2018 Paul Lato Chardonnay East of Eden Pisoni Vineyard

The 2018 East of Eden Pisoni Vineyard comes from a site on the southern end of the Santa Lucia Highlands, which is slightly more granitic soils, and was raised in 66% new French oak. This cuvée always has a beautiful, crystalline profile and the 2018 is no exception, offering a heavenly array of white peach, caramelized nectarines, flower oil, honeysuckle, and toasted bread. Deep, rich, full-bodied, and straight-up stacked on the palate, this stunning effort ranks with the finest Chardonnay coming out of California today. It’s not for the Chablis-only crowd out there but is magical juice that will evolve nicely for at least 5-7+ years. 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 Chardonnay East of Eden Pisoni Vineyard is very pretty and inviting. White orchard fruit, flowers, mint, white pepper and pear give the 2018 notable brightness to play off its mid-weight personality. This is another wine that points towards a preference for greater freshness in the wines.