Seabiscuit Zotovich Pinot Noir
⏳ Drinking Window
2024 - 2030
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Roasted duck, pan-seared salmon, wild mushroom risotto
✨ Technical Specifications
Hailing from the wind-swept Zotovich Vineyard in the cool Sta. Rita Hills AVA, Paul Lato's 'Seabiscuit' Pinot Noir is named in honor of the legendary, resilient American racehorse. The vineyard is celebrated for its extremely pale, diatomaceous, and sandy soils, which force the vines to struggle and dig deep, resulting in small, concentrated berries. Lato's winemaking philosophy of minimal intervention allows this unique terroir to shine, producing a Pinot Noir of remarkable energy, tension, and grace. The wine is typically aged in select French oak barrels, balancing the natural, vibrant acidity and saline minerality of the maritime climate with a luxurious, velvety texture and deep fruit purity.
🍾 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