Although these wines are no longer available from the winery, tasting notes on all vintages of Paul Lato wines are presented here for those of you who may be cellaring the wine and would like winemaking and tasting notes on those wines. Cheers!

Le Souvenir - Sierra Madre Chardonnay, 2007

66% new French oak, full malolactic, Wente clone, low yields. Beautiful balance and integration, very good mid palate and a long refreshing finish.This wine has a lot of flavor and yet it is light on its feet. Only 3 barrels made.

Duende - Gold Coast Pinot Noir, 2007

As always this is the silkiest and the most approachable of my Pinots, 50 % new French oak. Gentle asian spice and strawberry, rose petals nose. Delicate yet flavorful with a fine blend of fresh fruit and just a touch of the ''forest floor'' on the finish. Very fine. 4 barrels made.

Suerte - Solomon Hills Pinot Noir, 2007

In this vintage I added 2 barrels of Dijon clone 777 to my usual 3 barrels of Dijon clone 115. It is a bigger, darker version of this wine. Bright, elegant and smooth with subtle cherry and dark fruit nose. Quite a bit bigger than usual due to low yields and the quality of the vintage it is a very fine example of the great potential of Santa Maria Appellation. Very fine.

Sine Cera - Fiddlestix Pinot Noir, 2007

This was a very good year for this vineyard and the classy potential of this wine was evident from the first sip of the fermenting grapes. Blend of Dijon Clones 113 and 667 resulted is structured yet harmonious wine with silky texture and a very long finish. Very fine. Needs some time in the cellar or 2 hours in a decanter. Only 5 barrels made. 60 % new French oak.

Cinematique - Larner Vineyard Syrah, 2007

Deep purple, almost black in color, with a full gamut of fragrances and nuances on the nose: dark cherry, Kirsch liqueur, violets, coffee, and a hint of mint. Broad on the palate with velvety texture, quite voluptuous and intense, yet well balanced. Long, smooth finish. 60 cases made. 33% new French oak.

Il Padrino - Bien Nacido Vineyard Syrah, 2007

Almost black in color, very intense, very fragrant on the nose, with nuances of lavender, orange peel, chocolate, dark espresso coffee, and hints of fennel, fire and smoke. Big, yet elegant and gentle. On the palate it is silky and well-structured, with smoke and classic bacon fat. It is vibrant and youthful and very well integrated already. Long, smooth finish with a refreshing acidity. 20 cases made. 100% new French oak.

Suerte - Solomon Hills Pinot Noir, 2006

Robert Parker Jr, The Wine Advocate: Even more sexy and lush is the 2006 Pinot Noir Suerte Solomon Hills Vineyard. Made from Dijon clone 115, this wine displays ripe plum, black cherry, blackberry, and fig notes with notions of damp earth and loamy soil. Its gorgeous texture, beautiful purity, broad, savory mouthfeel with no hard edges, and a certain floral quality are all reminiscent of a top-notch Cote de Nuits premier cru or grand cru. Drink it over the next 7-8 years. 94 points

Duende - Gold Coast Vineyard Pinot Noir, 2006

Robert Parker Jr, The Wine Advocate: from 20-year-old vines planted with the California heritage clone of Martini, is medium to dark ruby, and displays beautiful sweet currants and black cherries with a hint of forest floor. The seamless integration of acidity, wood, and alcohol results in a lush, seductive, medium to full-bodied Pinot Noir to drink over the next 5-6 years. 93 points

Sine Cera - Fiddlestix Vineyard Pinot Noir, 2006

Robert Parker Jr, The Wine Advocate: Made from Dijon clones 113 and 667, this wine exhibits a much earthier, spice-driven style, with hints of bouquet garni, meat juices, cinnamon, and red and black fruits. The wine has more tannin, structure, and muscle than the other two offerings, but its dark ruby color, broad flavor profile, and long finish are top-flight. Drink it over the next decade. 93+ points

Cinematique - Larner Vineyard Syrah, 2006

Robert Parker Jr, The Wine Advocate: ...sensational aromatics, extraordinary, meaty, voluptuous, blackberry fruit, a fleshy texture, and a finish that lasts for 40+ seconds. It is slightly more exotic, nuanced, complex, and flamboyant than the Bien Nacido Syrahs. This cuvee was also co-fermented with 5-7% Viognier, which provides uplift to the aromatics as well as an extra degree of complexity to the bouquet and flavors. 96 points

Bona Fide - Bien Nacido Vineyard Syrah, 2006

Robert Parker Jr, The Wine Advocate: The dense ruby/purple-tinged 2006 Syrah Bona Fide Bien Nacido Vineyard also includes 5% Viognier co-fermented in the blend. Another seamless, exceptionally aromatic effort, it reveals superb stuffing and purity. As Lato will tell you, most of the work is done in the vineyard. This cuvee walks a tightrope between power and finesse, never erring in either direction. Complex notes of black olives, blackberries, cassis, graphite, and spring flowers emerge from this full-bodied, pure, deep, seamless, prodigious 2006 Syrah. It should drink beautifully for 7-8 years. 95 points

