Paul Lato, 'Duende' Gold Coast Pinot Noir, Santa Maria Valley, Santa Barbara, California, 2020

Overview of the Wine
Passion, quality, and authenticity. These are the guiding principles of our small, artisanal winery dedicated to producing Burgundy and Rhone varietals. Paul Lato is a former sommelier who studied wine extensively and traveled the world before starting his winemaking operation on the Central Coast in 2002. Though their style is inspired by the balance and harmony, they also seek to capture the intensity of flavor that is a hallmark of sun-kissed California vineyards.

Through small-lot boutique production, minimal intervention in the winery, and purity of intention, the team works to achieve elegance in the bottle that showcases the unique qualities of these amazing sites. The ultimate goal is to create wines that are seamless and textural with the structure and balance to complement fine cuisine.

Grape / Blend
Pinot Noir

Origin
Santa Barbara, California

Winemaker's Tasting Notes
This may very well be my finest vintage of Duende to date. Delicate, medium red color and fantastic perfume. Stewed strawberry and raspberry notes with very pleasant red fruit nuances from the 30-year-old vines at Gold Coast Vineyard. It has a silky texture on the tongue from the intermingling of the fruit with the finest new French oak – refreshing acidity and light tannins on the finish.  Duende is a perennial favorite of many of my long time customers.

95 Points - Jeb Dunnuck 
Leading off the Pinot Noirs, the 2020 Pinot Noir Duende Gold Coast Vineyard comes from Santa Maria and was destemmed and spent 12 months in 50% new barrels. Its medium ruby hue is followed by a big, boisterous bouquet of ripe strawberries, framboise, spring flowers, and sappy herbs. This fruit-loaded, sexy, forward, seamless effort is one of the more approachable and ready-to-go in the lineup, yet it still has good acidity as well as tannins.

Product size: 750ml