2017 Paul Lato Pinot Noir C'est le Vie Wenzlau Vineyard
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Another Sta. Rita Hills release, the 2017 Pinot Noir C'Est La Vie Drum Canyon Vineyard (15 months in 50% new French oak) is more spice-driven and pretty, with an incredibly balanced, layered, seamless style. Notes of ripe strawberries, raspberries, white flowers, vanilla cream, spice, and hints of forest floor all give way to a gorgeously elegant, ethereal effort that has ultra-fine tannins, no hard edges, and a great finish. It’s great today and will be great in 7-8 years as well. I continue to be blown away by the wines of Paul Lato, and these are unquestionably some of the most profound and exciting wines coming from the Central Coast today. The lineup has grown substantially over the past decade, and Lato now releases upwards of five Chardonnays, six Pinot Noirs, two Grenaches, three Syrahs, a Sauvignon Blanc, and a Malvasia. Despite the number of wines, quality hasn’t slipped an inch, and the wines show incredible site and varietal typicity always paired with sensational fruit and balance. In short, don’t miss these wines!
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Robert Parker
Jeb Dunnuck
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The Drum Canyon comes from 14-year-old vines planted in sandy loam, with the wine aged for 15 months in 60% new French oak. Pale to medium ruby-purple, the 2017 Pinot Noir C'est la Vie Drum Canyon has a youthfully coiled nose slowly unfurling to fresh sage, rose petal, lilac, orange peel, autumn leaves, dust, perfumed earth and black tea leaves with a core of raspberry preserves, black cherries and berries, blueberries and charcuterie hints—this is so perfumed! It's medium-bodied with slowly blossoming fruit, earth and spice flavor layers, with firm but elegant, wonderfully pixelated tannins and seamless freshness, finishing very long and packed full of perfume and spice. Wow! So elegant. So refined. 150 cases were made.