Bottle Notes

2013 Sandlands Carignane Mendocino County – Bottle Notes

Sandlands is the personal project of Tegan and Olivia Passalacqua. Tegan is the Winemaker and Vineyard Manager at Turley. The line-up encompasses some of the forgotten classic California varieties, primarily grown in decomposed granite from regions and vineyards that have been farmed for many generations but have remained the outliers of California viticulture. The wines made at Sandlands include Syrah, Trousseau, Carignane, Mataro and Chenin Blanc.

From the Ukiah Cemetery vineyard in Mendocino. This head-trained and dry-farmed vineyard was planted in 1953 and is farmed by the Colombini family.

Crimson in color. 13.8% ABV. Savory nose of black fruits, flowers, earth and pepper. Light and somewhat rustic. Black cherry, iron, raspberry and earth on the palate. The finish is long with drying tannins. Interesting for what it is but in this case I’m not sure I prefer Carignane as a stand alone as opposed to a component of a more traditional field blend. Drink over the next 1-2 years.

My rating: 89 points.

Seriously consider signing up for the Sandlands mailing list. Tegan has a model of exceptional wines at extremely fair prices from impeccable vineyards. What more can you ask for?

Sandlands fared well in The 2017 Zinfandel Chronicles Power Rankings.

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