Wine Enthusiast's #13 Wine of the Year, 2024

"Lavish and intense aromas of Luxardo cherry, toasted spices and warm cherry pie draw the nose into this single-vineyard expression. There's crunchiness to the black raspberry base of the palate, where the fresh texture creates a fantastic sensation that goes beyond mere fruit and spice flavors" -Matt Kettmann, 98WE

"The 2023 Sauvignon Blanc Two Wolves Vineyard O Sole Mio is an appealing, vibrant wine from Paul Lato. Lemon confit, white flowers, crushed rocks. sage, tomato leaf and light tropical notes all run through. This has good energy and plenty of drive to match. (Drink between 2024-2027).  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." -Vinous, 92VM

"The 2022 Chardonnay Rincon Vineyard Done & Done is gorgeous. Ample, sweeping and dramatic, the 2022 is a grand Chardonnay. Lemon confit, marzipan, sage, white flowers, chalk and mint build effortlessly. All the elements are so beautifully balanced in a dramatic white that hits all the right notes. Sadly, there are just four barrels to go around. This is a special wine. Don't miss it. (Drink between 2024-2032).  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." -Vinous, 97VM

"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

"All Sauvignon Blanc, the 2022 Sauvignon Blanc O Sole Mio Two Wolves Vineyard has a bright, refreshing bouquet of ripe citrus, grapefruit, and minty herbs to go with a medium-bodied, vibrant, and racy style on the palate that still brings beautiful fruit. It's impeccably made, as is everything from Lato. Drink bottles in their fresh and lively youth (say, 2-4 years). (Drink between 2023-2027)." -Jeb Dunnuck, 93JD

"The 2021 Pinot Noir Drum Canyon Vineyard Stand by Me is deep, powerful and authoritative, with tons of textural resonance and class to burn. Dark blue/purplish fruit, lavender, spice, leather, menthol and licorice build effortlessly. There's terrific mid-palate density and fine, fine balance. Gorgeous. (Drink between 2024-2033)." -Antonio Galloni, 95VM

"The 2021 Pinot Noir Drum Canyon Vineyard Stand by Me is deep, powerful and authoritative, with tons of textural resonance and class to burn. Dark blue/purplish fruit, lavender, spice, leather, menthol and licorice build effortlessly. There's terrific mid-palate density and fine, fine balance. Gorgeous. (Drink between 2024-2033)." -Antonio Galloni, 94VM

"Looking at the Sta. Rita Hills releases, the 2020 Pinot Noir Seabiscuit Zotovich Vineyard has a complex bouquet of spiced red berry fruits as well as forest floor, loamy earth, baking spices, and some sea-like brine and iron nuances. Beautiful on the palate, it's tight, structured, and focused, with medium to full-bodied richness, present tannins, and a great finish. It needs a year or two, but this is brilliant juice. (Drink starting 2023)" -Jeb Dunnuck, 96+JD

"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. (Drink between 2024-2035)." -Jeb Dunnuck, 96+JD

"Lighter ruby-hued, the 2021 Pinot Noir Seabiscuit Zotovich Vineyard comes from a great site in the Sta. Rita Hills and was destemmed and raised in new French oak. Wild strawberries, raspberries, rose petals, baking spices, and loamy soil notes all define the aromatics, and it's medium to full-bodied, with a pure, layered, incredibly elegant mouthfeel and fine-grained tannins. It will evolve for 10-12 years, although it's fabulous today as well. (Drink between 2023-2035)" -Jeb Dunnuck, 96JD

"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. (Drink between 2024-2035)." -Jeb Dunnuck, 96+JD

"The 2021 Syrah Il Padrino Bien Nacido Vineyard is particularly elegant and detailed. Grapes come from 26-year-old Estrella clone vines, and the wine was matured for 19 months in 66% new French oak. It has an intense perfume of cassis, blueberry jam, mint chocolate, tapenade, aniseed and dark spices. The full-bodied palate has plush, pixelated tannins and a concentrated core of perfumed fruit. Focused acidity offers balance, and it has a long finish with a flourish of spicy accents. It develops dramatically as it spends time in the glass and will be long lived in the cellar. 160 cases were made. (Drink between 2025-2045)." -Erin Brooks, 97WA

"Looking at the Sta. Rita Hills releases, the 2020 Pinot Noir Seabiscuit Zotovich Vineyard has a complex bouquet of spiced red berry fruits as well as forest floor, loamy earth, baking spices, and some sea-like brine and iron nuances. Beautiful on the palate, it's tight, structured, and focused, with medium to full-bodied richness, present tannins, and a great finish. It needs a year or two, but this is brilliant juice. (Drink starting 2023)" -Jeb Dunnuck, 96+JD

"The 2020 Space Cadet is the star in this range from Paul Lato. Silky and aromatic, the 2020 is hauntingly beautiful from the get-go. Inky red/purplish fruit, sage, cedar, tobacco, incense and dried flowers are some of the many notes that race across the palate. All the elements are so well balanced. Space Cadet is mostly Syrah and some Grenache, but the Grenache really seems to drive the profile today. (Drink between 2024-2034)" -Antonio Galloni, 97VM

"The 2013 Syrah Cinematique Larner Vineyard exudes class and elegance on both the nose and palate. Possessing a captivating bouquet that continues to change in the glass, it reveals a core of black raspberries, violets, graphite, dusty soil and dried flowers. These carry to a full-bodied, perfectly balanced Syrah that has layers of pure fruit, integrated acidity and that fine-grained tannin quality that comes only from sandy soils. More supple and elegant than the Bien Nacido release, without quite the same level of concentration, it excels on its purity, balance and overall harmony. I suspect it will gain a touch more weight with short-term cellaring and it will have 10-15 years of overall longevity. (drink by 2028)" - Wine Advocate, 95WA