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Release Date:
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Fall
2001; Not currently available
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Suggested Retail Price:
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N/A
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Vineyard Location:
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Long Meadow Ranch Bear Canyon Vineyard (100%)
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Harvest Date:
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Harvested
September, 1998
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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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23.7°
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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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13.2
percent
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Production:
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Less
than 1000 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: |
"This is the kind of growing season
that has made the Napa Valley famous. Hot days and cool nights create
the perfect conditions for making our best wine. With the exception
of a heat spike in June, the Napa Valley experienced a cool summer
and early fall.
While bud breaks occurred at the expected time, we actually began picking seven
to ten days later than normal. The addition of a couple of days of rain in September
gave the grapes the extra kick to keep hanging and ripening in our sunshine-rich
mountain vineyards, which allowed the full natural flavors to develop on the
vine. The result is a crop with excellent color, fully developed flavors, and
great acidity.”
- Cathy Corison |
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Winemaker’s Comments:
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“The
1998 Cabernet Sauvignon is another fine example of the vineyard's
distinctive black and red fruit flavors, with ripe tannins
and a long finish. We lengthened the time in barrel to allow
the fruit flavors and grape tannins to integrate and fully
evolve. Our '98 Cabernet has been a standout since the very
first public barrel tasting with the trade. Properly decanted
and presented, this wine is one of the best of the '98 vintage.” -
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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