2018 Paul Lato Pinot Noir Victor Francis Peake Ranch Vineyard
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Tasting notes
This is a new wine from Paul Lato, named after his son. Medium ruby-purple, the 2018 Pinot Noir Victor Francis Peake Ranch Vineyard is delicately styled with aromas of rosewater, saline, lavender, crushed raspberries and strawberries, with an undercurrent of fragrant earth. Medium-bodied, it's concentrated, broody and firm with seamless freshness and a long, perfumed finish. This has what it needs to age well in bottle, and I'd give it another two or three years in the cellar. 185 cases were made.
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Jeb Dunnuck
Erin Brooks, Wine Advocate
More reviews and scores
Another Sta. Rita Hills release (I think this is the first vintage for this cuvée), the 2018 Victor Francis Peake Ranch Vineyard has a pure, nicely concentrated, full-bodied style with good complexity in its spiced cherry and blackberry fruits, chocolate, leafy herbs, and forest floor aromas and flavors. I love the overall richness and texture here, and it's one of the more meaty, powerful wines in the lineup. 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.