2023 Paul Lato Chardonnay “East of Eden”, Pisoni Vineyard, Santa Lucia Highlands

San Francisco Wine Panel Score 98+ Points

Spicy and intense, this is textbook Pisoni Chardonnay, although winemaker Paul Lao’s touch always brings gentility and this wine has that characteristic in spades. It opens with an aromatic push of fresh apple, lemon curd and saline mineral scents that float above a core of lemon sorbet, pineapple core and vanilla wafer. The flavors are every bit as forthcoming, with piquant zest, “crushed rock” minerality and oyster shell salinity counterpointing fresh apple and Riviera pear flavors. The finish is vibrant and exceptionally long, with scalding minerality: all of which uplift and focus everything that follows. It is so flavorful and refined that it is already a joy to drink, although it has at least a year or two of positive evolution ahead.