2023 Paul Lato Pinot Noir Stand By Me Drum Canyon Vineyard
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Built from a combination of Calera selection and 115 clones, the 2023 Pinot Noir Stand By Me Drum Canyon Vineyard is the complete opposite side of the coin from the Zotovich Pinot Noir, offering a more substantial and textural expression of the northern Sta. Rita Hills. An intense, opaque color introduces a similarly powerful bouquet of black cherries, graphite, underbrush, black licorice and a touch of black fruit compote. The palate is supple yet tensile, quickly intensified with a pronounced saturation after even a short while in the glass. The finish is long, layered and elegantly tenacious, framed with a youthfully toasted framing of high-quality new oak. A fantastic presentation of the region, this more than merits another couple of years in the cellar to further integrate its élevage and should age for more than a decade.
Critic scores
Average Score
Jeb Dunnuck
Matthew Luczy, Wine Advocate
More reviews and scores
From the Drum Canyon Vineyard and brought up 18 months in 70% new French oak, the 2023 Pinot Noir Stand By Me offers black raspberries, graphite, spring flowers, and minty, sappy underbrush nuances on the nose. Medium to full-bodied on the palate, concentrated, and focused, with beautifully integrated oak (it brings to mind Roumier), it has a tight, focused mouthfeel, beautiful overall balance, and a great finish. Give it a year or two to integrate its oak and drink through 2035. It's another sensational Pinot Noir from the genius of Paul Lato. Drink 2027-2035. Paul Lato continues to produce one of the most impressive lineups I taste each year, with wines coming from top vineyards across the Central Coast and beyond. The Polish immigrant (this is a great American success story) who started as a cellar hand in Santa Maria has built a program that now includes five Chardonnays and seven Pinot Noirs in this lineup alone. The Chardonnays range from Rincon in Arroyo Grande to Sierra Madre in Santa Maria to Pisoni in Santa Lucia Highlands and Hyde in Carneros, with the Kokoro being a selection across sites. The Pinot Noir program is equally extensive, pulling from Gold Coast and Solomon Hills in Santa Maria, Zotovich and Drum Canyon in Sta. Rita Hills, Pisoni in Santa Lucia Highlands, and Hyde in Carneros. All wines see extended aging of 16 to 19 months, with new oak ranging from 25% to 70% depending on the cuvée. I thought the Stand By Me from Drum Canyon was the clear standout in the Pinot lineup this year, while the Pisoni Chardonnay shows remarkable power and concentration. Having said that, there are no dogs in the lineup, and these are all brilliant wines. These wines consistently show a balance between California richness and Old World restraint, with the oak perfectly integrated despite the relatively high percentages used. What continues to impress me is the consistency across such a large lineup – there's not a weak wine in the bunch and each shows distinct site character despite the uniform winemaking approach.
The 2023 Pinot Noir Drum Canyon Vineyard Stand by Me is darkly fruited, voluptuous and a little mysterious. Rich, sweet blueberry coulis, toasted baking spices, lifted florals and simmering acids paint a complete picture. There's a real sultry character to this wine that draws you in, like a siren. I'd give it some time in the cellar to blossom, but the Stand by Me is long on delicious factor now.