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A little bit about the winemaker: Paul Lato was born in Poland. He worked as a certified Sommelier in one of Toronto’s most exclusive restaurants and visited California for the first time in the early 1990s. Jim Clendenen (owner of ABC winery & Clendenen wines) told Paul to just pack up and move here, and he would show him the ropes – a decade later he did make the move and took a job at Bien Nacido vineyards for just $10.00 per hour, he did get free “lodging” at the bunkhouse in the vineyard. The Bien Nacido owner pushed Paul to make his own wine. With some tutoring (he observed the best in the business for some years, asked a lot of questions, and experimented a lot) he made his first wines and by chance met Robert Parker. Parker asked him if “he” was the Polish Sommelier that makes wine and said that he wanted to taste it. Parker told him that he would tell him immediately if the wine was the real McCoy or…. (slang for excrement) Parker was blown away and gave Paul Lato a rave review. From then on, Paul’s new career was born.I met Paul in 2002 and have been a big fan since day one, and could say that we have become good friends along the way. Paul is also the winemaker for my Melis Family wines.
Paul Lato 2021 “Goldberg Variations no. 4”Hyde Vineyard Chardonnay Carneros Napa
Retail 100.00 – GGWC 94.99
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Jeb Dunnuck 99 Points: “From one of the iconic sites in Carneros, the 2021 Chardonnay Goldberg Variations No. 4 Hyde Vineyard will give a great vintage from Aubert a run for its money. Ripe pineapple, honeyed lemon, candle wax, green almond, and toasted bread all define the aromatics, and it's full-bodied, with a pure, seamless mouthfeel, tons of richness, and a great finish. It's one of the finest Chardonnays in this report. Drink bottles over the coming 7-8 years.”
Paul Lato Notes: “The 72-acre Hyde Vineyard was planted in 1979 by Larry Hyde and is located in the heart of Carneros on the south side of Hwy 12. The passion of the Hyde family for this renowned vineyard and forward thinking resulted in planting new clones of Chardonnay and experimenting with row directions. This combination also allows the family to consistently look forward to the future with the goal of producing high-quality grapes that make stunning wine. This Chardonnay was aged for sur lie 16 months in 63% new French oak.”
Paul Lato 2021 “Atticus” Pinot Noir John Sebastiano Vineyard,Sta. Rita Hills 97 Points
Retail 100.00 – GGWC 94.99
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Jeb Dunnuck 97 Points: “Another Sta. Rita Hills release, the 2021 Pinot Noir Atticus John-Sebastiano Vineyard was destemmed and spent 16 months in 66% new French oak. It reveals a translucent ruby hue followed by an awesome bouquet of redcurrants, framboise, dried rose petals, and savory herbs. Medium-bodied, balanced, and elegant, it has incredible tannins, no hard edges, and a great finish. Give bottles a year or two and enjoy over the following decade.”
Paul Lato Notes: “John Sebastiano is a beautiful vineyard on the eastern side of Sta. Rita Hills with a variety of micro-climates. The relatively windy location limits yields resulting in concentrated flavors. I use clones 115 and 667 to produce Pinot Noir of great depth and character.”
Paul Lato 2021 “Magic Moment” Hyde Vineyard ChardonnayCarneros Napa – 96 Points
Retail 115.00 – GGWC 109.99
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Jeb Dunnuck 96 Points: “The 2021 Pinot Noir Magic Moments Hyde Vineyard was all destemmed and brought up in 80% new French oak. This medium ruby-hued Carneros Pinot Noir has fabulous aromatics of wild strawberries, raspberries, underbrush, and white pepper. Medium to full-bodied on the palate, it's another seamless, pure, incredibly polished 2021 offering ripe, integrated tannins and a great finish.”
Paul Lato Notes: “The 72 acre Hyde Vineyard was planted in 1979 by Larry Hyde and is located in the heart of Carneros on the south side of Hwy 12. The passion of the Hyde family for this renowned vineyard along with forward thinking resulted in Pinot Noir perfectly situated for the cool Carneros micro-climate. This combination also allows the family to consistently look forward into the future with the goal of producing high quality grapes that make stunning wine. This Pinot Noir was fermented in stainless steel without stems and aged in 80% new French oak."
Paul Lato 2021 “Cinématique” Syrah Larner Vineyard,Ballard Canyon – 97 Points
Retail 115.00 – GGWC 109.99
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Jeb Dunnuck 97 Points: “Offering gorgeous ripe cherries, blueberries, black peppercorns, and sappy flowers, as well as just touch of gamey, bacon-like nuances, the 2021 Syrah Cinematique Larner Vineyard hits the palate with medium to full body, a soft, seamless texture, and ultra-fine tannins. As usual, it's a more approachable, polished Syrah compared to the Bien Nacido release. Drink bottles any time over the coming decade.”
