. The 2009s at L’Aventure were picked starting in September 3, on the early side for this property. The wines show plenty of radiant fruit and silky, textured personalities that are the result of a year with even, strong heat but no temperature spikes. Asseo describes the vintage as ‘very California.’ The reds were all aged in French oak and were bottled without fining or filtration just prior to my early June visit. The handful of 2010s I tasted from barrel also showed great promise. All of the L’Aventure wines are now made exclusively from estate-owned fruit and the property is in the process of being converted to biodynamic farming. Tel. (805) 227-1588; www.aventurewine.com