The Contender Drum Canyon Vineyard Pinot Noir
⏳ Drinking Window
Typically best enjoyed 3–12 years from vintage release.
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Roasted duck breast, wild mushroom risotto, herb-crusted rack of lamb
✨ Technical Specifications
Hailing from the steep, wind-swept slopes of the Drum Canyon Vineyard in the celebrated Sta. Rita Hills AVA, 'The Contender' is a masterclass in tension and power. Planted on challenging, diatomaceous soils and exposed to the relentless, cooling Pacific breezes, the vines here must fight to survive—a struggle that Paul Lato brilliantly honors with the wine's evocative name. This extreme terroir yields tiny, highly concentrated Pinot Noir berries. In the cellar, Lato employs a gentle, minimalist approach, aging the wine in select French oak barrels to preserve its vibrant core of dark fruit, exotic spices, and distinct mineral undertones. The result is a Pinot Noir of remarkable structure, energy, and cinematic depth that beautifully reflects its dramatic coastal origin.
🍾 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
🍷 ABV
14.1-14.5%