Deering Wine
2008 Maus Vineyard Zinfandel
Zinfandel •Maus Vineyard
California: Sonoma Valley
Mission Briefing
Deerest one...
Todd and Blair Maus, proprietors of Deering Wines, were born to make wine. Their respective families have been involved in farming since the mid-1800s. Their family roots have spread across the centuries and today they are making remarkable Zinfandel on their own family vineyard, the Zin-perfect Maus Vineyard, in the Mayacamas region of the Sonoma County Viticulture area.
The Maus Vineyard was originally a part of the historic Beltane Ranch. The rocky slopes are comprised of volcanic basalt, shale and sandstone bedrocks. Combine these attributes with the sunny days and fog-cooled nights, and you have the perfect ingredients for spectacular Zinfandel.
Today’s 2008 Maus Vineyard Sonoma Valley Zinfandel was the smash hit of our recent tasting panel. Everyone loved the lush feel and richly extracted flavors of this wonderful wine, which we offer to you with our boldest recommendation.
Tasting Profile
| Look: | Ultra dark with some of the deepest purple hues we’ve seen in a Zinfandel. |
|---|---|
| Smell: | Perfumed and dark with concentrated blackberry, black cherry, black currant, toasty oak and black pepper. |
| Taste: | Very dark and velvet-soft on the palate, with juicy cherry, blackberry and mulberry. Just beneath the surface lurk savory spices, leather, sweet tobacco leaf and piquant black peppercorn. |
| Finish: | Extra long with a crushed velvet dryness that supports the fruit for a very long time. As fruit flavors fade, earth and spice persist even longer. |
| Pairing: | This wine would be delightful with anything served hot off the BBQ. A saucy Shanghai beef would also be a wonderful companion. |
What the Winery Says
100% Single Vineyard Zinfandel
Wine Profile
- Tasting Notes
- This is the second vintage from our organic vineyard. It has all the characteristics that we are learning to be the hallmarks of the Maus Vineyard, an incredibly smooth and well-balanced wine packed with ripe fruit and spice. The wine begins with fresh aromas of cherry and blackberry. Flavors of lush dark fruit followed by anise and toasty oak round out the palette giving way to a long spicy dry finish. As with the 2007 vintage that has already sold out, it is a great wine from beginning to end.
- Vineyard Notes
- Grapes were handpicked from the Maus Vineyard. Gentle handling and hand sorting of the grape clusters allows only the highest quality fruit to reach the fermentation tank.
- Vintage
- 2008
- Wine Type
- Red Wine
- Varietal
- Zinfandel
- Varietal Composition
- 100% Single Vineyard Zinfandel
- Appellation
- Sonoma Valley
- Aging
- Aged for 11 months in 50% French Oak Barrels & 50% American Oak Barrels (33% of which were new) before being bottled.
- Ageability
- Enjoy now or cellar for up to 5 years
- Fermentation
- Cold soaking for 3 days followed by cultured yeast inoculation and 10 days of fermentation. After the skins
- Alcohol %
- 15.1
About the Winery
In 2004, we purchased 16 acres of Old Vine Zinfandel and Maus Vineyards was established. Our property was part of the historic Beltane Ranch located in the Mayacamas region of the Sonoma County Viticulture area. The area is known for its rocky slopes of volcanic basalt, shale and sandstone bedrocks. The vines love the cool maritime influence accompanied by evening fog and many warm sunny days. Our property is at a high elevation which allows the fog to burn off sooner. This creates great morning sun exposure that carries through to the afternoon. As a result, the property is suited for many different varietals.
The Deering property totals 106 acres and we are very sensitive to the environment, practicing sustainable organic farming. The Deering name has a long history of agriculture in America, producing some of the first farming “machines” in the 1880’s. Blair (Deering) Maus’s family created the Deering Harvester Company which eventually became International Harvester.
Winemaker Todd Maus
Todd’s family has also been involved in farming for hundreds of years. Today he continues the dedication to improving agricultural practices and the love of farming started by his ancestors’ centuries ago. His biggest passion and fascination has been with beverages, to the point of brewing beer in his family’s garage. When he moved to the Bay Area, his passion for wine began. While working in San Francisco during the day, he took night courses on winemaking and grape growing in Napa at night.
Todd nurtures the vineyard with an eye to quality, not quantity.