Racines

History of the Racines Estate

The Racines estate is the first venture outside France for Étienne de Montille and Rodolphe Péters. 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 absolute commitment to terroir, leading the estate in organic farming and then biodynamics. Together with Brian Sieve, the American cellar master of Domaine de Montille, he set out to explore California and Oregon in search of a place to put down roots — hence the name of the project.

It is in the hills of Santa Rita Hills, on the central coast of California, that they found the precision and freshness they were seeking. A year later, Rodolphe Péters, sixth generation of the Champagne house Pierre Péters and specialist in Blanc de Blancs from the Côte des Blancs, joined them to develop sparkling wines. Far from the weight of Burgundian and Champagne history, this trio combines its expertise to create a unique range of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and sparkling wines, whose own vineyard, the Racines Estate, delivered its first harvest in 2023.

Terroirs and Vines of the Racines Estate

The terroir of the Racines estate unfolds within the Santa Rita Hills appellation, at the heart of Santa Barbara County, in California. A geographical singularity, its east-to-west oriented valleys allow the Pacific mists and cool winds to penetrate, offering a maritime climate particularly suited to Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. The soils, blending diatomaceous earth, limestone and sandy clays, give the wines tension, minerality and energy.

Beyond its own vineyard, the estate works with some of the most prestigious and historic terroirs in the region, such as Sanford & Benedict, Bentrock, La Rinconada and Wenzlau. This mosaic of plots, tended with the greatest care, allows Racines to explore the diversity of the microclimates of Santa Rita Hills and to produce single-vineyard wines of great precision, faithful to the expression of each site.

Vinifications of the Racines Estate

In the spirit of Domaine de Montille, the vinification of Racines draws on French traditions to reveal the purity and transparency of the fruit. Fermentations start exclusively with indigenous yeasts, without excessive manipulation, and the wines benefit from long ageing that develops their complexity while preserving a fresh acidity, a hallmark of fine cellaring potential.

For the Pinot Noir, the use of whole-cluster harvesting brings structure and aromatic finesse, while the Chardonnays are aged in the great Burgundian tradition. The sparkling wines, meanwhile, are crafted using the traditional method, in the manner of the great Blanc de Blancs dear to Rodolphe Péters, with an extra-brut dosage that underlines their tension and purity.

The Cuvées of the Racines Estate

The Chardonnay range illustrates the diversity of the terroirs of Santa Rita Hills. The Racines Chardonnay Santa Barbara offers an accessible and fresh interpretation of the variety at the county level, while the Racines Chardonnay Santa Rita Hills blends several plots from the appellation for greater depth. Lovers of single-vineyard wines will turn to the Racines Chardonnay Wenzlau Family, sourced from a renowned family vineyard, and to the Racines Chardonnay de Montille Estate, an expression of the estate's own vineyard and the pinnacle of precision and minerality.

The Pinot Noirs elegantly convey the freshness of the maritime climate. The Racines Pinot Noir Santa Rita Hills, a blend from the appellation, captivates with its balance and finesse, while the Racines Pinot Noir Sanford & Benedict draws from one of the most historic vineyards in the region to deliver remarkable depth and complexity. The Racines Pinot Noir de Montille Estate, sourced from the estate's own vineyard, embodies the culmination of the estate's vision, combining structure, freshness and great ageing potential.

The sparkling wines, fruit of Rodolphe Péters' Champagne expertise, complete the range with brilliance. The Racines Grand Reserve Sparkling Chardonnay, a non-vintage Blanc de Blancs, marries several harvests in a fine and chalky style. The estate also produces rare single-vineyard extra-brut bubbles, such as the Blanc de Blancs from the Bentrock vineyard and the one from Sanford & Benedict, two sparkling Chardonnays of great precision that celebrate the meeting of Champagne and California.