Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
This is the inaugural vintage of the Space Cadet, a wine only made in exceptional years. It's a blend of 80% Syrah and 20% Grenache from the Bien Nacido and Larner vineyards. The wine was aged for 24 months in 20% new French oak. Still youthfully coiled and with lots of latent layers, the 2016 Syrah/Grenache Space Cadet has a medium to deep ruby-purple color and scents of cassis, blueberry jam, warm chocolate, baked blackberries, black cherries and grilled meats with nuances of crushed stone, warm baking spice, cracked pepper, flowers and red fruit sparks. Full-bodied, dense, rich and hedonistic in the mouth, it gives up luscious fruits, spices and chocolate box notions, with very firm, finely pixelated tannins and seamless freshness, finishing very long and flavorful. Yowza! This is only made in exceptional years, and there are 150 cases of the 2017 vintage.
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Jeb Dunnuck
Another new cuvée, the 2016 Space Cadet comes from the Bien Nacido and Larner vineyards and is an 80/20 split of Syrah and Grenache. It’s a killer bottle of wine (I loved it last year as well) that offers tons of smoky black fruits, new leather, pepper, and gamey Syrah notes, yet it hits the palate with a full-bodied, opulent, voluptuous texture that would be envied by many a top Southern Rhône. As always, power married to elegance and finesse is the calling card of Lato, and this beauty has it in spades. Drink it any time over the coming decade.
With bold fruit flavors and accents of sweet spice, Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre form the base of the classic Rhône Red Blend, while Carignan, Cinsault and Counoise often come in to play. Though they originated from France’s southern Rhône Valley, with some creative interpretation, Rhône blends have also become popular in other countries. Somm Secret—Putting their own local spin on the Rhône Red Blend, those from Priorat often include Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. In California, it is not uncommon to see Petite Sirah make an appearance.
With a dry and mild climate cooled significantly by moist ocean fog and breezes, Santa Barbara County is a grape-grower’s dream. Part of the larger Central Coast appellation, Santa Barbara is home to Santa Maria Valley and Santa Ynez Valley. The conditions here provide an opportunity for nearly effortless production of high-quality cool-climate Central Coast wines. This is also the site of the 2004 film Sideways, which caused Pinot Noir’s popularity to skyrocket and brought new acclaim to the region.
Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are the stars of Santa Barbara, producing wines marked by racy acidity. Crisp Sauvignon Blanc and savory Syrah are also important. The region is home to many young and enthusiastic winemakers eager to experiment with less common varieties including Chenin Blanc, Grüner Veltliner, Trousseau Gris, Gamay and Cabernet Franc, making it an exciting area to watch.