At A Glance
- Field
- Detail
- Region
- California, United States
- Estates
- Napa Valley and Anderson Valley
- Main grapes
- Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay
- Signature wines
- Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, Anderson Valley Pinot Noir and Anderson Valley Chardonnay
- Defining feature
- Wine production alongside olive oil, grass fed beef, eggs and heirloom produce
The Producer
When the Hall family bought Long Meadow Ranch in 1989, farming had lain dormant since Prohibition. They restored the abandoned olive trees, vineyards and apple orchards, returning the property to active agriculture.
Long Meadow Ranch now farms more than 2,000 acres across three counties, including grapes, olives, fruits, vegetables and pasture. Wine sits alongside extra virgin olive oil, grass fed beef, eggs and heirloom produce, with organic and sustainable practices used across the operation. All the vineyards are certified organic.
Lisanne Leask oversees winemaking across the Napa Valley and Anderson Valley estates. Stéphane Vivier, a Burgundy native, is the Anderson Valley winemaker and trained in Pommard, Meursault and Chassagne Montrachet.
Place
The Mayacamas Estate occupies a rugged 650 acre landscape in the foothills of the Mayacamas Mountains. The name Long Meadow Ranch comes from the long, sweeping meadow on this property.
The ranch traces its history to an 1872 land patent associated with President Ulysses S. Grant. Grapes and olives were cultivated there during the 1870s, and the original Hassenmeyer Winery operated until 1894. Wine and olive growing belong to the ranch's earliest recorded agricultural history.
Wines
The three named bottles divide the range by place, grape and color. Long Meadow Ranch Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2018 is a red Napa Valley wine based on Cabernet Sauvignon. Long Meadow Ranch Anderson Valley Pinot Noir 2019 is a red North Coast wine, while Long Meadow Ranch Anderson Valley Chardonnay 2020 is a white North Coast wine.
The Cabernet Sauvignon is the Napa Valley bottle. Pinot Noir and Chardonnay carry the Anderson Valley address, giving the range two red wines and one white wine across two California estates.
In The Glass
The two red wines ferment with grape skins, which supply the tannin that shapes red wine. Cabernet Sauvignon generally has a firmer tannic frame and darker fruit profile than Pinot Noir, whose thinner skins produce less tannin and a lighter body.
Chardonnay is a white wine, so its mouthfeel comes from acidity, alcohol, fruit ripeness and cellar choices rather than red grape skin tannin. The range therefore moves from Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon to Anderson Valley Pinot Noir and Chardonnay through a clear change in grape, color and palate shape.
A Bottle To Understand It
Choose Long Meadow Ranch Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2018. It is the only Napa Valley wine among the three named bottles, and its name puts the grape and place together. Wine Enthusiast's 2018 review uses Farmstead Cabernet Sauvignon as its title, while the bottle's name is Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. The choice keeps the first comparison with one red grape and one Napa Valley address before moving to Anderson Valley Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.
Final Word
Long Meadow Ranch joins organic grape growing with a broader agricultural operation, while its wines move between Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon and Anderson Valley Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. The ranch's working history remains part of a present day California wine business.
Sources
- www.longmeadowranch.com/the-ranch/history-of-lmr
- www.longmeadowranch.com/wine-estates/winemaking
- napavalley.wine/winemakers/wineries/Long_Meadow_Ranch_Winery
- www.napawineproject.com/long-meadow-ranch-winery
- www.wineenthusiast.com/buying-guide/long-meadow-ranch-2018-farmstead-cabernet-sauvignon-napa-valley