Racines is a collaboration between two classic houses from France, led by vignerons Étienne de Montille and Brian Sieve of Burgundy and Rodolphe Péters of Champagne. The team came together to join their individual experiences in hand-crafting wines of purity and transparency to create a range of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from the cool climate of the Sta. Rita Hills in California.
The Chardonnay are grown several miles from the ocean in ancient marine sea-beds, giving these wines a sense of energy, transparency and precision, and the advantage of being crafted with the techniques and expertise of hundreds of years of Burgundian and Champagnes winemaking.
The 2021 Chardonnay Sta. Rita Hills Cuvee is bright and beautifully focused. Citrus, white flowers, slate and white pepper are all beautifully delineated throughout. The clean, saline fresh finish is a thing of beauty. The Cuvee is a blend from La Rinconada, Wenzlou and Bentrock. I very much admire the energy here.