Paul Lato Duende Gold Coast Vineyard Pinot Noir 2004
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Robert
Parker
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The lushly-textured 2004 Pinot Noir Goldcoast Vineyard Duende exhibits a lovely perfume of sweet black cherries, raspberries, forest floor, and earth (reminiscent of a premier cru from the Cotes de Nuits), broad, savory flavors, and a long, silky finish.
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.
Santa Maria Valley lies mainly in northern Santa Barbara County, with a small portion of it overlapping southern San Luis Obispo County. It is close to the Pacific, and runs east-west, which means warmer air in the eastern end draws cool air off the ocean in the west, and brings it through the valley. This effect, combined with abundant sunshine, lengthens the growing season. The longer growing season leads to long hang time, which promotes both ripeness and optimal acidity levels in grape berries. As early as the 1970’s, Santa Maria Valley was recognized as being a superior source of wine grapes, certainly including Chardonnay and Syrah. But arguably the top variety here is Pinot Noir.
Originally a domain primarily of growers, including the Miller Family of the justifiably famous Bien Nacido Vineyard, this AVA is now home to over 30 wineries. Santa Maria Valley Pinot Noir consistently offers full flavors of cherry, strawberry and raspberry, often accompanied by notes of spice, cola, vanilla and earth. They show impressive balance and elegance, as well as great versatility with food.