Paul Lato Notes: “In just a few short years, this vineyard has become a holy grail for Rhône varietals in Santa Barbara County, receiving critical acclaim for the quality of the grapes and viticultural practices. The natural beauty of the site with its rolling, sun-splashed hills creates an incredibly peaceful vibe. The Syrah clones of Estrella and 877 planted in this picturesque site produce a rich, intensely flavored wine that retains its elegance."
Paul Lato 2021 “il Padrino” Syrah Bien Nacido Vineyard,Santa Maria Valley – 98+ Points
Retail 115.00 – GGWC 109.99
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Jeb Dunnuck 98+ Points: ”In contrast, the 2021 Syrah Il Padrino Bien Nacido Vineyard is more masculine and feral, with ripe black fruits, cracked black pepper, leather, iron, and spring flowers, and a certain bloody character developing with time in the glass. Medium to full-bodied, it has a similar level of polish but is a touch more concentrated and lengthy on the palate, with ripe, building tannins and awesome length. Drink this spectacular Syrah over the coming 10-12 years.”
Paul Lato Notes: “This is one of the most historic vineyards in Santa Maria Valley, tracing its grape-growing history back to the days of the Spanish land grants. Many of this region’s most acclaimed winemakers have enjoyed great success working with this internationally renowned site. My very special block of Estrella clone grows on a hillside and produces an elegant, spicy expression of Syrah like those from the great Northern Rhône appellations. This wine often smells of church incense with white pepper and minerality. My Syrah speaks with a softer voice, presenting beautiful aromatics and velvety texture while retaining great structure and perfect acidity."
Paul Lato 2021 “Letters to Europe” Syrah & Grenache BlendSanta Barbara County – 97 Points
Retail 115.00 – GGWC 109.99
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Jeb Dunnuck 97 Points: “A 60/40 split of Syrah and Grenache that comes from the Bien Nacido and Larner vineyards, the 2021 Letters to Europe offers up a rocking bouquet blackberries, ground pepper, spring flowers, and leather that needs air to show at its best. This spicy, complex, medium to full-bodied effort has terrific intensity, a stacked mid-palate, and ripe tannins that carry through the finish. It's a head-turning beauty, that's for sure.”
Paul Lato Notes: “A tribute to the Old World wines that inspired me, "Letters to Europe" is a blend of Grenache and Syrah from two great vineyards in Santa Barbara County: Bien Nacido Vineyard from Santa Maria Valley, and Larner Vineyard of Ballard Canyon. Both vineyards bring nuances of their appellations through Syrah and Grenache. Larner Vineyard shows through in the fragrant and perfumed nose with a touch of spice, while Bien Nacido brings additional structure, weight, and power. These noteworthy sites work seamlessly together to produce a rich, intensely flavored wine that retains its elegance. Fermented in one-ton lots, this wine was blended just after harvest, where it spent the first 6 months aging in a concrete egg. It spent the remainder of its time in 40% new French oak."
Paul Lato 2021 “Ora et Labora” Grenache Bien Nacido Vineyard,Santa Maria Valley – 95 Points
Retail 85.00 – GGWC 79.99
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Jeb Dunnuck 95 Points : “Lots of black cherry liqueur, roasted herbs, licorice, and floral notes emerge from the 2021 Grenache Ora et Labora Bien Nacido Vineyard, a 100% Grenache that was destemmed and brought up in 25% new French oak. It's easily one of the finest Grenache releases I've tasted from Lato and is medium to full-bodied, with beautiful richness and depth and a great finish. It will evolve for a decade.”
Robert Parker 95 Points (Prev): “The Grenache Ora et Labora Bien Nacido Vineyard comes from 16-year-old vines farmed by Chris Hammell and was matured for 19 months in 20% new French oak. Pale ruby-purple, it's shy to begin, unfolding to blackberry and raspberry, oolong tea leaves, mushrooms and forest floor—there's a very pretty broodiness to this vintage. The medium-bodied palate offers concentrated, slowly blossoming fruit and earth accents. It has firm, dusty tannins, fireworks of fresh acidity and a very long, spicy finish. Only 89 cases were made.”
Paul Lato Notes: “This is one of the most historic vineyards in Santa Maria Valley tracing its grape-growing history back to the days of the Spanish land grants. Many of this region’s most acclaimed winemakers have enjoyed great success working with this internationally renowned site. This Grenache was fermented in 500L puncheons and a 1 ton stainless steel fermenter. A small percentage of whole clusters (< 3%) are included by feel during the fruit sorting process."
Make sure to check out our other highly rated (PINOT NOIR & CHARDONNAY SUMMER release) Paul Lato inventory
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