Kokoro Syrah-Grenache
⏳ wine.drinking_window
Typically best enjoyed 3–10 years from the vintage release.
🍽️ wine.food_pairings
Roasted duck, grilled lamb chops, wild mushroom risotto
✨ wine.spec_sheet
Paul Lato's Kokoro is a soulful homage to the Japanese concept of kokoro, which translates to heart, mind, and spirit. This Rhone-style red blend of Syrah and Grenache is sourced from prestigious, cool-climate vineyards in Santa Barbara County, often featuring fruit from the acclaimed Ballard Canyon AVA. Lato, a former sommelier, crafts this wine with a focus on texture, balance, and emotional resonance. The Syrah provides dark fruit, savory spice, and structural depth, while the Grenache contributes vibrant red fruit, floral aromatics, and a velvety mouthfeel. Fermented with native yeasts and aged carefully in French oak, the wine represents a harmonious marriage of power and elegance, reflecting Lato's artistic, minimal-intervention approach to winemaking.
🍾 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.