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.
Kirschenmann Vineyard is situated on the East Side of Lodi’s Mokelumne River AVA and was planted in 1915.
Purple in color. 14.6% ABV. Gorgeous nose of red fruits, citrus, and soil. Medium body with perfect acidity. Claret style Zinfandel but somewhat decadent given the Sandslands house style of lighter, low alcohol wines. Cherries, plums, cocoa and pepper on the palate. Exceptional length on the finish. This wine grew on me as the night went along. Better than the 2018 that I also enjoyed. Drink over the next 3-5 years.
My rating: 94 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.