estate grown
2006 chardonnay
“day in the country”
signature of the soil ~ the
supreme expression of terroir
Day in the
Country is a world apart, comparable only to the great French Chablis and the
few natural Chardonnays that now exist in the United States. It is not about
oak, oak, and more oak. It is about flavors unmasked, unleashed! The natural,
wondrous flavors of Chardonnay, fresh flavors you might actually experience for
the first time! Day in the Country is the ultimate expression of terroir!
The New York Times declared that the big, butter, over oaky style is passé for
those who know and appreciate Chardonnay. Robert M. Parker, Jr., the world's
foremost wine guru, makes his predictions about seismic changes in the wine
industry. California's Central Coast will rule America -- "No viticultural
region in America has demonstrated as much progress in quality and potential for
greatness as the Central Coast, where the Burgundian varietals Chardonnay and
Pinot Noir are planted in its cooler climates." Unoaked wine will find a wider
audience -- "Given the increasingly diverse style of foods we eat as well as the
abundant array of tastes on our plates, there will be more and more wines that
offer strikingly pure bouquets and flavors unmarked by wood aging. Crisp, lively
whites and fruity, savory and sensual reds will be in greater demand in 2015
than they are in 2004." Toni Sickles and other progressive, thoughtful
winemakers point out that the secondary fermentation is needed where grapes have
a hard time ripening and tend to leave wines soft and unbalanced. Greg Brewer of
Santa Barbara: "I remember when I started it was big, oaky, buttery Chardonnay,
and now there is a mountain of it in the marketplace. It seems that a lot of
people are growing weary of those wines."
Yes! Day in the Country eloquently expresses the new, brilliant style of
Chardonnay. Our estate grapes grow in limestone, montmorillonite (the wonder
soil), and volcanic soils, making our wines the most mineral and nutrient rich
in the world! Limestone and montmorillonite are the two most important soil
constituents in the renowned French vineyards -- known to contribute to wine
greatness, and without them - wine inferiority. Do they exist in California?
Almost nowhere. Not in Napa, nor Sonoma. Not in Santa Barbara. Limestone and
montmorillonite (as well as the supreme volcanic soils) exist in the Carmody
McKnight vineyards - in abundance!
Our grapes nourish in hillside vineyards -- a must factor for the great
vineyards and the great wines. Most vineyards growing Chardonnay are planted in
high-acid soils, making it difficult if not impossible to overcome the
manipulations required for their Chardonnays. Chardonnay grown in limestone is
free of these restrictions -- free to be a true Chardonnay!
The story and the style of this wine is a revelation, a breath of fresh country
air for those seeking a way out of oak-dominated Chardonnay. This estate and
limestone grown Day in the Country is a signature of the vineyard -- of the
one-of-a-kind soils and sub-soils. This cutting edge wine is the most profound
affirmation of the varietal -- "real" Chardonnay for the first time!
100% Estate Grown
Harvest Date: October 8, 2006
Block 1: 3.2 tons per acre
Fermentation: 100% stainless steel
Aging: 100% stainless steel
Bottling Date: July 25, 2007
Production: 116 cases