Suerte - Solomon Hills Pinot Noir, 2005

Robert Parker Jr, The Wine Advocate: ...boasts loads of blue and black fruits, hints of kirsch, liqueur, damp earth, and spice, and outstanding purity as well as harmony. Inspired winemaking has resulted in a wonderful Pinot Noir, but sadly, less than 100 cases will be produced. 91-93 points

Duende - Gold Coast Vineyard Pinot Noir, 2005

Wine Cask Futures Catalog: Working with vines that are now in their 17th leaf Paul speaks eloquently and lovingly of this vineyard – calling them “vieilles vignes” or old vines in French. He will explore other vineyards in the future but this vineyard will always be in his portfolio. Paul takes each cluster in hand on the way in to the de-stemmer and makes a careful selection and then sorts the individual grapes on the way out before they go to the fermentation vat. An amazing fermentation took place using collected wild yeast from a “famous” vineyard after an eight day cold soak. For this great vintage Paul felt as though the wine could have more oak and the wine has “swallowed” the wood beautifully. It is an elegant strong wine with a bit of cassis and red melon all wrapped up in a silky blanket. Perfectly integrated from the moment it touches your lips to the last ester filled finish. We had a meeting of the mind as the wine reminded us both of a Chambolle-Musigny Les Amoureuses.

Skywatcher - Bien Nacido Vineyard Syrah, 2005

“For those who gaze.” When properly grown Syrah expresses a great terroir and transcends varietal typicity elevating it to the level of simply great wine. This tightly woven, exceptionally silky Syrah is bursting with the bright acidity of fresh boysenberry and blueberry highlighted with ripe black cherry and nuances of white pepper. It’s overall harmony and balanced acidity makes it a great food wine. Enjoy it over the next ten years with your favorite haute cuisine and the company of special friends.

Cinematique - Larner Vineyard Syrah, 2005

Robert Parker Jr, The Wine Advocate: The spectacular 2005 Syrah Larner Vineyard Cinematique is cropped at two tons of fruit per acre, and co-fermented with a tiny amount of Viognier (7%), this 100% destemmed wine exhibits a dense ruby/purple color as well as stunning aromatics of acacia flowers, creme de cassis, blueberries, graphite, and spice. With fabulous texture, a seamless integration of acidity, tannin, alcohol, and wood, beautiful opulence, and a long, 40 second finish, this stunning Syrah evidences the brilliance of this young cellar rat, an up-and-coming star in California’s Central Coast. 95 points

Duende - Gold Coast Pinot Noir, 2004

Robert Parker Jr, The Wine Advocate: The lushly-textured 2004 Pinot Noir Goldcoast Vineyard Duende exhibits a lovely perfume of sweet black cherries, raspberries, forest floor and earth (reminiscent of a premier cru from the Cotes de Nuits), broad, savory flavors and a long, silky finish. 92 points.

Duende - Gold Coast Pinot Noir, 2003

Robert Parker Jr, The Wine Advocate: His 2003 Pinot Noir Goldcoast Vineyard Duende (a flamenco term that means someone who is inspired) is a 100% de-stemmed cuvee produced from a 17-year old vineyard planted in sandy soil. This medium, ruby-hued effort offers soft, plum and black cherry fruit with subtle forest floor scents in the background. Lush and heady, it should be consumed over the next 5-6 years. 90 points

Robert Parker Jr, The Wine Advocate: Revealing a deep ruby/plum color along with rich, elegant, more intense aromatics, the 2003 Pinot Noir Gold Coast Vineyard offers a broader mouthfeel and texture, and a long, heavy finish. This well-balanced, pure, deep Pinot Noir should drink well for 2 - 5 years. 91 points

Quo Vadis - Bien Nacido Syrah, 2003

Robert Parker Jr, The Wine Advocate: The 2003 from Bien Nacido exhibits a deeper ruby/purple color along with abundant aromas of incense laden crème de cassis interwoven with licorice, spice box and cherries. Dense, medium to full bodied as well as strikingly elegant and well delineated, it should drink well for 6 - 8 years. 91 points

Duende - Gold Coast Pinot Noir, 2002

Robert Parker Jr, The Wine Advocate: The 2002 Pinot Noir Gold Coast Vineyard's dark ruby color is followed by sweet cherries, a pretty floral component, and elegant, nicely textured, delicate well-defined medium-bodied flavors. Drink it over the next 2 - 3 years. 89 points

Long Shot - Bien Nacido Syrah, 2002

Robert Parker Jr, The Wine Advocate: Paul Lato has been producing small lots of elegant reds that combine the grace and subtlety of European wines with the exuberance and richness of California. Seventy-five cases produced from a hillside block of Bien Nacido Vineyard, exhibits elegant sweet aromas of licorice, diced herbs, blackcurrants, incense and spice box. Medium-bodied, stylish and authoritatively flavored, with a long harmonious finish, it should drink well for 7 - 8 years. 90 points

Robert Parker Jr, The Wine Advocate: Paul Lato’s 2002 Syrah Long Shot from the Bien Nacido Vineyard …Medium to full-bodied, with a beautiful texture, elegance allied with sweet fruit and a textured, nuanced style, it offers the ripeness of California along with the elegance and delicacy of a northern Rhone Valley wine. (90+ points)