Drum Canyon Vineyard C'est la Vie Pinot Noir
⏳ wine.drinking_window
Typically best enjoyed 3–10 years from the vintage release.
🍽️ wine.food_pairings
Roasted duck breast, wild mushroom risotto, pan-seared salmon
✨ wine.spec_sheet
Hailing from the steep, wind-swept slopes of the Drum Canyon Vineyard in the cool-climate Sta. Rita Hills, Paul Lato's 'C'est la Vie' Pinot Noir is a masterclass in tension and elegance. The vineyard's dramatic topography and diatomaceous soils, combined with relentless maritime winds from the nearby Pacific Ocean, naturally limit yields and force the vines to struggle. This extreme environment produces small, concentrated berries with thick skins. Named 'C'est la Vie' as a nod to the winemaker's philosophical acceptance of life's beautiful unpredictability, this cuvée is crafted with minimal intervention. It undergoes traditional fermentation and is aged in select French oak barrels, resulting in a Pinot Noir that beautifully balances intense dark berry fruit, exotic spices, and a vibrant, saline-tinged minerality characteristic of its coastal origin.
🍾 wine.about_producer
Founded in 2002 by Polish-born sommelier Paul Lato, this artisanal winery is based in Santa Maria, California, within the heart of Santa Barbara County. Driven by a philosophy of minimal intervention and a quest for elegance and balance, Lato meticulously selects fruit from some of the Central Coast's most prestigious vineyards, including Bien Nacido, Solomon Hills, and Larner. The estate is highly acclaimed for its small-production, single-vineyard Pinot Noirs, Chardonnays, and Syrahs, which beautifully capture the unique maritime-influenced terroir of the region. With an unwavering focus on purity of fruit and texture, expressions like the Solomon Hills Pinot Noir Suerte and Larner Syrah Cinematique have earned the winery a reputation as one of California's premier boutique producers.