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. 13.3% ABV. Pretty nose of tart red fruits, citrus and earth. Light body with nice acidity. Delicate and ethereal. Cranberry, cherry, blood orange and minerals on the palate. The finish is long and spicy. Previous vintages of this wine presented were more akin to a Gamay but I would have guessed Rosé here had I been tasting blind. With that being the case I’d save bottles until a warm Summer night next year.
My rating: 88 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?