2022 Mauritson - Cabernet Sauvignon Sonoma County Rockpile (750ml)

The Mauritson family has been growing grapes in Dry Creek Valley since 1868, starting with a Rockpile homestead that grew to 1,600 hectares by the early 1960s. When the Army Corps of Engineers acquired most of that land to create Lake Sonoma, the family kept 280 ridgetop hectares. Clay Mauritson released the first Mauritson Wines vintage in 1998 and soon planted new Rockpile vineyards. The winery now calls itself the largest grower and producer of Rockpile wines.

The 2022 Rockpile Ridge Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon comes from the Rockpile appellation, which straddles a ridge between two arms of Lake Sonoma. Although it sits only about 13 miles from the Pacific, the lake creates an inversion layer that holds back heavy coastal fog, giving the vines longer, steadier sun exposure. The wine is built on Cabernet Sauvignon and blended with small portions of Malbec, Petit Verdot, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc, then aged in French oak barrels.

Shaved cocoa and vanilla pod frame savory swirls of star anise and sweet woodsmoke. The entry is youthful and energetic, leading into the full-bodied, concentrated style that defines Rockpile Cabernet. This is a bold hillside wine with the intensity and complexity the appellation is known for.