Encore Chardonnay derives from the 1.4 acre motif Encore Vineyard at Carmody McKnight.  All the vines on this small but remarkable vineyard grow atop of a recently discovered volcano! Nourishing in magma provides all the known nutrients in the planet… and in abundance. 

Besides limestone, each and every predominant soil type of the world’s eminent vineyards, especially the Burgundy grand cru, play their part in these sea-leaning mountain vineyards. 

The microclimates are influenced by the Big Sur coast just six miles away. Strikingly, though, few areas in the world provide more days of sun-ripening as well as 50-degree temperature swings day to night.  

The vineyards are also the coolest in the Central Coast as measured over 24 hours. This is the rarest of microclimates and unmatched for Chardonnay where flavors of the fruit, not the barrel, are supremely manifest. New oak is employed judiciously to add subtle layers to nature’s sublime terroir.

Oak does not take the place of fruit, as it never should, but becomes an added and fascinating nuanced component. The encore that never ends.

Harvest Date: October 10, 
Block: Motif Chardonnay
Oak: 100% French, 100% New, 100% Tonnellerie D’Aquitaine
Barrel Aged: 18 months

Bottling Date: March 25, 
432 Bottles Produced