2022 Chardonnay Bentrock Vineyard

Consistency. It’s the signature of all great estates. That’s exactly what came to mind as I tasted these new releases from Racines, the Sta. Rita Hills project headed by Etienne de Montille, Brian Sieve and Rodolphe Péters. The team seems to have found a better balance in the Pinots, which in this vintage come across as less extracted than in the past. Stem inclusion seems better judged, too. It will be interesting to see if these are changes in response to a freakish vintage or indicative of a stylistic shift. Either way, the 2022 Pinots are impressive. The Chardonnays are compelling too. Here, I admire the balance of textural richness and freshness. The sparkling wines are good but still have room to grow. All things considered, Racines has achieved notable success in just a few vintages.