Paul Lato 2020 Space Cadet Syrah/Grenache Blend Larner Vineyard 97 Points

Vinous 97 Points: The 2020 Space Cadet is the star in this range from Paul Lato. Silky and aromatic, the 2020 is hauntingly beautiful from the get-go. Inky red/purplish fruit, sage, cedar, tobacco, incense, and dried flowers are some of the many notes that race across the palate. All the elements are so well balanced. Space Cadet is mostly Syrah, but the Grenache really seems to drive the profile today.

Jeb Dunnuck 95+ Points: “A 65/35 split of Syrah and Grenache, the Space Cadet is a rich, structured, beautifully textured red from Lato that offers classic  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.”

Notes:  The wine was aged for 24 months in 20% new French oak. Still youthfully coiled and with lots of latent layers, the 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.