| CEDAR
MOUNTAIN WINERY was established in the Livermore Valley in
1990. Earl & Linda Ault bought
their property at 7000 Tesla Rd in 1988, at the time the entire
vineyard was Chenin Blanc vines. In 1989 they grafted the Chenin
Blanc vineyard to a mixture of Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon.
The first CMW release was the 1990 Estate Chardonnay. The same
year they made a small lot of Cabernet Sauvignon, which was
released in 1993. Recently in 2005 they grafted some of the
Chardonnay to Sauvignon Blanc and released their first estate
Sauvignon Blanc in early 2007. Cedar Mountain is rapidly gaining
national attention for their Gold Medal Cabernet Sauvignons
and Ports. These wines are available in fine restaurants, wine
shops, directly from the winery tasting room and online or by
mail order.
The Aults believe that quality wines
begin with the grapes in the vineyard. The Winery specializes
primarily in Livermore grown and produced wine. They produce
Estate Chardonnay, Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, Estate Sauvignon
Blanc, Pinot Grigio, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Duet (a Cabernet/
Merlot blend), as well as nationally recognized Port wines
from their very own vineyard and from the Sierra Foothills.
Cedar Mountain produces roughly 10,000 cases annually.
BLANCHE’S VINEYARD is situated
at the East end of the Livermore Valley, (Linda Ault’s
nickname is Blanche) and lies on a south-facing hill of
mixed gravel and clay loam. At a mean elevation of 700 feet
and with prevailing westerly breezes coming from San Francisco
Bay, this Region II microclimate ripens the grapes late
in the year. Severe pruning limits the yield of the vineyard
to three tons per acre giving intense varietal characteristics
to Cedar Mountain wines. The vineyard has developed a reputation
for the quality of its fruit.
THE LIVERMORE VALLEY WINE REGION
is one of California’s
most historic wine areas. Journalist Charles Wetmore brought
the first European varietals Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon,
from France in the late 1800’s. Soon the Valley began
producing Bordeaux style wines of world-class quality and
recognition. Since then several other European varietals
were first introduced to California by winegrowers in Livermore.
These include Chardonnay, Petite Sirah and Cabernet Sauvignon.
The gravely soils and moderated climate favor both Burgundy
and Bordeaux varietals. Livermore Valley continues to develop
some of the best wines in the state.
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