Paul Lato
Paul Lato is a Santa Barbara-focused négociant working with some of California's most sought-after vineyards, producing site-specific Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Syrah, and Grenache under individually named cuvées.
History
Paul Lato is a Slovak-born winemaker who built his career in California's Central Coast wine trade before launching his own label. He worked for years in restaurant and retail settings, developing a deep familiarity with European classics before turning to production. His label operates on a négociant model, sourcing fruit from established vineyards rather than farming estate land, which has allowed him to work across multiple appellations and soil types simultaneously. Each wine carries its own name, a practice that reflects Lato's interest in treating individual vineyard sources as distinct subjects rather than components of a blended house style. The project has grown steadily in reputation, with allocations that sell primarily through a mailing list.
Vineyards
Lato draws fruit from a roster of well-regarded Central Coast sites. Larner Vineyard, in the Ballard Canyon AVA, is the source for his Syrah and Grenache; the site is planted on calcium-rich clay soils and farmed sustainably, with a warm, sheltered climate that suits Rhone varieties. Bien Nacido Vineyard in the Santa Maria Valley is one of California's most storied addresses for cool-climate Pinot Noir and Syrah, with marine influence pushing through the Tepusquet Gap and keeping growing temperatures moderate. Solomon Hills, also in Santa Maria Valley, sits at the western, windier end of the valley floor and produces fruit with pronounced acidity. Sierra Madre Vineyard, southeast of Santa Maria, is a reliable source for Chardonnay with good tension. Pisoni Vineyard in the Santa Lucia Highlands of Monterey County is planted at significant elevation on granitic soils, and is one of the more coveted Pinot Noir and Chardonnay sources in California. Kokoro appears to be a separate designation Lato uses for both Chardonnay and Pinot Noir; the specific vineyard source or sources behind that label are not publicly documented in detail. Farming practices vary by grower; Lato does not control the viticulture directly.
Winemaking
Lato's cellar work is attentive and relatively low-intervention for the style. Pinot Noir is typically fermented with a portion of whole clusters, though the percentage varies by vintage and site. Native or ambient yeasts are used where conditions allow. Aging takes place in French oak barrels, with the proportion of new wood kept at a level that preserves site character rather than adding overt wood flavor; his Chardonnays in particular tend toward restraint in oak treatment relative to many California peers. The wines are generally bottled unfined and unfiltered, or with minimal processing. Each cuvée carries an individual Italian or French name, a signature affectation that underscores the single-vineyard, single-subject framing Lato has maintained throughout the project.
