2023 Paul Lato 'Stand By Me' Pinot Noir, Drum Canyon Vineyard
"From the Drum Canyon Vineyard and brought up 18 months in 70% new French oak, the 2023 Pinot Noir Stand By Me offers black raspberries, graphite, spring flowers, and minty, sappy underbrush nuances on the nose. Medium to full-bodied on the palate, concentrated, and focused, with beautifully integrated oak (it brings to mind Roumier), it has a tight, focused mouthfeel, beautiful overall balance, and a great finish. Give it a year or two to integrate its oak and drink through 2035. It's another sensational Pinot Noir from the genius of Paul Lato. Drink 2027-2035." -Jeb Dunnuck, 99JD
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.