Alcohol: 13%
Grape(s): 100% Chardonnay
Location: Santa Barbara, California, USA
Tasting Notes: The Chardonnay Sta. Rita Hills cuvée is a wonderful wine and a terrific introduction to the Racines Chardonnays. Creamy and layered in the glass, the 2019 has so much to offer. Lemon confit, white flowers, mint, white pepper and crushed rocks lend brightness and energy. The Sta. Rita Hills cuvée is one of the hidden gems in the range.
Notes: A blend of chardonnay from the sites we work with in the Santa Rita Hills, the majority coming from La Mesa Vineyard and the Wenzlau Vineyard. La Mesa Vineyard, which sits to the very western edge of the Sta. Rita Hills, is leased to us by Domaine de La Côte. Wenzlau Vineyard, which is part of our estate holdings, sits surrounded by Rita’s Crown, Mt. Carmel, and Sea Smoke Vineyards, on a steep, dramatic hillside just above the Santa Ynez River and across from the famed Sanford & Benedict Vineyard.
The wines were fermented in a combination of 500L puncheons and 228L barriques, resulting in about 10% new wood on the wine. After a little under a year in barrel, the wines and all the lees were moved to tank for an additional five months of cellaring. This is a wine that we believe best represents the potential of the region as a whole. 11 months - 20% new French oak - 5 months in stainless steel
Food pairing: Pairs beautifully with Seared scallops with lemon beurre blanc, Roast chicken, Grilled halibut or sea bass and triple Cream cheese like Brillat-Savarin.
Winery Story: It’s hard to think of a California debut more anticipated than Racines’ first vintage in ‘17.
Big names from France had set up shop in the Golden State before, but few had the pedigree of either Rudolphe Péters or Étienne de Montille and his chef de cave, Brian Sieve. The latter two are famous as the personalities behind Domaine de Montille—one of Burgundy’s most legendary names—and the former runs Champagne Pierre Péters, arguably the finest grower-producer not named Selosse.
So the combination? It was tantalizing.
So too was their choice of locales: Rather than set up their shingle in a glitzy region like Napa or Sonoma, they planted their flag in the Santa Rita Hills.
The Santa Rita Hills (Sta. Rita Hills on labels) are Santa Barbara’s superstar AVA. Until the movie Sideways thrust the region’s world-class wines into the spotlight, SRH was a well-kept secret. And, fortunately for those who have fallen in love with Sta. Rita Hills, it’s still a bit of a secret, if you compare it to the marquee Chard zones up in the North Coast.
But the cool climate gives a bracing edge to Sta. Rita Hills Chardonnay that absolutely captivated Rudolphe, Étienne, and Brian—who explored West Coast terroirs from Portland to Los Angeles before settling on Santa Barbara for their first project outside France.
They source from absolutely prime sites for their Sta. Rita Hills Cuvée, which draws from Wenzlau Family Vineyard, La Rinconada Vineyard, Sanford & Benedict Vineyard, as well as their de Montille Estate. Fermented in barrels of varying sizes—from standard 228L barriques all the way up to 500L puncheons—of which 20% were new, the team aged the Chardonnay for just under a year in barrel, before a final five months in stainless steel tightened up to perfection.
The result is a bottle that’s found a home on starry restaurants’ wine lists from coast to coast, like MICHELIN three-star Quince, in San Francisco. With a lifted bouquet of lemon zest, green apple, and white peach, and accents of jasmine and seashells—all leading to a taut, layered palate with citrus and orchard fruit—it’s a perfect pairing for seafood, like Quince’s incredible spot prawns. The Racines’ vibrant citrus and stone fruit highlights the delicate sweetness of Santa Barbara spot prawns, while its mineral-driven freshness and gentle creamy texture complement the silky, almond-forward ajo blanco.
