PRODUCER: Long Meadow Ranch
REGION: Napa, Sonoma; California, USA
WINEMAKERS: Lisanne Leask, Stephane Vivier, Justin Carr
WINERY HISTORY
Long Meadow Ranch is a very old property (by American standards), originally a 19th-century land-grant property for Civil War veteran E.J. Church. Many of its vast hectares were planted to vines at this time, though Prohibition inevitably led to their dereliction. The site was revitalised by the Hall family following their 1989 purchase of the land. Since its outset, Long Meadow has embraced and pioneered organic and sustainable agriculture. It is designed in the model of a Tuscan Estate, the vineyards surrounded by olive groves, vegetables, apples, hay, cattle, horses, chickens, and pasture. In addition to their hugely successful wine operation, Long Meadow Ranch also run a renowned restaurant – Farmstead - in St. Helena, where they are currently developing a luxury hotel.
VITICULTURE & WINEMAKING
Long Meadow Ranch is not a single contiguous piece of land, but rather a collection of sites across the North Coast of California. The Mountain Estate – located in the Mayacamas Mountains above the Rutherford Bench – is comprised of 6.5ha of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Sangiovese, and Cabernet Franc planted in 1989. Down on the valley floor, the Rutherford Estate boasts 30ha of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Sauvignon Blanc in ancient riverbed, bordering over 500 varietals of organically grown heirloom fruits and vegetables. The newest addition to the portfolio is the 28ha Anderson Valley Estate, located two-and-a-half hours northwest of Napa and planted to Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Pinot Gris. Here, ripening is prolonged by the cooling Pacific fogs that rush in nightly from the ocean, a mere 8km from the vineyard.
A team of three winemakers – Lisanne Leask (Director of Winemaking), Stephane Vivier (Anderson Valley), and Justin Carr (Napa) - craft a wide range of wines using a combination of modern technology and classic techniques. The bottlings are elegant, balanced wines that express authentic varietal character and the varied terroir of their three estates. A holistic, organic, and sustainable property, the Hall family continue to distinguish themselves as vintners of vision.
