“I think the greatest expression of a winemaker is to produce a Zinfandel with wonderful structure and balance.” —Clay Mauritson
They call it “Rockpile”—a rugged, hilly area of approximately 15,000 acres northwest of Healdsburg renowned for its structured and balanced Zinfandels. “It’s what makes us different from everyone else,” says Clay Mauritson, winemaker at Mauritson Family Winery, whose family has owned and farmed property in the Rockpile area contiguously since 1868. “There’s no doubt that this is one of the most special places in the world to grow grapes, especially Zinfandel,” he adds.
This isn’t the first time Mauritson has earned a NorthBay biz award for its Zin. In 2009, it was voted tops in our readers poll; last year, the winery won for its Sauvignon Blanc. The winery produces nearly 20 distinct wines, most of them single vineyard and small lots (all but three are less than 500 cases annually).
“To be a repeat winner is amazing,” Mauritson says. “There are so many great wineries in the North Bay that it’s an honor to be a part of this community.
“Zinfandel is such a difficult grape to grow that I think the greatest expression of a winemaker is to produce a Zin with wonderful structure and balance,” Mauritson says. “If you believe in the adage that wine is made in the vineyard, then you’ll understand why you need more attention to detail in your viticulture practices when you’re making Zin.”
Mauritson says the key to the winery’s success is its remarkable staff. “They deserve a huge amount of credit for what we do. Everyone shares in our vision of an unyielding commitment to quality.” So does the family: Brothers Bob, Blake and Cameron and father, Thom, run the vineyard business, which is a thriving operation in its own right. Annually, Mauritson sells more than 75 percent of its fruit to other premium North Bay wine producers.
Mauritson also plans to introduce two new single-vineyard Zinfandels from Rockpile to round out the collection. “The 2012 Uncles Block and Black Sheep Zinfandels will be released in 2014,” he says. “It’s a wonderful position to be in that all of our growth is coming from our family’s Rockpile vineyards.”
Mauritson is already looking ahead to the third annual Project Zin celebration on August 17, a charity event that he and his wife, Carrie, and Chef Charlie Palmer started to raise money for the Down Syndrome Association of the North Bay (DSANB).
“It’s a collection of the 21 greatest Zinfandels from California paired with some of the top restaurants in the North Bay,” Mauritson says. “Our oldest son has Down Syndrome, and we wanted to make sure we were doing everything in our power to raise awareness and be an advocate for him and all the other wonderful individuals in the North Bay who were blessed with an extra chromosome.”