Wines
2023 Pinot Noir Pisoni Vineyard Lancelot
2023 Grenache Bien Nacido Vineyard Ora et Labora
2023 Sauvignon Blanc Wolves Vineyard O Sole Mio Two
2023 Pinot Noir Zotovich Vineyard Seabiscuit
2023 Pinot Noir Gold Coast Vineyard Duende
2023 Chardonnay Peake Ranch Vineyard Ma Jolie
2023 Pinot Noir Hyde Vineyard Magic Moments.
2023 Grenache Larner Vineyard Lumire
2023 Sauvignon Blanc Sanger Estate Vineyard Le Nouveau Jardin
2023 Pinot Noir Kokoro
2023 Pinot Noir Drum Canyon Vineyard Stand by Me
2023 Chardonnay Pisoni Vineyard East of Eden
2023 Chardonnay Rincon Vineyard Done & Done
2023 Chardonnay Sierra Madre Vineyard Le Souvenir
2023 Pinot Noir Solomon Hills Vineyard Suerte
2023 Syrah Bien Nacido Vineyard Il Padrino
2023 Space Cadet
2023 Syrah Larner Vineyard Cinmatique
2023 Chardonnay Kokoro
2023 Chardonnay Hyde Vineyard Goldberg Variations No. 6
2022 Pinot Noir Peake Ranch Vineyard Victor Francis
2022 Pinot Noir Zotovich Vineyard Seabiscuit
2022 Chardonnay Pisoni Vineyard East of Eden
2022 Sauvignon Blanc Wolves Vineyard O Sole Mio Two
2022 Chardonnay Peake Ranch Vineyard Ma Jolie
2022 Chardonnay Hyde Vineyard Goldberg Variations
2022 Grenache Larner Vineyard Lumiere
2022 Cabernet Sauvignon Festina Lente
2022 Sauvignon Blanc Sanger Estate Le Nouveau Jardin
2022 Syrah Bien Nacido Vineyard Il Padrino
2022 Letters to Europe
2022 Pinot Noir Hyde Vineyard Magic Moments.
2022 Pinot Noir Solomon Hills Vineyard Suerte
2022 Grenache Bien Nacido Vineyard Ora et Labora
2022 Pinot Noir Drum Canyon Vineyard Stand by Me
2022 Chardonnay Chapel Vineyard Belle de Jour
2022 Syrah Larner Vineyard Cinmatique
2022 Chardonnay Sierra Madre Vineyard Le Souvenir
2022 Chardonnay Kokoro
2022 Chardonnay Rincon Vineyard Done & Done
2021 Grenache Bien Nacido Vineyard Ora et Labora
2021 Grenache Larner Vineyard Lumiere
2021 Pinot Noir Kokoro
2021 Pinot Noir Peake Ranch Vineyard Victor Francis
2021 Sauvignon Blanc Wolves Vineyard O Sole Mio Two
2021 Sauvignon Blanc Grimm's Bluff Vineyard Le Jardin Secret
2021 Syrah Larner Vineyard Cinematique
2021 Letters to Europe
2021 Pinot Noir John Sebastiano Vineyard Atticus
2021 Pinot Noir Zotovich Vineyard Seabiscuit
2021 Chardonnay Talley Oliver's Vineyard Done & Done
2021 Chardonnay Ma Jolie Peake Ranch
2021 Syrah Bien Nacido Vineyard Il Padrino
2021 Pinot Noir Drum Canyon Vineyard Stand by Me
2021 Pinot Noir Solomon Hills Vineyard Suerte
2021 Chardonnay Sierra Madre Vineyard Le Souvenir
2021 Chardonnay Chapel Vineyard Belle de Jour
2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Festina Lente
2021 Chardonnay Kokoro
2020 Chardonnay Ma Jolie Peake Ranch
2020 Sauvignon Blanc Wolves Vineyard O Sole Mio Two
2020 Pinot Noir Kokoro
2020 Grenache Bien Nacido Vineyard Ora et Labora
2020 Chardonnay Sierra Madre Vineyard Le Souvenir
2020 Sauvignon Blanc Grimm's Bluff Vineyard Le Jardin Secret
2020 Pinot Noir Zotovich Vineyard Seabiscuit
2020 Pinot Noir Solomon Hills Vineyard Suerte
2020 Pinot Noir Gold Coast Vineyard Duende
2020 Syrah Bien Nacido Vineyard Il Padrino
2020 Syrah Larner Vineyard Cinematique
2020 Space Cadet
2019 Pinot Noir Drum Canyon Vineyard Stand by Me
2019 Pinot Noir Kokoro
2019 Pinot Noir Gold Coast Vineyard Duende
2019 Pinot Noir Zotovich Vineyard Seabiscuit
2019 Pinot Noir Hyde Vineyard Magic Moments.
2019 Grenache Bien Nacido Vineyard Ora et Labora
2019 Letters to Europe
2019 Pinot Noir Solomon Hills Vineyard Suerte
2019 Chardonnay Pisoni Vineyard East of Eden
2019 Chardonnay Sierra Madre Vineyard Le Souvenir
2019 Chardonnay Hyde Vineyard Goldberg Variations No. 2
2019 Chardonnay Rincon Vineyard Done & Done
2019 Syrah Larner Vineyard Cinematique
2019 Syrah Bien Nacido Vineyard Il Padrino
2019 Chardonnay Talley Oliver's Vineyard It's All Good
2019 Chardonnay Kokoro