Region: Santa Barbara, California

Vintage: 2018

Composition: 100% Chardonnay

History: After completing an informal internship with the legendary Jim Clendenen of Au Bon Climat, Paul Lato began making his own wine at Central Coast Wine Services, an incubator of numerous talents over the years. Then, as he puts it, “Robert Parker, by a stroke of luck, tasted my 2002 vintage about a year and a half after it was made. The wine was bottled, but I didn’t have a label or a name for my cellar.” Then Parker, who tasted both Pinot Noir and Syrah, looked at me and said, “You have real talent. Hurry up with those names, I want to be the first to write about you.”

Tasting Notes:

The Chardonnay Goldberg Variations Hyde Vineyard needs a little coaxing to unlock notes of fresh grapefruit, green mango, and lemon meringue pie with hints of lime leaves, peach blossoms, and coriander seed. The medium-bodied palate has fantastic balance and vivacity, delivering intense citrus and tropical fruit flavors with a lively line of freshness and a long, steely finish.