2019 Racines, Chardonnay, Santa Rita Hills, California, USA
Critics reviews
Soft but not imperceptible wood sets off smoky aromas of pear, apple and a white floral top note. The rich, suave, enveloping middle-weight flavours possess very good vibrancy that carries over to the nicely complex, balanced, and sneaky long finish. This could be enjoyed young or held for a few years in the hopes that more depth will gradually develop.
Drink from 2024 onward
Allen Meadows, Burghound.com (April 2022)
The 2019 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. Vineyard sources are mostly Wenzlau with a touch of Domaine de la Côte.
Drink 2023 - 2031
Antonio Galloni, Vinous.com (June 2021)
Full bottle 1,300 g Darker than most. Big and bold on the nose. Then really refreshing acidity with a green streak on the palate – definitely a successful riff on the California Chardonnay formula. Fine-grained texture. Really lively!
Drink 2022 - 2026
Jancis Robinson MW, JancisRobinson.com (April 2022)
About this WINE
Racines Wines
Burgundian winemakers Étienne de Montille and Brian Sieve joined with Champagne’s Rodolphe Peters to form Racines, in California’s Santa Rita Hills.
Their aim was to locate a perfect terroir outside of France: one where they could utilise produce stellar Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays, outside the constrictions of their respective French regions.
The cool climate of the Santa Rita Hills provided the perfect terroir for this new venture, given the team’s multi-generational expertise in hand-crafting Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs of remarkable purity and elegance. While Santa Rita’s ocean-driven terroir shines through, these wines benefit hugely from being crafted with the technique and expertise of hundreds of years of Burgundian and Champagne winemaking.
Ultimate care is given to the Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes, in order to coax out unique qualities. Whole-cluster fermentation is combined with pigéage throughout the Pinot Noir fermentation, to add spice to a burlier, weighted character. Chardonnay grapes are grown several miles from the ocean in ancient marine sea beds, to give the wines they create a real sense of energy, transparency and precision.
Santa Barbara County
At the foot of the Central Coast, just north of Los Angeles, the Santa Barbara County reverberates with its Missionary past, although viticulture as we know didn't arrive here until the 1970s. Now there are 6,000 ha of world class Pinot Noir & Chardonnay.
While fog banks shape the season, together with a notable rainfall deficit between May & November, elevated terraces such as Bien Nacido in the Santa Maria Valley AVA faciliate premium fruit growing. Santa Ynez Valley AVA enjoys similar trait, though cooler still;
Recommended Producers:
Au Bon Climat's Sanford & Benedict Chardonnay from the region's Santa Rita hills is a prime example. Qupe are another excellent source
Chardonnay
Chardonnay is often seen as the king of white wine grapes and one of the most widely planted in the world It is suited to a wide variety of soils, though it excels in soils with a high limestone content as found in Champagne, Chablis, and the Côte D`Or.
Burgundy is Chardonnay's spiritual home and the best White Burgundies are dry, rich, honeyed wines with marvellous poise, elegance and balance. They are unquestionably the finest dry white wines in the world. Chardonnay plays a crucial role in the Champagne blend, providing structure and finesse, and is the sole grape in Blanc de Blancs.
It is quantitatively important in California and Australia, is widely planted in Chile and South Africa, and is the second most widely planted grape in New Zealand. In warm climates Chardonnay has a tendency to develop very high sugar levels during the final stages of ripening and this can occur at the expense of acidity. Late picking is a common problem and can result in blowsy and flabby wines that lack structure and definition.
Recently in the New World, we have seen a move towards more elegant, better- balanced and less oak-driven Chardonnays, and this is to be welcomed.
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Description
A blend taken from all three single vineyard sites. Creamy, welcoming and expressive, the 2019 is delicious. Lemon meringue, peach yoghurt, tangerine and white flowers, this is a perfectly balanced wine ready for drinking.
Drink 2023 - 2028
Joshua Friend, Senior Account Manager, Berry Bros. & Rudd
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