L'Aventure Dinner with Chloé Asseo
Earlier this month we were delighted to host the first of our 2025 Estate Night events. Joined by General Manager of L’Aventure, Chloé Asseo, and International Brand Ambassador, Swann Dufeu, we invited our guests for an evening of tasting and learning about the adventure of L’Aventure at Otto’s restaurant in London.
A L’Aventure Masterclass
The day began with a masterclass tasting in our London office, led by Chloé, who despite having only disembarqued from a long-haul flight from California earlier that morning, regaled our team with the history of L’Aventure.
Stephan Asseo, Chloé’s father left Bordeaux in search of viticultural freedom away from the rigid French appellation laws. His journey led him across the Atlantic to Paso Robles, California, which at the time was still very much the ‘wild west’ of wine. Drawn in by the region’s rugged charm, dramatic hills, and varied exposures, he settled on a plot of land that was fortuitously composed entirely of limestone soils – perfect for premium viticulture. Situated just 30 minutes from the Pacific Ocean, the estate’s vineyards benefit from the thermic shock between hot days and cool nights, which provides optimal growing conditions for their vines. Since 2008, L’Aventure has been fully estate-grown, working primarily with Grenache, Syrah, and Cabernet Sauvignon among their nine different grape varieties. The wines themselves are as bold and uncompromising as Stephan’s journey. From their flagship Estate Cuvée, to the Rhône-inspired Côte à Côte, and Optimus – the first wine ever made on the property and affectionately named after a blend of “Opus One” and “Dominus” – each bottle is a reflection of meticulous craftsmanship and terroir.
Following the masterclass, the evening’s festivities moved to the intimate setting of Otto’s Restaurant, where a private group of our clients gathered for our Estate Nights dinner.
Upon arrival, glasses of Champagne Jacquesson were poured in Otto’s elegant private dining room, before we took our seats and Chloé welcomed everyone with a comprehensive introduction to her family’s estate. Accompanied by a stunning slideshow of Paso’s sun-drenched landscapes and limestone-laced soils, we opened the evening with the 2021 Optimus, a beautifully composed wine showing freshness and depth, that paired perfectly with a stone bass carpaccio, topped with pickled mushrooms and an oriental dressing.
Next came the 2020 Côte à Côte, showcasing a savoury, more gourmand character, served with new season asparagus and king prawn risotto – a pairing that highlighted the wine’s layered complexity. We then moved to the 2021 Côte à Côte, which offered a more fruit-forward profile, to compliment the comforting and rich organic chicken pie with wild mushrooms and jus.
“I was able to look at the 2020s and 2021s from L’Aventure, both solid vintages. In fact, they might have made some of the best wines in Paso in 2020, and the wines are impressive across the board.”
Jeb Dunnuck
The evening concluded with a side-by-side pour of the 2021 and 2017 Estate Cuvée, a vertical that offered insight into both youth and maturity of this flagship wine. Throughout the evening, the 2021s were showing incredibly well, however as Jane Anson has written, if you are to open just one bottle of L’Aventure let it be the 2017. Served alongside a delicious, curated cheese selection of Fourme d’Ambert, Pont L’Évêque, and Comté, the comparative tasting of L’Aventure’s flagship wine was the perfect way to close the evening.
As the final glasses were poured and conversation lingered, it was clear that L’Aventure is far more than a name; it is a philosophy, a pursuit, and above all, a testament to the power of Stephan’s vision which Chloé clearly embodies.
More on L'Aventure
L’Aventure was founded in 1996 by Stephan Asseo, a French winemaker who left Bordeaux in search of greater freedom. Disenchanted with the strict AOC regulations in France, Asseo sought new terroir where he could push the boundaries of winemaking. After exploring South Africa, South America, and California’s Napa and Sonoma, he fell in love with Paso Robles—specifically the Templeton Gap in the Willow Creek District. Drawn by its varied topography and high limestone soils (of two distinct types), the area’s cooler climate and long growing season proved ideal for crafting structured, complex wines….