Racines Sta. Rita Hills Cuvee Chardonnay 2020 Front Bottle Shot
Racines Sta. Rita Hills Cuvee Chardonnay 2020 Front Bottle Shot Racines Sta. Rita Hills Cuvee Chardonnay 2020 Front Label

Winemaker Notes

A blend of Chardonnay from a few different parcels of the vineyards we work with all located in the Sta. Rita Hills, inlucing both Wenzlau Family Vineyard and Rancho la Viña Vineyard. Wenzlau Vineyard is part of our estate holdings and sits surrounded by Rita’s Crown, Mt. Carmel, and Sea Smoke Vineyards on a steep, dramatic hillside just above the Santa Ynez River and across from the famed Sanford & Benedict Vineyard.

Professional Ratings

  • 90 Vinous
    The 2020 Chardonnay Sta. Rita Hills Cuvee is a solid, entry-level offering from Racines. Apricot, lemon confit, tangerine and light tropical accents all grace this open-knit, inviting Chardonnay. This is a pretty overt style, but it works nicely.
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Racines

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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.

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Sta. Rita Hills

Santa Barbara, California

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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.

HEI443304_2020 Item# 4129518