Paul Lato Kokoro Pinot Noir 2021

The story of Paul Lato is as exceptional as his wines. Born in Poland, he was a successful sommelier in Toronto and dreamed of becoming a winemaker. After a brief stint as a cellar worker at Bien Nacido, Lato began making his own wines in 2002 with a small quantity of 500 cases of Pinot Noir and Syrah (two grape varieties known to be challenging). The wine was bottled, but the sommelier-winemaker had neither a label nor a name or brand for his winery. By happy coincidence, renowned wine advocate Robert Parker tasted both the Pinot and Syrah from the 2002 vintage about a year and a half after its production and was so impressed with the wine that he told Paul, "You have real talent. Hurry up with those names, I want to be the first to write about you." This was a great start, and today, twenty years later, Paul Lato continues to produce some of the most complex and layered wines that can be found in California. The main philosophy of his winemaking art is to ensure that the wine brings pleasure and maintains interest in the taste buds until the last drop in the bottle. Therefore, his wines will delight you from the first sip and you will love them until the last.