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 vineyard was planted in the 1920s in what is classified as Dehli blow sand.
Purple in color. 13.2% ABV. Grapey nose of black fruits, mint and citrus. Medium body with mouth watering acidity. Young and still somewhat primary. Black cherry, blackberry, earth and pepper on the palate. The finish is long with prominent, chalky tannins. I often find the wines from Sandlands to be lighter in style but this one is an outlier. Give it some time. Best over the next 3-5 years.
My rating: 91 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?