2022 Paul Lato "Space Cadet" Syrah-Grenache, Bien Nacido Vyd
"It's always fun to taste the Space Cadet cuvée after tasting the two Grenache and Syrah releases, as this cuvée is a blend from both sites and both varieties. The 2022 Space Cadet is 85% Syrah and 15% Grenache that spent the first 6 months in concrete eggs followed by 14 months in 50% new French oak. Sporting an opaque ruby hue as well as classic Syrah notes of gamey blackberry-like fruit intermixed with notions of smoked meat, pepper, violets and leather. Hitting the palate with medium-bodied richness, a nicely balanced, layered mouthfeel, plenty of underlying tannins and structure, and a great finish, it's another wine from Lato that benefits from air. It will ideally be given a year or two of bottle age and enjoyed through 2034. (Drink between 2025-2034)" -Jeb Dunnuck, 94JD
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.
