critic reviews
Balanced vintage overall, concentrated with an enjoyable sense of restraint, vivid lift, baking spices, cumin, turmeric, blackberry and loganberry fruit. Unfiltered and unfined. Chloe Asseo director, Stephan Asseo owner and winemaker, from the Willow Creek district of Paso Robles. Mix of one year old and new oak, 63% new oak in this vintage.
The 2023 Optimus is bright and vibrant, with a burst of crushed raspberries, sweet sage, nuances of exotic spice and pine shavings. Silken yet spry, it races across the palate with rose-laced red berry fruit and a licorice tinge. Edgy tannins resonate, offset by a residual bump of brisk acidity as the 2023 finishes long yet remarkably fresh. This is deceptively approachable today, yet also built for the cellar.