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About This Business:
Nestled in the heart of the Dry Creek Valley, there are 26 very special acres we call Truett Hurst. Zinfandel and Petite Sirah vineyards, Dry Creek, 5… read more »
40 reviews for Mauritson Wines
40 reviews in English
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Review from Mandy L.
10/18/2011 1 Check-in Here
Maybe I am biased because I love the people who work here and they treated us so well while we visited the winery, but their wines are incredible. They are well known for their red varietals and VERY good at it!!!
They do offer a small batch of white so they can balance the options to please all palettes. I personally love red wines more than white but their chardonnay was pretty and crisp. I went home with their zin, sirah and petite syrah. They were each fruit forward, smooth on the finish and still bold.
The winery is located on Dry Creek Road which is incredible right now with fall colors-so now is the time to get there while you can and enjoy the sunshine on the patio and that incredible view!!!Listed in: Wine Tasting
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Review from Troy B.
San Francisco, CA
2/3/2012
Best Zins at best prices. Easy location, friendly staff and great starting off point to tasting in Dry Creek Valley. I always use their wines to acclimate my palate to start judging others.
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Review from Jeff H.
St Helena, CA
1/19/2012
Try their reserve tasting. Rockpile wines rock, and they have a ton of them, each better than the last! Unfortunately Rockpile wines are always a bit expensive, though theirs are reasonable compared to others. I wanted to get one of each, but had to settle for just one. Their port is amazing!
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Review from Arlene M.
4/21/2011
They both a free and reserve ($10) tasting so we had one of each. The wines were decent, but nothing really blew us away. It's possible that our palates were probably tired after 3 previous wineries, though.
However, I still didn't like how they didn't refund our tasting fee when buying one of the reserve wines, since most every other winery in the area will do that. Don't think I'll be going back. -
Review from Jim O.
Glendale, AZ
8/19/2011
What a great tasting room. The folks who work here were so nice, friendly and knowledgeable. Mary was a total kick to talk to and has some great stories. Rick knew the answer to every question threw at him. "How old is a old growth vine"? The wines were amazing and the staff generous. Make sure to try the Buck's Pasture & the Rockpile Zinfandel. I'll be back!
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Review from Allison K.
Arlington, VA
3/8/2010
I really like Mauritson. They're open and inviting, with really nice staff who are ready to explain anything you need. I haven't had a bad experience, and I've been here about 5 times. The wine is really good - even the stuff in the barrels.
And they had rockin brownies at the recent Wine Road event - one of only a few places that had food for the event. -
Review from Berg W.
San Jose, CA
3/12/2009
Mauritson perfectly illustrates what it takes to make transcendent wine. You take a great piece of land, plant the right grapes, grow them the best you can, and carefully coax the juice into a form that makes sense.
Tasting the '06 Rockpile Petite Sirah was a transcendent experience, because it's probably the most intense wine I've ever tasted. The reason this ridiculous wine made it to me was clearly the result of this process I mentioned above.
Adjacent to Dry Creek, Rockpile offers unique conditions for growing grapes. A literal pile of rocks, it stresses the vines into producing ridiculously intense fruit. Mauritson decided to compound this nature by introducing Petite Sirah, intense on its own, to the equation. As long as you don't screw it up along the way, you're going to get a very interesting wine.
I don't know if there's a food that's intense enough to pair with this wine...It might only be a robusto on the patio...seriously. I thought it was the most interesting wine I tasted there, but all of their Rockpile wines and estate wines were similarly well-crafted.
Their wines are very reasonably priced for the quality, I must say. They only make a couple hundred cases of their wines, so you almost feel lucky to have one for 40 bucks. One of my new favorite places in the area.Listed in: In Vino Veritas
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Review from Miss D.
Larkspur, CA
10/10/2010
Wow. Stopped here with a couple of friends that had been here years before and spent lots of time. Great wines. I generally dislike Chardonnay, but couldn't believe how great their Chardonnay is! Totally changed my mind about Chardonnay.
A really great atmosphere. Never felt pressured to move on, had a great conversation with the staff.
I left with a delicious bottle of Malbec with sadly didn't make it until the end of the week at home...I actually craved it a couple days later!
Will definetely be back, no question! And will definetely be joining their club. Should have done it when I was there. Dang that hindsight... -
Review from Tracy A.
Oakland, CA
10/27/2007 1 Check-in Here
Wow! I was completely blown away by all of their reserve wines. Uncle Bob, our tasting room attendant was spot on with all of his descriptions of each of the 7 wines we tasted here. He even poured us one that was not on the tasting menu but was one of my favorites: Buck Pasture 2005 Rockpile for $45 a bottle. I can't wait to check back and taste the port that is coming out on June 1st.
