Vintage Character Racines Santa Rita Hills Chardonnay 2023 comes from the Sta. Rita Hills AVA, one of California’s most distinctive cool-climate Chardonnay sources. The 2023 vintage followed a notably long, cool growing season, preserving acidity and extending hang time, which gives the wine both tension and layered flavor; in this coastal region, such conditions are especially favorable for precision and balance. Strong Pacific influence, persistent wind, and marine fog define the terroir here, while the area’s well-drained marine-based soils and east-west valleys help Chardonnay develop citrus drive, saline lift, and a finely etched mineral profile.
Tasting Profile & Food Pairing The wine opens with aromas of lemon peel, green apple, white peach, sea spray, crushed stone, and a subtle touch of toasted hazelnut. On the palate it is sleek and energetic, with bright acidity framing orchard fruit, citrus oil, light brioche, and a gently reductive, flinty note; the texture is supple yet focused, finishing long, savory, and stony. It pairs beautifully with roast chicken and tarragon, seared halibut with brown butter, or lobster rolls, all of which echo its combination of freshness and quiet richness.
Winery Background Racines is a transatlantic collaboration that unites Étienne de Montille of Burgundy with California vintners Sashi Moorman and Rajat Parr, founded to explore the fine-wine potential of Sta. Rita Hills through a Burgundian lens. The estate is known for farming with a strong emphasis on site expression and restraint, favoring careful vineyard work, native-leaning fermentations, and élevage designed to build texture without masking place. What makes Racines compelling is its synthesis of Burgundian precision and Santa Barbara energy: these are wines shaped less by winemaking force than by climate, soil, and an unwavering commitment to purity.