The Last Kiss
⏳ Drinking Window
2024 - 2031
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Roasted duck, grilled lamb chops, rosemary-infused pork tenderloin
✨ Technical Specifications
Crafted by artisanal winemaker Paul Lato, 'The Last Kiss' is a stunning showcase of cool-climate Grenache, primarily sourced from the legendary Bien Nacido Vineyard in Santa Barbara County's Santa Maria Valley. The wine's evocative name hints at its defining characteristic: an incredibly long, seductive, and perfumed finish that lingers on the palate like a memorable farewell. Influenced by the region's unique maritime microclimate, where cool ocean breezes and morning mists sweep through the transverse valleys of the Central Coast, the grapes undergo a slow, even ripening process. This preserves the grape's natural acidity and coaxes out high-toned aromatics of wild strawberries, white pepper, and crushed rose petals. Lato's minimalist approach in the cellar—utilizing gentle extraction and aging in carefully selected French oak—yields a Grenache of remarkable purity, silkiness, and emotional resonance.
🍾 About the Producer
Founded in 2002 by Polish-born former sommelier Paul Lato, Paul Lato Wines is an acclaimed boutique winery based in Santa Barbara County, California. Guided by an artisanal, hands-off winemaking philosophy that prioritizes terroir transparency and balance, Lato works with some of the Central Coast's most prestigious cool-climate vineyards, including Bien Nacido, Solomon Hills, and Larner. The winery has achieved international critical acclaim for its intensely aromatic, textured, and nuanced small-lot Pinot Noir, Syrah, Grenache, and Chardonnay, which are celebrated for their pure fruit expression, structural precision, and distinctive poetic cuvée designations.
🍇 Grape Varieties
Grenache