2023 Paul Lato Lancelot Pinot Noir | Pisoni Vineyard Santa Lucia Highlands Monterey County California 750ml

Lancelot is our most knightly Pinot - bold, noble, and built to age. From the iconic granite-rich slopes of Pisoni Vineyard, the 2023 vintage gave us fruit of stunning concentration and precision. The nose is immediate and intriguing: blue raspberry, cherry cola, and black cherry wrapped in a cool veil of graphite and wet slate. The palate follows with bold strokes of sassafras, cardamom, and nutmeg, balanced by a pulse of fresh acidity. This is a wine of presence - silky yet powerful, layered yet focused - with a spice-driven finish that seems to stretch toward the horizon. | Paul Lato

Intense, bright, red fruit, roses, minty, lavender. Medium to full bodied, refreshing acidity, subtle oak, velvety texture. Medium tannin. Ready to drink. | 98 points, Lisa Perrotti-Brown for The Wine Palate

From granitic soils on the southern end of the Santa Lucia Highlands, the 2023 Pinot Noir Lancelot Pisoni Vineyard was aged 18 months in 50% new French oak. Deep ruby-hued and semi-opaque, it offers darker berries, crushed stone, graphite, and sappy floral nuances. Medium to full-bodied, it has a focused, structured mouthfeel, ripe tannins, and a great finish. This 2023 will benefit from a year or two of bottle age and cruise over the following decade. Drink 2027-2037. | 97 points, Jeb Dunnuck for jebdunnuck.com