2021 Racines Pinot Noir La Rinconada Vineyard Sta. Rita Hills 750 ml

Few names in Burgundy carry more cachet than De Montille. Few in Champagne are more revered than Pierre Peters. And few vineyards in Santa Barbara’s Sta. Rita Hills can compare with La Rinconada.

That’s why you’ll rarely taste a California Pinot Noir as exquisite as the 2021 Racines Pinot Noir La Rinconada Vineyard Sta. Rita Hills. Eleven Madison Park has a four-vintage vertical of this wine, along with a DOZEN other bottlings from Racines!

The fruit of a partnership between Étienne de Montille and Brian Sieve of Domaine de Montille in Burgundy, Rodolphe Péters of Pierre Péters in Champagne, this is a young label whose pedigree rivals the world’s greatest Pinots—and it shows in every sip. They have recently been joined by winemaker Ryan Hannaford—dubbed the "vineyard whisperer" by Oregon’s superstar, Walter Scott; he’s also an alum of Evening Land and Chapter 24.

“The 2021 Pinot Noir La Rinconada Vineyard is another captivating wine from Racines,” begins Antonio Galloni’s absolutely glowing 96-point review. Showing the power of the region with an aromatic burst of dark cherry, orange zest, white pepper, Oolong tea, apple blossom, sagebrush, and sea salt, it’s smooth and captivating on the palate, with tannins and weight indicating it will develop gracefully over the next decade and beyond. 

Planted by the legendary Rick Sanford back in 1995, La Rinconada sits adjacent to the famed Sanford & Benedict Vineyard and boasts 60 acres of Pinot Noir vines. The vineyard is located in Sta. Rita Hills’ southern corridor, where it’s blanketed by the fog that makes it ideal for Pinot.

This is one of the great Pinot Noirs of California. We are thrilled to share it with you.