Victor Francis Pinot Noir
⏳ Drinking Window
Typically best enjoyed 3–12 years from the vintage release.
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
roasted duck, creamy mushroom risotto, pan-seared salmon
✨ Technical Specifications
Crafted as a deeply personal tribute, the 'Victor Francis' Pinot Noir is named in honor of winemaker Paul Lato’s late father. Sourced from the prestigious Peake Ranch Vineyard in the cool, wind-swept Sta. Rita Hills AVA of Santa Barbara County, this wine beautifully illustrates Lato's artisanal, low-intervention approach. The vineyard's unique marine soils and intense maritime influence—characterized by morning fog and cool afternoon breezes—impart a vibrant acidity and remarkable structural tension to the fruit. In the cellar, Lato coaxes out a seductive texture and purity, aging the wine in select French oak barrels. The result is a Pinot Noir of exceptional grace, balancing intense dark cherry and raspberry notes with savory undertones of forest floor and fine-grained tannins.
🍾 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
Pinot Noir
🍷 Alcohol By Volume (ABV)
14-14.5%