Rockpile AVA

Last Friday was a treat for my wine friends and my husband. My latest wine club shipment arrived from Mauritson Winery. My husband and I discovered the winery 2 years ago on a trip to Sonoma. It has become one of our favorite wine producers. We especially enjoy their Rockpile wines, and received the 2010 Rockpile Jack’s Cabin Zinfandel and 2010 Rockpile Westphall Ridge Zinfandel.

If you haven’t heard of the Rockpile AVA (American Viticultural Area) before, it isn’t surprising. This AVA is one of the newest in the country, becoming official just 10 years ago on April 29, 2002. This AVA can be found just northwest of the Dry Creek Valley AVA in Sonoma County. The grapes here are grown at a high elevation, at least 800 feet, with 95% of the grapes grown at 1,000 feet or higher. Because of its elevation and proximity to Lake Sonoma, fog is limited and the exposure to the sun is increased. Wind is also a factor, and the soil is quite rocky. All these factors help to produce smaller clusters of fruit with smaller grapes. As a result, some excellent wines are produced. We especially love the Zinfandels that come from the Rockpile area.

As I was saying, my husband and I discovered this AVA two years ago while visiting the Healdsburg area. We both love Pinot Noirs and Zinfandels, so we thought this area would be a great base. We stayed at a wonderful hotel, Hotel Healdsburg, which is located on the square in this charming town. The concierge recommended a number of wineries not to be missed. Mauritson Family Winery was one of these. One taste of the Rockpile Zinfandel and we were hooked. They produce four different Zins; Rockpile Ridge, Westphall Ridge, Jack’s Cabin, and Cemetery Zinfandel. All have distinct qualities; Jack’s Cabin is definitely the jammiest, with Westphall Ridge I find more refined. All have a great finish with varying degrees of spiciness. We also very much enjoy their 2009 Madrone Springs Rockpile Syrah.

So if you are ever in the Healdsburg area, the Mauritson Winery is definitely worth a visit. Try their wonderful Zins, or if you aren’t a Zin fan some of their other wonderful wines. The staff is friendly and if you’re lucky one of their Labs will be there! If you won’t be in California any time soon, visit them at www.mauritsonwine.com.

Cheers,
Beth