Solomon Hills Pinot Noir Suerte
⏳ Drinking Window
2024 - 2030
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Roasted duck, creamy mushroom risotto, pan-seared salmon
✨ Technical Specifications
Sourced from the westernmost vineyard in the Santa Maria Valley, the Solomon Hills Pinot Noir 'Suerte' is a stunning testament to maritime-influenced viticulture. The vineyard's proximity to the Pacific Ocean subjects the vines to cool ocean breezes and persistent fog, while its nutrient-poor, sandy soils force the roots deep, resulting in low yields of highly concentrated fruit. Named 'Suerte'—the Spanish word for luck or fortune—this cuvée represents winemaker Paul Lato's gratitude for the opportunity to craft wine from such a prestigious site. In the cellar, Lato employs gentle handling and French oak aging to preserve the vineyard's signature bright acidity, vibrant red fruit character, and distinct saline minerality, creating a Pinot Noir of exceptional purity, elegance, and textural complexity.
🍾 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