2015 Mauritson Loam Cabernet Sauvignon (Loam)

Loam Single Soil Wines is a Healdsburg, Sonoma County, venture developed by Clay and Carrie Mauritson. Their focus is to make limited release Cabernet Sauvignon from some of their family’s best vineyards. The Mauritson family has been farming in the area since the 19th century and since the 1990s Clay Mauritson has been making his own wines. He is the winemaker for Loam Cabernet Sauvignon. The Mauritsons note that “most world-renown viticultural regions consist of loam soils (and) Sonoma County is no exception. Within the loam family of soils is an array of classifications, or ‘series,’ identified and catalogued by four distinctive features: compositions, depth, slope and geographical location.”

Sonoma County is not an AVA, but it is a commonly used informal designation for wines made outside of more specific AVAs within Sonoma, which is a large wine producing region just west of Napa Valley. Though Sonoma is often overshadowed by its glamorous neighbor Napa Valley, it has a long history of wine production. The area specialized in jug wine until the mid-20th century, when Sonoma producers took a cue from Napa and started improving quality. Unlike Napa, where Cabernet Sauvignon is king, Sonoma specialized in Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Zinfandel, though excellent Cabs are produced too. There are at present 16 AVAs within Sonoma County, and, like much of the West Coast of the United States, new AVAs are created in Sonoma County with regularity. Some Sonoma appellations, such as the Russian River Valley, are renowned for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.

One of the most widely grown grape varieties, it can be found in nearly every wine growing region. A cross between Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc. It’s a hardy vine that produces a full-bodied wine with high tannins and great aging potential.