Drum Canyon Vineyard Stand By Me Pinot Noir
⏳ Drinking Window
Typically best enjoyed 3–12 years from vintage release.
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Roasted duck breast, wild mushroom risotto, pan-seared salmon
✨ Technical Specifications
Crafted from the dramatic, wind-swept slopes of the Sta. Rita Hills, Paul Lato's 'Stand By Me' Pinot Noir is sourced from the steep, challenging terrain of the Drum Canyon Vineyard. Planted on extreme hillsides exposed to intense maritime winds and fog from the nearby Pacific Ocean, the vines struggle in sandy, diatomaceous soils, yielding tiny, highly concentrated berries. The evocative name 'Stand By Me' reflects Lato's deeply personal, emotional approach to winemaking, drawing inspiration from classic music and cinema to celebrate loyalty, friendship, and enduring quality. In the cellar, Lato employs minimal intervention, utilizing native yeast fermentation and aging in select French oak barrels to preserve the vineyard's signature high-toned red fruit, exotic spices, and vibrant mineral tension. The resulting wine is celebrated for its remarkable energy, structural integrity, and velvety textural elegance.
🍾 About the Producer
Established in 2002 by Polish-born former Toronto sommelier Paul Lato, this boutique Central Coast winery emerged after early mentorship from Au Bon Climat's Jim Clendenen and encouragement from Bien Nacido's Bob Miller. Operating without estate acreage, Lato contracts premier, meticulously farmed plots across premier maritime-influenced cool-climate terroirs, spanning the Santa Maria Valley, Sta. Rita Hills, Santa Ynez Valley, Santa Lucia Highlands, and Los Carneros. The viticultural philosophy focuses on rigorous yield restriction, physiological maturity, and sustainable management tailored block by block. In the cellar, Lato applies an intuitive, non-interventionist approach with small-lot fermentations, ambient yeast, and sensitive French oak aging to deliver exceptional textural tension, purity, and culinary balance. Celebrated white cuvées—including the Hyde Vineyard Goldberg Variations Chardonnay, Sierra Madre Kokoro Chardonnay, Le Bon Vivant, and O Sole Mio Sauvignon Blanc—stand alongside benchmark Pinot Noir and Syrah as some of California's most critically acclaimed, authentic, and seamless single-vineyard expressions.
🍇 Grapes
Pinot Noir
🍷 ABV
14.2-14.5%