Matinee Pinot Noir
⏳ Drinking Window
2024 - 2028
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Roasted duck, wild mushroom risotto, seared salmon
✨ Technical Specifications
Paul Lato's 'Matinee' Pinot Noir is crafted as an inviting prelude to his highly acclaimed single-vineyard masterpieces. Drawing inspiration from the world of cinema and theater—a recurring theme in Lato's cuvée names—the 'Matinee' represents an early-show performance that is accessible, vibrant, and immediately engaging. Sourced from select premier vineyards across Santa Barbara County, this wine beautifully marries the cool-climate energy of the Santa Maria Valley with the structured intensity of the Sta. Rita Hills. Lato applies the same meticulous, minimal-intervention winemaking techniques here as he does for his reserve bottlings, utilizing gentle French oak aging to shape a Pinot Noir defined by its silky texture, bright red fruit aromatics, and elegant balance. It captures the essence of the Central Coast's maritime-influenced terroir in a style that is both sophisticated and approachable.
🍾 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