Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
An 80/20 split of Syrah and Grenache, the 2018 Space Cadet is a rich, structured, beautifully textured red from Lato that offers classic Bien Nacido Syrah notes of masculine dark fruits, crushed stone, iodine, and ground pepper, with just hints of flowers and rose petal in the background. Medium to full-bodied on the palate, it's beautifully textured, with building tannins, plenty of freshness, and a great finish. Rating: 95+
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2018 Space Cadet is a Rhône-styled blend of 80% Syrah and 20% Grenache. It has a medium to deep ruby-purple color and a nose of crushed blackcurrants and boysenberry with pure notes of violet, coffee beans and aniseed. Medium to full-bodied, it's super juicy and fully fruited with a firm tannic structure and long finish. Give it another 2-3 years in bottle.
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.