Rootdown Wine Cellars Sangiovese 'Jane's Vineyard'

Rootdown Wine Cellars' Mendocino County Sangiovese comes from Jane's Vineyard, a tiny two acre organic plot near the base of Duncan Peak in Hopland, farmed by Jane, a retired vineyard hobbyist devoted to biodiversity. Rootdown has been sourcing fruit from her since 2016. The vineyard sits on Talmage soils, deep, well drained ground formed from mixed alluvium, and the grapes are hand harvested and split between whole cluster and de-stemmed fermentation, with a délestage approach used to gently separate juice from solids during fermentation. The wine is made by winemaker Mike Lucia, whose Rootdown label focuses on single varietal, single vineyard wines that emphasize earth and texture over pure fruit, with a low intervention, hands-off style built around low alcohol and high acidity. In the glass, this Sangiovese offers soft minerality alongside spicy dark fruit and candied cranberry on the nose, layered with black cherry, cedar, and red tea. The palate is supple and textured, showing plum peel, pomegranate, cool rosemary, licorice, and a distinctive hibiscus like tannin structure. There's a pleasant mid palate grip and a sense of sweetness on the fruit, though the wine finishes completely dry.