Le Bon Vivant Chardonnay
⏳ Drinking Window
2022 - 2027
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Roasted chicken, creamy mushroom risotto, grilled sea bass
✨ Technical Specifications
Paul Lato's Chardonnays are celebrated for their Burgundian elegance blended with California's vibrant fruit character. Sourced from prestigious, cool-climate vineyards in Santa Barbara County, including the Santa Maria Valley and Sta. Rita Hills, these wines benefit from maritime breezes and morning fog that preserve natural acidity. While the 'Le Bon Vivant' moniker is most famously associated with his expressive Grenache, Lato's Chardonnay winemaking philosophy remains consistent: utilizing native yeast fermentation, gentle pressing, and aging in select French oak barrels. The result is a texturized, complex white wine that balances rich stone fruit and citrus notes with a distinct mineral backbone, reflecting Lato's background as a sommelier who designs wines to elevate the dining experience.
🍾 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