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, Chenin Blanc and at long last a Zinfandel from Kirschenmann Vineyard.
The fruit for this wine was sourced from Bohan Vineyard in Cazadero on the Sonoma Coast.
Light orange red in color. Almost translucent. 12.4% ABV. Pretty nose of red fruits, earth and citrus. Light to medium body with exquisite acidity. Cherry, strawberry, mushroom and a hint of watermelon Jolly Rancher on the palate. Nice length on the finish. Well made and easy to drink but I would give a slight nod to the ’17 that I opened earlier this year. Drink over the next several years.
My rating: 90 points.
Seriously consider signing up for the Sandlands mailing list. Tegan has a model of unique wines at extremely fair prices from overlooked vineyards. What more can you ask for?
Sandlands fared well in The 2020 Zinfandel Chronicles Power Rankings.