Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Decanter
Broad but precise in texture, this exudes green and yellow fruits interspersed with salted caramel and fennel. Justin Willett of Tyler Winery partnered with a group of mentors for the Racines label: Étienne de Montille and Brian Sieve of Domaine de Montille, as well as Rodolphe Péters of Champagne Pierre Péters for their still-in-the-works sparkling wine. The Sta. Rita Hills Chardonnay is built around the Wenzlau vineyard, and spends 12 months in barrel before being racked to tank for a further six months.
One of the most popular and versatile white wine grapes, Chardonnay offers a wide range of flavors and styles depending on where it is grown and how it is made. While it tends to flourish in most environments, Chardonnay from its Burgundian homeland produces some of the most remarkable and longest lived examples. California produces both oaky, buttery styles and leaner, European-inspired wines. Somm Secret—The Burgundian subregion of Chablis, while typically using older oak barrels, produces a bright style similar to the unoaked style. Anyone who doesn't like oaky Chardonnay would likely enjoy Chablis.
A superior source of California Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, Sta. Rita Hills is the coolest, westernmost sub-region of the larger Santa Ynez Valley appellation within Santa Barbara County. This relatively new AVA is unquestionably one to keep an eye on.
The climate of Sta. Rita Hills is a natural match for Chardonnay and Pinot noir, thanks to the crisp ocean breezes and well-drained, limestone-rich calcareous soil. Here, grapes ripen just enough, while retaining brisk acidity and harmonious balance.