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 balance and harmony, they also seek to capture the intensity of flavor that is a hallmark of 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 structure and balance to complement fine cuisine.
On the subject of vineyards, Lato explains, “In order to make wines of the highest caliber, I select unique vineyards that are cared for by talented vineyard managers committed to excellence. I strive to locate and source from not only the best vineyards but the best blocks within each of these vineyards. During the growing season, yields are restricted to achieve a maximum concentration of flavor. Harvest is based on physiological ripeness, which changes depending on the vintage characteristics.”
Happy Canon, on the eastern end of the Santa Ynez Valley, the rolling hills of the tiny Happy Canyon AVA produce top-quality reds from Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Syrah, and whites from Sauvignon blanc. The region’s low-nutrient soil grows smaller vines and in turn, higher quality wine grapes.
This wine comes from a biodynamic vineyard at 1,000 feet in elevation. Aged for eight months in 50% concrete eggs, 17% neutral oak, and 33% stainless steel, the 2018 Sauvignon Blanc Le Jardin Secret Grimm’s Bluff Vineyard has a perfumed nose of passion fruit, kiwi tart, tarragon, and stone with notes of fresh pineapple slices, white blossoms, and white peach. Light to medium-bodied, it offers wonderfully concentrated fruits in the mouth with a pleasantly rounded texture, great juicy acidity, and a long, energetic finish. This shows wonderful fruit purity, great texture, and a great vein of minerality.