2022 Paul Lato Chardonnay, "Ma Jolie", Peake Ranch Vineyard
"The 2022 Chardonnay Peake Ranch Vineyard Ma Jolie is a wine of substance and textural richness. Apricot, peach, chamomile, spice and a touch of reduction all grace this ample, large-scaled Chardonnay. It will be interesting to see how this develops in the coming years. I would give this a year or two in bottle, as it is pretty tightly wound today. (Drink between 2024-2030). These are some of the very best wines I have tasted in all the years I’ve followed Paul Lato. The Chardonnays are particularly terrific. There’s a bit more focus and tension in the whites these days, which makes the wines not only delicious but also more versatile at the dinner table. The Pinots are on the lighter side, a reflection of both the growing season and the decisions Lato made in response to those conditions. “We chose lighter extractions because we had mold in the vineyards that required spraying and constant diligence to keep in check. We did not want to push too hard,” Lato explained. Despite all of his success and experience, Lato retains the passion, ambition and enthusiasm more often found in younger professionals who are just getting started. The wines this year are truly memorable." Antonio Galloni, 92VM
One of Santa Barbara County's most storied producers, for more than 2 decades Paul has been crafting some of most lavish and refined wines along the Central Coast. A master at coaxing all of the perfumed aromatics of his Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Rhône productions, his true talent lies in putting those genies back into the bottle on the palate, combining the decadence of the grape on the nose with the quiet power of site in the glass. A master.