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The Property
The
Vineyards
are situated on the 500-acre Dharmapalan Estate in Clearlake Oaks,
California. The estate is nestled between California’s largest
lake, Clearlake, and the High Valley watershed. The estate and
the vineyards overlook the lake and Mount Konocti to the south
and High Valley with its distant mountain ranges to the north.
View of Monte Lago Vineyards
looking South towards Clearlake
The Vineyards
The
vineyards are 130 acres of the finest hillside plantings in Lake
County. The vineyards are immaculately planned and developed to
the highest standards of modern viticulture. All of the plantings
straddle the high ridge and take advantage of the desirable north
and south facing slopes. The vineyards are irrigated by a fully
load-balanced drip system. The system is fed by several wells
on the property. The soil and drainage conditions have shown to
be conducive to the highest quality grape production. The long
growing season with warm summer days and cool breezy nights make
this a special appellation.
The Estate
The
remainder of the Dharmapalan estate, approximately 370 acres,
is maintained as a nature preserve suitable for the bountiful
wild life in Clearlake Oaks. All development of the estate has
been conducted in an environmentally sensitive manner preserving
flora, fauna and the natural beauty of the surroundings. Sightings
of deer, black bear, wild turkey and various other wildlife are
not uncommon.
Natural Habitat
The estate is maintained
in its natural state and is hospitable to the wild life that lives
on the property. The property incorporates several deer crossings
to accommodate their natural migration habits. The grass savannah
and blue oak savannah are preserved in an effort to encourage
natural habitat.
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| Monte
Lago – Grass Savannah |
Monte
Lago – Blue Oak Savannah |
The Vines
Our hillside plantings
enjoy long ripening seasons with hot summer days and cool nights
caressed by the gentle breezes of the lake. The ideal weather,
temperatures, soils and the unique effects of the lake combine
to produce the most intense and flavorful fruit. We maintain low
yields to ensure the highest quality of fruit.
We have planted highly sought after varietals to suite each particular
block on the vineyard. The North facing slopes are primarily Bordeaux
varieties of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Petite
Verdot. The South facing slopes are dedicated to Rhone varieties
of Syrah, Petite Syrah, Grenache and Mouvedre. Due to the unique
climate characteristics of the location we have also found that
our Tempranillo, Zinfandel and Sauvignon Blanc varieties thrive.
Root stock and clones have been carefully matched to the site,
soil, weather and variety.
Elevation
The vineyards are planted
at elevations of between 2000 feet and 2400 feet above sea level.
The hillside plantings take advantage of full sun exposure and
thrive on the long warm days of summer. We have paid special attention
to vineyard orientation and row direction to maximize sun and
wind exposure. The unique geographical location of the vineyard
benefits from the cooling breezes of the lake in the late summer
afternoons. In the winter and the early spring these same breezes
help protect the vines from frost.
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