2018 Pinot Noir “Seabiscuit” Zotovich Vineyard Santa Rita Hill  

The 2018 Pinot Noir Seabiscuit Zotovich Vineyard, from the Sta. Rita Hills, saw a similar élevage and was all destemmed and brought up in 69% new French oak. Ruby/plum-colored, with a spicy, woody style in its red and black fruits, it has lots of cedary spice, flowery incense, and violet notes, medium to full body, a pure, balanced character, and a great finish. It's still relatively tight and focused and will benefit from another year in bottle. It should drink nicely through 2030. 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.

The 2018 Pinot Noir Seabiscuit Zotovich Vineyard is distinctly floral and savory in this vintage. Crushed flowers, dried herbs, dried cherry, licorice and sweet pipe tobacco are all laced together in this attractive, silky Pinot from Paul Lato. The 2018 has good energy, but it is also on the lighter side, even taking into account the personality of this site, where the wines are naturally born lighter in structure.