Cedar Mountain Winery – 123
Saturday, July 23rd, 2005
It was while admiring the superlative port at Bent Creek, that Carole recommended I head to Cedar Mountain Winery, another winery known for their port. They are located on what is generally considered to be the main road in Livermore for wineries for while a few are off on side roads, the main stretch through the rural part of town is peppered with wineries such as this one.
Cedar Mountain Winery was established by Linda and Earl Ault in 1990. While the tasting room and adjacent office space is relatively small, the entrance leads to an area that is surrounded by larger buildings which include a bottling area, press, and barn.
The inside of the tasting room is intimate but functional. Around the room are mountain-climbing devices and numerous pictures of the Aults on expeditions and I overheard one of the pouring staff indicate that Cedar Mountain was named for their love of climbing.
One of the extremely interesting things I saw for the first time were pouring spouts with built-in filters. I’m still questioning this and will investigate it further; should a wine be filtered better before it gets put in the bottle? Or if a wine needs filtering on this scale, should it be decanted? I truly don’t know but was bemused that these filtered spouts seem to be de rigueur for this tasting room.
2004 Sauvignon Blanc, Del Arroyo Vineyard, Livermore – Rich aromas of lemon peel and floral tones. Rich, tangy entry with a finish that shows some integrated lime. $11.95
2001 Estate Chardonnay, Blanches Vineyard, Livermore – At a 100% malo, I was surprised that this chardonnay was 15.5% alcohol. It certainly did not taste nearly as hot as that number would imply. I found it a classic offering of tropical fruit and kiwi on the nose and balanced oak and butter in the mouth feel. Creamy finish is a standard that I’m sure Chardonnay loves would enjoy. $18.00
1999 Zinfandel, Amador County – Fabulously rich nose of blueberry and raspberry showing depth of age with hints of dusty herbs, cinnamon, and cardamom. Easy bright entry continues the herbal quality with a bit more sage coming forward and a dusty floral finish. $18.00
1998 Merlot, One Oak Vineyard & Thatcher Bay Vineyard, Livermore Valley – Flinty, metallic aroma with hints of green bell pepper in the core. Medium bodied with some medium-bodied fruit, mostly unexciting. $21.50
2002 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, Blanches Vineyard, Livermore Valley – Green bell pepper and dusty cocoa. Medium body bright entry shows herbs and dried twigs in the mid-palate. Long finish shows hints of floral and even fruit. $22.00
1998 Estate Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, Blanches Vineyard, Livermore Valley – Dark, bricky red. Dark fruit in the nose with some cinnamon. Dark plum and berry with herbal mid-palate with a chewy finish. $50.00
1999 Duet; 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 50% Merlot, Livermore Valley – Green bell pepper predominates but then displays strong aroma of cedar and slight medicinal qualities. Harsh entry with licorice core and strident finish. $15.40
Stickies
1999 Late Bottled Vintage Port, Amadaor County – Portuguese grape blend that spent four years in the barrel. I am imagining these also came from Tim at St. Amant, but the pouring host was unsure. I was a bit surprised how sweet this wine was, moreso than i normally appreciate. Mostly a concentrated blackberry liqueur with layers of herbs. $25.00
1998 Cabernet Royale, Blanches Vineyard, Livermore Valley – Slightly cloudy with a orange edge. Surprisingly oxidized for a newly-opened bottle, possibly corked. $25.00/500 ml
1998 Port Royale – A blend of the previous two stickies. Bricky orange color with aromas of dusty floral. Sweet core of blackberry. $35.00/500ml
2003 Chardonnay del Sol, Chardonnay Port, Blanches Vineyard, Livermore Valley – Made with a base core of alembic there were more alembic aromas than fruit from the core wine. $18.75/375ml
Cedar Mountain Winery ~ 7000 Tesla Road ~ Livermore ~ CA ~ 925-373-6636