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	BLEND & GRAPE SOURCES: 51% Monterey County Grenache, 21% Yountville and Monterey Syrah, 9% Contra Costa Mourvèdre, 7% San Joaquin Alicante Bouschet, 7% Napa Zinfandel, 3% Napa Carignane, 2% Napa Petite Sirah. HARVEST DATES: Sept. 21 - Oct. 29, 1998. WINEMAKING DATA: Grapes were harvested between Sept. 21 - Oct. 29, 1998 at an average 24.8° Brix, fermented in stainless steel tanks, then aged for 18 months in a combination of French and American oak barrels. The wine was blended and bottled in June, 2000. The 1998 harvest didn't begin until September 21 - up to that point the latest in the winery's 25-year history. Red grapes, which owe much of their quality to the phenolic composition in the skins and seeds, were variable in concentration levels and required careful selection during the blending process. Fortunately, because of the number of varietals in Le Mistral and the various soil and climatic conditions in which they are grown (in other words, by having so much to choose from), we were able to mitigate the undesirable aspects of the vintage by culling unwanted fruit in the vineyard before making blending decisions at the winery. Additional declassification of some of the wines was also necessary to maintain quality. The result is a red wine with complex flavors of ripe plum, black cherry and spice, with excellent structure and balance.  It is a delicious accompaniment to beef stews, game or any hearty meat dish.
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