Kokoro Pinot Noir
⏳ Drinking Window
Typically best enjoyed 3 to 12 years from the vintage release.
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Roasted duck breast, creamy mushroom risotto, seared king salmon
✨ Technical Specifications
Named after the Japanese word for 'heart, mind, and spirit,' the 'Kokoro' Pinot Noir is Paul Lato's ultimate liquid expression of passion and craftsmanship. This rare, limited-production cuvée is not tied to a single vineyard; instead, it represents a meticulous barrel selection of the very finest Pinot Noir from Lato's premier cool-climate sites in Santa Barbara County, such as the wind-swept Solomon Hills and historic Bien Nacido. The wine captures the dramatic maritime influence of the Pacific Ocean, where morning fog and chilly breezes preserve vibrant acidity and foster slow, even ripening. Crafted with minimal intervention and aged in select French oak barrels, 'Kokoro' is celebrated for its exquisite balance of power and grace, offering a multi-layered tapestry of dark cherries, exotic spices, and a signature velvety texture that lingers on the palate.
🍾 About the Producer
Founded in 2002 by Polish-born former sommelier Paul Lato, Paul Lato Wines is an acclaimed boutique winery based in Santa Barbara County, California. Guided by an artisanal, hands-off winemaking philosophy that prioritizes terroir transparency and balance, Lato works with some of the Central Coast's most prestigious cool-climate vineyards, including Bien Nacido, Solomon Hills, and Larner. The winery has achieved international critical acclaim for its intensely aromatic, textured, and nuanced small-lot Pinot Noir, Syrah, Grenache, and Chardonnay, which are celebrated for their pure fruit expression, structural precision, and distinctive poetic cuvée designations.
🍇 Grape Varieties
Pinot Noir
🍷 Alcohol By Volume (ABV)
14.1-14.5%