Paul Lato 2018 Victor Francis Pinot Noir 1.5

Another Sta. Rita Hills release (I think this is the first vintage for this cuvée), the 2018 Victor Francis Peake Ranch Vineyard has a pure, nicely concentrated, full-bodied style with good complexity in its spiced cherry and blackberry fruits, chocolate, leafy herbs, and forest floor aromas and flavors. I love the overall richness and texture here, and it's one of the more meaty, powerful wines in the lineup.

This is a new wine from Paul Lato, named after his son. Medium ruby-purple, the 2018 Pinot Noir Victor Francis Peake Ranch Vineyard is delicately styled with aromas of rosewater, saline, lavender, crushed raspberries and strawberries, with an undercurrent of fragrant earth. Medium-bodied, it's concentrated, broody and firm with seamless freshness and a long, perfumed finish. This has what it needs to age well in bottle, and I'd give it another two or three years in the cellar. Rating: 95+