Here are the other wines we tasted:
2006 Sauvingnon Blanc for $17
2006 Chardonnay for $25
2004 Cab for $31
2004 Grower's Reserve Zin for $33
2005 Rockpile Cemetery Zin for $39
2005 Rockpile Petite Sirah only available in a magnum now for $75, they sold out of the 750 ml for $35, I can understand why after tasting it
I bought some for myself and some for my mom as a future Christmas gift. -
Review from Joey C.
San Francisco, CA
9/14/2010
I passed by Mauritson on a Saturday morning. The entire winery is picturesque and warm. Parking was abundant and the scenery around the area has luscious vineyards all around.
What was offered were free tasting of four wines and an additional four more for $10. Great value! And the wines themselves were very satisfying and diverse. From Zinfandels, Cabs, Malbecs, Syrahs, Sav Blanc and Pinots, there was a lot to choose from and they all had distinct qualities to them. Standouts were the Pinot, Zin and Malbec. The cab and the syrah weren't bad either!
For their part, the servers were all friendly, knowledgeable and engaging. A nice stop as you go around Healdsburg and Dry Creek. -
Review from Shyam P.
Oakland, CA
8/19/2007
Modern looking winery with a big tasting room and delicious wines. I really liked their Zin and Cab. I shoulda bought some. haha. The Zin Port was great too, not too sweet and incredibly smooth.
We didn't taste the rockpiles. -
Review from Jeff P.
Oakland, CA
Updated - 4/20/2009
Made it back here today and had a great time chatting with the pourer.
On a hot day, their '07 Sauv Blanc hit the spot. Very refreshing on a super hot day. I also enjoyed their '07 Alexander Valley Chard which although 100% barrel fermented only sees a small percentage of new oak. I found it the best of both worlds in the oak v no oak disputes.
What I liked most of all was the Jack's Cabin Vineyard Zinfandel from Rockpile under their Rockpile Winery label. Despite the 15.5% alc, it is a truly elegant Zin.
PS. Met one of my neighbors while tasting which was a plus and says something for the draw of this place as she came in to buy wine and did not do a tasting,Listed in: Dry Creek Valley Wineries
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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2/12/2008
I guess I had high expectations when I went here. But, I wasn't overly wowed. They were pouring a… Read more »
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Review from John G.
9/12/2006
Folks, here is the mother lode of wineries. This is my favorite winery in all of California, period! Others have some good wines, but Mauritson has many great wines. Unbelievable tasting wines. We dropped in after having a glass at the Dry Creek Kitchen the evening before. Everything was fine with great aromas, nose, and superb finishes. Oh hell, it just tastes like the best wine you ever had, period.
Easy off on Dry Creek Road with plenty of parking. Tasting room has a handsome bar to the left. Nicely decorated, and a section with old photos of the original generation of Mauritson's that settled the valley. Very friendly tasting staff. They were efficient, courteous and very knowledgeable.
The Rockpile zins are truly world class, IMHO. Clay is the son who now runs the operation with his wife, Carrie. His roots in the valley make him a true wine maker. He is extremely knowedgeable for his age, and his wines truly pontificate loudly his skill set.
Complex and full finishes. Paired with the food at the restaurant, the Dry Creek Zin simply rocked. The rare Rockpile (separate appellation) zin simply was out of this world.
We joined their club that day, and attended the first winemaker diinner. Fabulous.
This is the best tasting overall wine varietals in Dry Creek Valley, and that says it all!!! -
Review from Nenette Y.
San Francisco, CA
12/10/2006
Holy shite, I visited this winery and joined their wine club today and now have an unhealthy obsession for their zins, they're known for them and now I understand why...
I had a barrel tasting of their 2004 Rockpile Zin (can't wait til I can purchase in March!) and went home with 2 bottles of their Mauritson (Dry Creek) Zin (they're only allowed to sell 2 at a time because of demand).
Plenty of chairs inside so you can sit and take your time, very friendly staff... can't wait to go back, hopefully in a few months! -
Review from Lindsey S.
New York, NY
4/8/2008
This is one of my favorite wineries in the Dry Creek Valley. If you like Zinfandel, you absolutely must stop by Mauritson. Their Zins are very fruit-forward and jammy, which I love. Prices were in the $25-$30 range if I remember correctly.
The tasting room is intimate without being crowded and very tastefully done. Everyone who works there is quite friendly and they have a great back patio where you can take a bottle and enjoy with friends. -
Review from Bony K.
