Racines

WINE TALK
1

Link to the website is here.

Apparently its a Collab between Tyler’s Justin Willett, Étienne de Montille & Rodolphe Péters. Not sure if its a continuation of De Montille Willet … but anways, I was browsing wine.com and found some.

Has anyone heard or tried any of it? They have a Racines Sta. Rita Hills Chardonnay 2017 for $54.99 & 2 SVD Pinots & 2 SVD Chardonnay for ~$100. Apparently they now farm and have the long-term lease of Wenzlau.

Thoughts? With the wine.com coupon of $50 off $150 & $30 off $100 I’m kinda interested…

I’ve heard of it only on review sites such as Vinous. [Link here Vinous | Explore All Things Wine]

2

Etienne de Montille was pouring the Racines Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays alongside a few of his burgundies at an importer tasting in Toronto last fall. With a big smile he said to me that I had to try these new wines. Everything I tried was excellent. Not dissimilar from what I’ve had from Sandhi and Domaine de la Cote. Chards had that lightly reductive, flinty lemon note. And the Pinots were light in weight and body with a delicate stem signature in the aromatic.

I was immediately considering buying until I saw the prices. Here the Chards range from $80 - $140 CAD ($55 - $100), and the Pinots $95 - $160 CAD ($65 - $115). I have way too many alternatives, generally at more attractive prices, and from producers I collect and follow.

3

Interesting but I wonder about the pricing as well. I can get Tyler cheaper and sometimes way cheaper. What do the others bring to the table (besides name) that accounts for the price difference?

4

Thanks for the insight Chris.

Yeah when I saw the prices and vineyards i’m surprised how pricey they are compared to all the other Sta. Rita Hills producers that get fruit from those vineyards and wonder why/how do they justify the price, especially if it is not their estate wine/fruit.

5

Ambitious pricing don’t need no stinking justification!

6

Hey Everyone, just bought some of these from their “allocation release.” I want to taste them tonight, but might give them 2 weeks in my cellar after shipping to let them calm down.
In full transparency, I work for Bien Nacido & Solomon Hills Estates, obviously one of the more famous vineyards in Santa Barbara. All are farmed organic and go into only our estate wines.
Since we also make reductive style and stem included wines. I am interested to give them a go. We have a good old American making our wines, not Etienne De Montille and Rodolphe Peters. But, I am very eager to see amazing winemakers coming to Santa Barbara to explore. I believe in the region, and glad to see they do as well.

1 Like
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Hey Will

Yeah the SH Chardonnay are pretty killer for the price. Especially if you’e a member.
I wasn’t a fan of the 16 Pinots or 17 BN Chardonnay for some reason, hoping the 18 are better.

8

Isn’t David Lilly from Chambers Street part of the ownership group?

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Tasted the lineup at a big supplier tasting back in early March. I took no real notes (beyond some scribbles happy symbols) but I remember the wines were showing very well. Etienne seemed very proud. I’m of the belief that Justin is one of the most serious and talented American wine makers out there, at least when it comes to Pinot/Chard. Looking forward to follow this project!

10

I don’t think the winery has any connection to the NYC restaurant.

11

My understanding was the exact opposite, that there was some ownership overlap.

Anyone know for sure?

Both great places, by the way.

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Hey Will

Yeah the SH Chardonnay are pretty killer for the price. Especially if you’e a member.
I wasn’t a fan of the 16 Pinots or 17 BN Chardonnay for some reason, hoping the 18 are better.
[/quote]
Thanks Vince. The 16s are still a little shut down and the 17BN Chard is still a little Young too. I tasted the 18s right after bottling and before labels were even applied and they all show really well. I’m optimistic for this vintage release. It was a tough year with frost, but super high quality and low productions.

13

Racines has an estate vineyard called de Montille Estate now. Pricing is $65 for Chard and Pinot. Apparently they found a parcel on the Hwy 246 and discovered a limestone deposit on the top of the hill. I wonder if they are going to transition into fully estate fruit now.

Full email below:

Our de Montille Estate is a deeply meaningful vineyard for us—it is our home, the reason we came to California and the very heart of our future. With over 300 years of family history of viticulture in Burgundy, we remain farmers at heart, guided by the same respect for the land and commitment to excellence that have defined our heritage.

When we began this project in 2017, our goal was to find an exceptional site in the cool climate of the Sta. Rita Hills. To achieve this, we enlisted a respected French geologist and soil consultant to survey the region in search of undeveloped land that met our rigorous criteria for cultivating outstanding Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.

In 2019, we came across this remarkable 40-acre parcel ideally situated within the appellation. Further surveys and analyses confirmed its extraordinary potential. We purchased the property and starting in 2020 planted a 24-acre vineyard using carefully selected, high-quality vines. The vineyard is now farmed organically, reflecting our deep respect for nature and our long-term vision for sustainability.

What makes this site particularly unique is its diversity of soils—encompassing the three main types found in the Sta. Rita Hills: sandy, silt-and-clay and limestone. Vintage after vintage, we continue to learn from these distinct terroirs, striving to reveal their full potential and authentic expression. In time, we plan to release single-terroir wines that highlight each soil’s individuality.

We are especially proud to share our first release, the 2023 vintage—a blend of all three terroirs for both Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. This site is also where our dedicated onsite team, Ryan and Betsy, reside with their young son, Henry, and dog, Margot.

We are confident that you will enjoy these wines, and we thank you sincerely for your continued loyalty and valued support.

Merci à vous,

14

Thanks for the reminder. I have three bottles of the inaugural sparkling release. Need to open one soon.