2018 Paul Lato Pinot Noir Lancelot Pisoni Vineyard

The 2018 Lancelot Pisoni Vineyard comes from one of the great vineyards in California and was aged 17 months in 60% new French oak. More tart black cherry, mulberry, and blackberry notes emerge from the glass, and it has beautiful minerality as well as sappy flower and spice notes, full-bodied richness, a focused, elegant texture, no hard edges, and gorgeous length. It's up with the finest Pinot Noirs I've tasted from California. A great California success story, Polish immigrant Paul Lato started as a cellar hand in a Santa Maria co-op/custom crush and has worked his way up to being one of the leading producers of artisanal, world class wines in California today. Lato fashions a bevy of wines (I would normally say too many, yet given the quality he’s able to achieve, the more the merrier) including Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Syrah. These aren’t lightweight wines, yet they never lose their sense of balance and elegance. I always describe the wines as having a slightly Old World style, but with one foot planted firmly in California. As I hope the reviews show, his 2018s are incredible wines across the board.

The 2018 Pinot Noir Lancelot Pisoni Vineyard opens with a burst of ripe, candied fruit. Black cherry, lavender, mint and spice all open up in the glass. Ultimately, though, the 2018 comes across as alcoholic and not particularly expressive of place.