San Diego, CA
3/22/2008
Among the wineries I went to compared to in Sonoma area, I enjoyed this place. Relaxed, off in the more secluded area of the Dry Creek Valley area. It's a relaxed atmosphere with 2 lab dogs lounging around, there are umbrella outdoor seats if you need to sit down to snack on your own food. Just make sure the dogs don't get too tempted...
We ended up buying 2 bottles of wine out there. There is a complimentary tasting list & a reserve list that'll cost $10.Listed in: Sonoma County Wine Tasting…
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Review from segoe O.
Alta Loma, CA
11/24/2009 2 photos
A simple tasting room, open ceiling, glass-sided, warmed by the sun. Plus, good wines and people.
Especially if you like Zinfandel, this is a great place to enjoy. Mauritson has four Rockpile Zins sourced from different vineyards. There are even soil samples from each place for you to see and touch. The soil from Cemetery Vineyard is distinct in its greenish-grey color and slippery feel due to the minerals of the serpentine group.
You can do a side-by-side tasting of the four, a good way to take in the overall Zin character and to sense the differences among them.
The 2007 Malbec is 100% varietal and it outshines the 2006 one, which is blended with Cab and Cab Franc. Try the '06 Petite Sirah if you want a taste of sweeping tannins.
The hostess is gregarious and shares details of the wines with you. Because she's also a soon-to-be mom, she swirls many but cannot sip; I feel for her.
Mauritson is still relatively small in production, but you get a sense that the business is thriving. -
Review from Ian B.
Los Angeles, CA
8/3/2009
Clay has been working his ass off for years to make this a special spot, and he has succeeded to a very high level.
Carrie, his adorable wife, has become an attraction in the tasting room and don't forget to ask about the baby or the puppies.
The wines are some of the best in Sonoma - great quality, balance and age ability. I just opened a few early wines and they are amazing (99-01-02).
Zinfandel is the top grape in Dry Creek, but Clay has made some huge progress with Cab and Syrah...
The port here is a crowd stopper as well.
Hard to leave Mauritson without saying "best stop we made all weekend." -
Review from The R.
Napa, CA
4/30/2011
Stumbled upon this winery during wine road. Oh boy, what a FIND it was. Yes, I joined the club immediately. I can't wait to return. Oh yes, and I found a place in the city that pours their wine (Barrique).
Their Rockpile Zin is AMAZING! Even after many visits to other places locally, this place really stood out amongst the rest. -
Review from Jim T.
Geyserville, CA
4/24/2011 1 Check-in Here
The Mauritson family has managed to produce some excellent wines at affordable prices. The winery itself is open, airy and pleasant. The staff is helpful and friendly---what's not to love?
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Review from jocelyn l.
San Francisco, CA
Updated - 8/2/2010 1 Check-in Here
Just wanted to update my review because my friends and I dropped by this weekend and Rick was our pourer; he was So personable, fun, knowledgeable and Nice. We bought 2 bottles of wine just because he was warm & Friendly!
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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6/15/2010
Busy tasting room, huge tasting list, generous pours.
Our pourer (forgot his name) was a… Read more »
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Review from Elizabeth G.
San Jose, CA
1/19/2009
Amazing experience. I believe we tasted 8 or 9 wines, most were good and some were great. We were here early Sunday for the Winter Wineland event and were the first in the door. All of the staff was very friendly and they set up the tasting stations well (it felt like they'd never end!). They also had some of THE best truffles to pair with one of the wines. It was very well done and memorable. We all agreed that it was the perfect start to day 2 of our trip.
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Review from Dylan S.
Fremont, CA
7/17/2010
Great vintner. We had been touring vineyards all day but really enjoyed the zinfandel and pinot noir offered for our tasting. Great family business that has been in place for 6 generations - amazing!
My small group was fortunate enough to have a private tour of the facilities w/ Clay Mauritson and I was very impressed when I heard about the history of their business, their expansion from grape growing to grapes and wine making a little over a decade ago, and their passion for the business. Inspiring.
It was the only place we bought wine from all day - going with the pinot noir and zinfandel... -
Review from Poochie M.
San Francisco, CA
6/4/2006 1 photo
My favorite winery on the planet. Carrie, Clay, Soho and Chelsea rock! Mauritson is one of the top producers of Rockpile Zinfandel and Petite Syrah. Unfortunately, or maybe fortunately, they're still a small winery, which allows them to put special care into each barrel, but it also means their most sought after wines are sold out before they're released. The grower's reserve zins have been awesome the last two years in a row, the 2002 cabernet is lovely and very drinkable, but the Rockpile Zin and Petite Sirah will always be my favorite.
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Review from ESSEX C.
