Kokoro Chardonnay
⏳ Drinking Window
2022 - 2028
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Pan-seared sea scallops, roasted chicken with tarragon, creamy lobster risotto
✨ Technical Specifications
Named after the Japanese word representing the connection between heart, mind, and soul, the Kokoro Chardonnay is Paul Lato's ultimate tribute to emotional craftsmanship in winemaking. This limited-production cuvée is a rigorous barrel selection sourced from the finest cool-climate vineyard blocks in Santa Barbara County, where the dramatic maritime influence of the Pacific Ocean preserves brilliant natural acidity. Crafted with minimal intervention, the wine undergoes barrel fermentation and aging in French oak, utilizing gentle lees stirring to develop a luxurious, multi-layered texture. The result is an incredibly poised Chardonnay that captures the tension between opulent California fruit and a refined, mineral-driven structure.
🍾 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
Chardonnay