2016 L'Aventure Cuvee Chloe

Opaque, bright-rimmed ruby. A deeply perfumed, complex bouquet features boysenberry, cherry preserve, licorice, vanilla and smoky mineral qualities. Stains the palate with sweet black and blue fruit, spicecake and candied rose flavors that show a surprisingly delicate touch given their heft. Smooth, slow-building tannins frame a broad, smoky finish that hangs on with superb, floral-dominated persistence.

The 2016 Cuvee Chloe is a blend of 69% Syrah and 31% Grenache that is co-fermented and saw around 20% whole cluster fermentation. The wine reveals aromas of ripe black fruits, roasted meat, espresso roast, dark chocolate and cracked pepper, followed by a rich, full-bodied palate that's amply endowed with extract, fruit and firm, chewy tannins—which may be stem-derived. It was only bottled a month ago when I tasted it, but even so, it's quite structurally assertive, so this is a wine for consumers that aren't afraid of tannin.

The 2016 Cuvee Chloe is a blend of 69% Syrah and 31% Grenache that is co-fermented and saw around 20% whole cluster fermentation. The wine reveals aromas of ripe black fruits, roasted meat, espresso roast, dark chocolate and cracked pepper, followed by a rich, full-bodied palate that's amply endowed with extract, fruit and firm, chewy tannins—which may be stem-derived. It was only bottled a month ago when I tasted it, but even so, it's quite structurally assertive, so this is a wine for consumers that aren't afraid of tannin.