2012 Syrah Il Padrino Bien Nacido Vineyards
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Tasting notes
(made with 20% whole clusters): Bright purple. Expansive aromas of blackberry, cassis, candied licorice, Indian spices and violet. Plump and seamless in texture, offering broad dark fruit flavors that show an alluring sweetness and very good depth. Finishes pliant, smoky and long, with round, velvety tannins and an echo of blackberry liqueur lifted by peppery spices.
Critic scores
Antonio Galloni, Vinous
Josh Raynolds
More reviews and scores
More masculine (about as masculine as any of Paul’s wines get? which isn’t very masculine), the 2012 Syrah Il Padrino Bien Nacido Vineyard (100% Syrah aged in 85% new French oak) had loads of creme de cassis, wood smoke, cracked pepper, salty minerality and ground herbs to go with a medium to full-bodied, layered, pure and overall fresh profile on the palate. It’s the incredible purity of fruit that really sets this apart. Also showing building, finely polished tannin on the finish, give this smoking Syrah another year or so and drink it through 2027. One of my favorite producers in the Central Coast, Paul Lato continues to make thrilling Pinot Noirs and Syrahs that have texture, richness and depth while never seeming heavy or cumbersome. These are gorgeous wines across the board and you can’t go wrong here. Tel. (805) 260-3210; www.paullatowines.com
Dried herbs, smoke, dried flowers, violets pomegranate, tobacco and menthol are all woven together in the 2012 Syrah Il Padrino Bien Nacido Vineyard, a wine that stands out for its class and personality. Deep, savory and highly expressive, the Bien Nacido is perhaps a touch less overt than the Larner Syrah, with a bit more emphasis on both earthiness and energy. This is another gorgeous wine from Paul Lato.