Paul Lato Mailer Arrives

[Brad_S_w_a_l_l_o_w]

Received this mailer today for the first time. I probably signed up for it two years ago or so, then never heard anything further until now. The offer includes the Le Souvenir Chard for $45, the Duende Pinot for $60, the Suerte Pinot for $65, and the Sine Cera (Fiddlestix) Pinot for $70. Mighty big prices.

Does anyone out there have an opinion on this producer? I only know what Parker has to say, and I like a different style of Pinot than he does.

[Ken_Zinns]

I like Paul’s wines a lot. He is super-fanatical about quality and routinely cuts a number of the few barrels he has out of his final blends. The wines are concentrated yet elegant, not too big or heavy. He uses a good deal of new oak, so I think it’s best to wait a few years for the oak to better integrate on his wines but they are still tasty when young. Plus he’s a really nice guy with endless stories to tell.

Here are a few notes from a visit with Paul about 2 years ago:
Barrel Samples

'06 Solomon Hills Pinot Noir from one-year old François Frères half-barrel, 115 clone: dark cherry, slightly tart, some spice and coffee notes, oak in the background

'06 Gold Coast Pinot Noir from new François Frères barrel, Martini clone: slight funk that blew off quickly, bright raspberry, tea leaf

'06 Fiddlestix Pinot Noir, 113 clone: darker color, intense raspberry aromas, velvety mouthfeel and good finish

'06 Bien Nacido Syrah, Estrella clone, 5% Viognier, new barrel: meaty, blackberry, moderate tannins but smooth mouthfeel. Just one barrel produced, the wine will be called “Bona Fide”

Current Releases

'05 Gold Coast Pinot Noir “Duende”: raspberry / black cherry, very good acidity

'05 Bien Nacido Syrah “Skywatcher”: rich blackberry fruit, some meat and oak notes, touch of spice, moderate tannins, great acidity, excellent wine that should age well. This is from the two rows of fruit that Paul gets from Bien Nacido.

'05 Larner Syrah “Cinamatique”: from Estrella and 877 clones, 7% Viognier, 50% new oak, very rich, deep fruit, spicy, floral hints, bigger, riper wine than the Bien Nacido

And some notes on a couple of Paul’s earlier wines from about a year ago:
2003 Paul Lato “Duende” Pinot Noir, Gold Coast Vineyard, Santa Maria Valley (13.8%): Medium color, black cherry, strawberry, rhubarb, and spice aromas. Medium-bodied, with red fruits and baking spice coming through in the mouth, just enough vanilla/oak to accent the flavors, and good balancing acidity. Very silky mouthfeel and long finish with just a hint of tannin. A lighter and more elegant style than many Santa Barbara County Pinots, this should continue to show well for several more years.

2003 Paul Lato “Quo Vadis” Syrah, Bien Nacido Vineyard, Santa Maria Valley (15.1%): Medium-dark color with a blue-purple tinge, big ripe plum and darker fruit aromas with some underlying notes of black pepper. Fairly rich on the palate, sweet fruit that still seems somewhat primary, medium tannins with an interesting spice element on the finish. Right now, the ripe sweet fruit is perhaps a bit too dominant but despite the 15+ alcohol it’s beautifully-balanced, and my guess is that this wine is still several years away from its prime drinking window.

[Brad_S_w_a_l_l_o_w]

Ken,

Thanks for responding not just with your impressions but with the tasting notes. I found them very informative. I almost wish your notes didn’t make these wines seem so appealing to me, since I am now thinking I have to order yet more wine. But such is the plight of a Berserker, I guess.

Brad

[Jason_Hagen]

I have enjoyed the wines although many were too big for my tastes … but was buying both the pinots and syrahs … until the prices became a joke. PASS!

Jason

[larry_schaffer]

Paul will be taking part in the upcoming WineHound Santa Barbara County Futures Event on May 9th up here in SB - IIRC he’ll be pouring some of his 08’s, and you’ll be able to buy them at ‘futures prices’ . . . may be worth a look in order to save a few $.

In addition, Paul is one of the speakers at one of the Hospice du Rhone Seminars this year - all somms all the time. He’ll be pouring his wine(s) along with Cris Cherry from Villa Creek, John Lancaster from Skylark, and Richard Betts from Betts and Scholl . . .

Cheers!

[Brad_S_w_a_l_l_o_w]

So I thought about it and decided to order a few, mostly Chard. I went on the new, state-of-the-art order site, filled out the form with the required information and bottles requested, then clicked “Order”. Instead of a confirming message, I was told that I would receive an invoice, and requests were granted on a first-come, first-serve basis based on who returned a paid invoice first. That was three days ago. No invoice.

Not that I mind terribly much. I guess I might receive an invoice one day, or maybe not. I suppose for budgeting reasons it would be nice to know whether or not I have just ordered some wine.