Martinez, CA
9/2/2010
Great winery to start our Healdsburg (Sonoma County) wine tasting trip. Nice relaxed atmosphere and very knowledgable staff. Got greeted by the owners dogs. Great Zinfandel, which my wife swears we still had more of, but we had already emptied the bottle
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Review from Jen N.
7/26/2010
My friend and I had a great time here. Beautiful grounds and great wines. The zinfandels are pretty wonderful, the reserve blend they had was excellent and their dessert wine was subtly sweet (as opposed to sickly sweet like others can be). Also, the people behind the wine bar were as sweet as could be.
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Review from Caitlin B.
Dixon, CA
10/20/2010
Love this place, LOVE their wines and am a wine club member. Have always had a great experience tasting here - great staff, fab wines. They can tell you about places to lunch, sleep, tour in Healdsberg and the Dry Creek Valley...very gracious. They know every thing about their wines and they are accommodating when guests are accompanied by children, I just can't say enough good things.
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Review from claudia y.
South San Francisco, CA
1/11/2010
this place is more on the modern side. we came here with our lunch from the general store and they came out right away to dry off the picnic table and chairs. they are dog friendly so kody got to run around with another bulldog who was visiting. they allow dogs into the tasting room too but we opted to keep kody outside.
the healdsburg wineries are known mainly for their zinfandels. and we came away with a few bottles.Listed in: wine country!, doggy favorites
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Review from Jan W.
Martinez, CA
3/18/2010
This place rocks. From bold zin's to sirah's so big you can spread it on toast. The first time we visited we became members and love the bi-monthly shipments. And...wait till you meet Rick in the tasting room; he always has a good story about his mother, or a dog or something random about Clay. This place feels like home and though it's got lots of competition in this sublime Dry Creek Valley this one is heads above most. Oh...try Jacks Cabin. No seriously...trust me.
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Review from infamousbat ..
Oakland, CA
11/21/2006
This little family owned winery was suggested to us by another winery nearby and it turned out to be wonderful! Completely relaxed, complimentary tastings and no pressure to buy anything. We were greeted by 2 beautiful and friendly labrador dogs and the women helping us was really pleasant too. We did buy 2 bottles (2004 Mauritson Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel), considered joining the wine club but unlike some other wineries I'd been too she was quick to say we could easily decide later and fax it over at another time. Nothing worse than being pressured to buy. None of this here. If you like reds, definitely stop here for some tasty wine.
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Review from Eme L.
Mountain View, CA
4/4/2010
Got here just as they were closing - it was during barrel-tasting weekend. Snuck in anyway (they didn't seem to mind) and had a few interesting tastes. Namely, zin and cab. Since we were rushed, didn't get a chance to really get a good feel for the place and the wine. May try back again later.
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Review from Rory D.
San Francisco, CA
5/13/2009
This winery is in the heart of Healdsburg and is a MUST stop for anyone visiting vineyards. The staff is as friendly and knowledgeable as they come! Strongly recommend trying any of the Rockpile Zins- walked out with two bottles and drank them within the first week.
I will certainly be returning to Mauritson on my next trip! -
Review from Ellie F.
2/24/2010
We really enjoyed our tasting at Mauritson. The soil samples and explanations mentioned by other reviewers make it stand out. Also - seats in the tasting room are a rarity, and a definite plus on a long day of touring.
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Review from I C U.
McKinney, TX
4/30/2010
Fun place to visit. Some yummy zins and sirahs for sure. Nice sitting area outside and cute little tasting room. Friendly staff and willing to pour. We opened up a bottle of Rockpile Zin at Bottega a few days later and it really needed some time to open up. But it was good.
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Review from Mark C.
Healdsburg, CA
2/5/2007
Their Sauvignon Blanc is great. I love its crisp, dry, grassy style. The Zins however are grossly overoaked.
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Review from Nik D.
San Francisco, CA
10/5/2008
Very enjoyable overall. The port was exceptional as was the Pinot. The zins weren't too shabby as well. Great service and very knowledgeable.
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Review from helen t.
2/4/2008
we only tasted 2 o 3 wines here for $5. tasting was ok, and the ladies were super nice, but i didn't buy anything.
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Review from Liz O.
Houston, TX
10/6/2009
Wines were bland.
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Review from Richard H.
Abingdon, VA
10/6/2009
Inattentive. Wines not remarkable. Average at best. Server was not helpful or informative. Server unkempt.
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Review from Jon H.
Vienna, VA
6/9/2009
What a great surprise from a known entity of wineries. Dropped in early and was blown away by the consistency and quality of all of their wines. Usually if the wines are this good, the people pouring tend to be stuffy, but great people and great place. Cheers!
