Wine Wednesday: Paul Lato
Cheers and welcome to Wine Wednesday, and to 2020! Today, we are going to feature a great Rhône varietal producer: Paul Lato.
Polish born and professionally educated and trained as a sommelier, Paul Lato first visited the Central Coast in 1996 to get his hands dirty during harvest. After living and working in Canada at Toronto’s top restaurant, Lato made the move to California in 2002 to pursue winemaking, with little savings and abundant passion.
While working for $10 an hour as a cellar rat at Bien Nacido Vineyards, Paul began vinifying Pinot Noir and Syrah with the 2002 vintage. A chance meeting with Robert Parker brought rave reviews and a boost of confidence, which in turn led to the slow and steady growth of what became Paul Lato Wines. The first ten years were filled with tenacity, humility, generosity of others and moments of satisfying triumph. Today, Lato’s wines are sold through a mailing list with limited retail distribution.
Try it at the girl & the fig!
Paul Lato, 2014 il Padrino Syrah, Bien Nacido Vineyard
“Another sensational vintage for this cuvee, the 2014 Syrah Il Padrino Bien Nacido Vineyard is slightly deeper colored than the Larner Vineyard and has a more earthy, gamey, savory characteristics in its black currants, damp earth, olive tapenade and sappy flower aromas and flavors. Full-bodied, rich, beautifully concentrated and layered, with good acidity and fine tannin, it needs short term cellaring to come together (the Larner is much more upfront) and will drink beautifully through 2026.”
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