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Release Date:
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Debut:
Fall 1999; Re-release: Fall 2003
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Suggested Retail Price:
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$80
per 750ml
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Vineyard Location:
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Long Meadow Ranch Bear Canyon Vineyard (100%)
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Harvested:
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September 11- 18, 1996
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Varietal Composition:
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97% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Cabernet Franc
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Brix @ Harvest:
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23.8°
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Cooperage:
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Aged 26 months in French oak coopered by Seguin-Moreau. Medium toast. 50 percent new.
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Alcohol:
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12.8
percent
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Production:
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1038 cases
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Food Affinities:
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Perfect with Long Meadow Ranch Grass-fed Highland Beef, with lamb, or with roasted game.
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| Growing Season: |
The growing season began with an unseasonably
warm winter coupled with good amounts of rain that brought on an early
bud break, approximately one to two weeks ahead of the norm. Followed
by a fairly cool spring, bloom was still somewhat ahead of schedule.
A dramatic cooling trend in late August that continued into September
slowed sugar development and allowed flavors to catch up.
The absence of rain coupled with an ideal combination of cool nights and warm
afternoons brought the fruit into excellent balance as the harvest began. The
clusters were small with a high skin to juice ratio, which produced an intensely
flavored wine. |
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Winemaker’s Comments:
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“The
1996 Cabernet Sauvignon has evolved beautifully since its debut
release in 1999. The floral perfume in the nose 'knocks me out'
with its bouquet of dried flowers and hints of violets The red
and black fruit flavors remain -especially the black cherries
and blueberries - but the wine is now quite resolved with soft
tannins and a silkiness in the mouth. The moderate alcohol and
snappy acidity make this claret-like wine a perfect accompaniment
to fine food." - Cathy Corison
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The Vineyards:
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Southwest-facing estate vineyards at 1100 feet elevation atop the Mayacamas Mountains at the edge of Bear Canyon. Development began in 1990. Managed by organic pioneer Frank Leeds. Budwood hand-selected from the Bella Oaks Vineyard in Rutherford and Jordan Vineyard in Alexander Valley, planted on 110R rootstock at 9x5 spacing and using contoured terraces. This is the first vineyard established on Long Meadow Ranch since before Prohibition.
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Long Meadow Ranch:
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Owned by Ted and Laddie Hall, LMR employs an integrated organic
farming system using simple, sustainable methods. Each part of
the Ranch contributes to the health of the whole. Vineyards and
wine making, olive orchards and olive oil making, cattle and
horse breeding all work together in complementary fashion, as
do the egg-laying poultry flock and the organic vegetable gardens. “Estate” fertilizers
are created through an extensive composting operation that relies
on organic material from each segment of the Ranch. Soil erosion
is controlled and new soils are built through the extensive use
of permanent cover crops made up of carefully selected grasses,
clovers, and legumes. All crops are certified organic by the
California Certified Organic Farmers and are grown without the
use of herbicides, pesticides, or chemical fertilizers.
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1775 Whitehall Lane
St. Helena, California 94574-9786
Phone: (707) 963-4555
Fax: (707) 963-1956
www.longmeadowranch.com
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