2022 Racines - Chardonnay Santa Rita Hills Cuvee (750ml)

Racines began as a collaboration between two respected French wine families and a rising California talent. Étienne de Montille and Brian Sieve of Burgundy's Domaine de Montille joined forces with Rodolphe Péters of Champagne Pierre Péters and Justin Willett, the winemaker behind Santa Barbara's Tyler Winery. After scouting cool-climate sites up and down the West Coast, the team settled on the Sta. Rita Hills for their first project outside France, drawn to the region's bracing acidity and mineral-driven Chardonnay.

The Cuvée bottling is sourced from several of the appellation's most respected vineyards, including Wenzlau, La Rinconada, and Sanford & Benedict, alongside fruit from the team's own de Montille Estate planting. The wine ferments in a mix of barrel sizes, from standard barriques to larger puncheons, with about a fifth new oak, then ages for just under a year before bottling, a restrained approach meant to let the vineyards speak clearly.

In the glass it shows pale straw with a hint of green, opening with lemon zest, green apple, and white peach, accented by jasmine and crushed seashell with a subtle flinty edge. The palate is taut and layered, carrying citrus and orchard fruit through a long, saline finish. It pairs beautifully with raw oysters, seared scallops, and soft goat cheese.