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Racines Sanford & Benedict Vineyard Pinot Noir 2021

Racines Sanford & Benedict Vineyard Pinot Noir 2021

HK$798
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Wild Raspberries, Blood Orange, Crushed Shale, and Burgundian Santa Rita Nobility

The 2021 Racines "Sanford & Benedict Vineyard" Pinot Noir is an aristocratic, ethereal red born of an alliance between Burgundy masters Étienne de Montille and Rodolphe Péters with Justin Willett. Sourced from the historic birthplace of Sta. Rita Hills, it offers captivating aromas of red cherries, wild raspberries, rose petals, and savory herbs. Medium-bodied and seamless, it pairs crunchy red fruit with gossamer tannins and saline minerality into a breathtaking, persistent finish.
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Style Profile at a Glance

Attribute Profile Scale
Body Medium-Bodied, Ethereal & Silky ●●●●●
Sweetness Dry ●●●●●
Tannins Fine-Grained, Powdery & Seamless ●●●●●
Acidity Electric, Vibrant & Saline ●●●●●
Oak Discreet & Transparent (Aged in fine French oak, low new oak) ●●●●●

Terroir, History & Acclaim

Critical Recognition:
Wine Advocate 95 pts
  • 95 Points - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate: Fermented with 60% whole clusters, the 2021 Pinot Noir Sanford & Benedict Vineyard is a fantastically balanced and multifaceted expression of this site. The nose leads with measured, refined aromas of red cherries, green tea, sagebrush and orange peels. The palate is weightlessly concentrated yet refreshingly succulent, seamlessly moving into a thunderous, lifted finish of fine-boned structure and finely detailed acidity. Exceptionally dynamic in the glass, it continuously adds dimension and nuance and will undoubtedly be a joy to follow through its 10th birthday.
  • The Historic Sanford & Benedict Terroir: Planted in 1971 by Richard Sanford and Michael Benedict, this site is the cradle of the Sta. Rita Hills AVA. Located on a north-facing bench above the Santa Ynez River, its complex soils of clay loam intermingled with fractured shale, chert, and diatomaceous earth produce Pinot Noir renowned for intense structural depth and crystalline mineral focus.
  • A Franco-Californian Alliance: Racines unites Étienne de Montille and Brian Sieve of Domaine de Montille, Champagne virtuoso Rodolphe Péters (Pierre Péters), and local visionary Justin Willett (Tyler Winery). Vinified with partial whole clusters, native yeasts, and aging in low-toast French oak barrels, the project applies classical Burgundian purity and transparency to legendary California terroir.

Highlights

  • 100% Pinot Noir from the historic Sanford & Benedict Vineyard in the cool-climate Sta. Rita Hills AVA.
  • Collaborative project between Domaine de Montille, Rodolphe Péters, and Justin Willett.
  • A benchmark 2021 cool-vintage California release; prime drinking window 2025 through 2038+.

Tasting Notes

Brilliant, translucent ruby in color, it opens with pure, layered aromas of wild red cherries, pomegranate, and tart raspberries, interwoven with rose petals, blood orange zest, and dried thyme over a base of crushed shale. The palate is medium-bodied, silky, and energetic, carrying crunchy red berry fruit over powdery, fine-grained tannins and mouth-watering maritime acidity that drives into an expansive, tension-filled, and saline finish.

Serving Suggestion

  • Temperature: Serve at 15–17°C in wide Burgundy stems.
  • Decanting: Decant for 45 minutes to 1 hour to allow its complex whole-cluster floral notes to blossom. Best enjoyed from 2025 through 2038+.

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