Racines Cuvée Pinot Noir Sta. Rita Hills 2019

OH MY, this wine is PERFECT and we are in love! It is really no surprise that when you combine the talents of three cherished winemakers hailing from Champagne, Puligny-Montrachet, and California, the result is an extraordinary partnership that seems too good to be true! Racines is the exciting collaboration between two classic houses in France, led by vignerons Étienne de Montille (Burgundy) and Rodolphe Péters (Champagne), and Justin Willett, a Santa Barbara native and owner/winemaker of Tyler Winery (California). Together, they are marrying the time-honored techniques of Burgundy and Champagne with the pioneering energy of California--and, in the process, they are rediscovering the nuances of the most iconic vineyards within the renowned Sta. Rita Hills AVA. 

Meet the Dream Team: Justin Willett is one of Santa Barbara's most exciting young winemakers. He is responsible for making both Tyler wines and the portfolio of Lieu Dit wines which showcase the potential of Santa Barbara's growing region to produce incredible wines. Étienne de Montille joined Domaine de Montille in 1983, working alongside his father (the legendary Hubert de Montille) to build the Domaine and push the principles of terroir. Rodolphe Péters, one of the most respected growers in Champagne, represents the 6th generation of the Pierre Péters Champagne family. The iconic family house has been producing Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs in Champagne since 1919. Exactly one hundred years later, this 2019 Chardonnay is simply majestic!

Racines is the first venture for Étienne and Rodolphe outside of France and represents the coming together of all that is wonderful about Burgundy, Champagne, and California. These wines confirm something many have long suspected: that if you are looking to make terroir-driven, elegant, balanced wines in the new world, then Sta. Rita Hills is the place. This lip-smacking wine is 100% Pinot Noir coming from the Bentrock, La Encantada, La Rinconada, and Sanford & Benedict vineyards. In the cellar, the team ferments the wine using native yeast and 1/3 whole clusters. It is then aged for 18 months in French oak barrels with 10% of those being new oak. The 2019 Pinot Noir is bold, punchy, and super-expressive, with lovely aromatic nuance to play off the dark cherry and plum fruit. Classy and layered, this Pinot Noir is a wine of real character and breeding.