2022 Rootdown Cellars Riesling, Cole Ranch, California, USA
There are 4 units left in stock.
ABOUT THIS WINE
Hand harvested in ½ ton micro bins, upon delivery at the winery I foot tread the bins and cold soak on skins/stems for 24 hrs. Post-cold soak it goes straight to press, after which the wine is transferred to a stainless-steel tank and settled. Post settling, I’ll rack to another tank and keep the light, fluffy clean lees. I allow the fermentation to take off spontaneously and then transfer to neutral oak barrels once the wine has dropped 3-4 degrees in Brix. Once the wine is dry or tastes the way I feel it should be, I’ll add 10ppm of SO2 to clean up the wine and prevent any oxidation or off flavors. After the addition I rack the wine to tank to finish off its elevage. I do this for a few reasons – to keep the alcohol down, maintain aromatics and keep it in a place of reduction for pallet texture. 33 days before bottling I’ll cool the tank down to 33 degrees for cold stabilization. This wine is sterile filtered and is bottled with less than 10ppm of free sulfur. I feel that whatever is natural in the vineyard will be that way in the bottle as well.
ABOUT THIS PRODUCER
Rootdown was started by winemaker/owner Mike Lucia in 2014 initially as a rose-focused brand but has since grown to produce rose, white, and red. Mike got his start in wine at a very early age growing up in Healdsburg in Sonoma. After working for producers such as Ridge and earning a viticulture degree from Fresno State, Mike became the assistant winemaker at Copain in 2010. He oversaw the Tous Ensemble program and oversaw most aspects of day to day winemaking. Upon Copain’s sale to Kendall Jackson, Mike is now able to fully focus on Rootdown. Considered one of the most talented young winemakers in California, Rootdown is a label to watch.