Racines

History of Domaine Racines

Domaine Racines is Étienne de Montille and Rodolphe Péters’ first venture outside France. At the helm of Domaine de Montille in Burgundy since the 1980s, Étienne de Montille inherited from his father, the legendary Hubert de Montille, an unwavering commitment to terroir, guiding the estate first toward organic and then biodynamic farming. With Brian Sieve, Domaine de Montille’s American cellar master, he sets out to explore California and Oregon in search of a place to put down roots—hence the project’s name.

In the hills of Santa Rita Hills, on California’s Central Coast, they find the precision and freshness they seek. A year later, Rodolphe Péters, the sixth generation of the Champagne house Pierre Péters and a specialist in Blanc de Blancs from the Côte des Blancs, joins them to develop sparkling wines. Free from the weight of Burgundian and Champagne history, the trio combines its expertise to create a distinctive range of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and sparkling wines. Their own vineyard, Racines Estate, yielded its first harvest in 2023.

Terroirs and Vineyards of Domaine Racines

Domaine Racines’ terroir lies in the Santa Rita Hills appellation, in the heart of Santa Barbara County, California. In a distinctive geographical feature, its east-west valleys allow cool Pacific fog and winds to flow inland, creating a maritime climate particularly suited to Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Soils combining diatomaceous earth, limestone, and sandy clays give the wines tension, minerality, and energy.

Beyond its own vineyard, the estate works with some of the region’s most prestigious and historic sites, including Sanford & Benedict, Bentrock, La Rinconada, and Wenzlau. This mosaic of carefully tended parcels allows Racines to explore the diversity of Santa Rita Hills’ microclimates and produce highly precise single-vineyard wines that faithfully express each site.

Winemaking at Domaine Racines

Like Domaine de Montille, Racines draws on French winemaking traditions to reveal the purity and transparency of the fruit. Fermentation begins solely with indigenous yeasts, without excessive intervention, and the wines undergo extended aging that develops their complexity while preserving fresh acidity—a sign of excellent aging potential.

For the Pinot Noir, whole-cluster fermentation lends structure and aromatic finesse, while the Chardonnays are aged in the great Burgundian tradition. The sparkling wines are made using the traditional method, in the style of the great Blanc de Blancs dear to Rodolphe Péters, with an extra-brut dosage that highlights their tension and purity.

The Wines of Domaine Racines

The Chardonnay range showcases the diversity of Santa Rita Hills’ terroirs. Racines Chardonnay Santa Barbara offers an approachable, fresh expression of the grape at the county level, while Racines Chardonnay Santa Rita Hills blends fruit from several parcels within the appellation for greater depth. Lovers of single-vineyard wines will turn to Racines Chardonnay Wenzlau Family, from a renowned family vineyard, and Racines Chardonnay de Montille Estate, an expression of Domaine Racines’ own vineyard and a pinnacle of precision and minerality.

The Pinot Noirs elegantly express the freshness of the maritime climate. Racines Pinot Noir Santa Rita Hills, a blend from across the appellation, charms with its balance and finesse, while Racines Pinot Noir Sanford & Benedict draws remarkable depth and complexity from one of the region’s most historic vineyards. Racines Pinot Noir de Montille Estate, from the estate’s own vineyard, represents the fullest expression of Domaine Racines’ vision, combining structure, freshness, and excellent aging potential.

The sparkling wines, born of Rodolphe Péters’ Champagne expertise, add a brilliant dimension to the range. Racines Grand Reserve Sparkling Chardonnay, a non-vintage Blanc de Blancs, brings together several harvests in a fine, chalky style. The estate also produces rare single-vineyard extra-brut sparkling wines, including a Blanc de Blancs from the Bentrock vineyard and another from Sanford & Benedict—two remarkably precise sparkling Chardonnays that celebrate the meeting of Champagne and California.