Enter Sandlands
6/27/25 -
It’s always a good day when we receive a new drop from Sandlands, one of our favorite California producers who perennially turn out some of the most compelling wines in the region. Today feels particularly special, welcoming the much-anticipated 2023s, a spectacular vintage with a long, cool, fairly even growing season which has already birthed a slew of amazing wines showing tremendous balance and finesse while still packing enough substance to go the distance.
Winemaker and Old Vine Afficionado Tegan Passalacqua (photo: Skurnik)
Sandlands Vineyards is the project of longtime Turley winemaker Tegan Passalacqua, who has become a sort of old-vine guru in California, seeking out and rehabilitating some of the state’s oldest and most historic vineyards planted to less-common varietals such as Mataro (Mourvèdre), Cinsault, Carignane and Trousseau. These vines have been through a lot, many going back over a hundred years and surviving through prohibition, industrialization and even the Parker era. Tegan seeks out places that are own-rooted and have been dry farmed for generations, and employs a minimalist approach in the cellar, allowing the grapes and the land to speak for themselves. The wines strike a perfect balance of character and consistency, never veering too far off the rails but always engaging and full of life. They can age tremendously well too—late last year I was fortunate enough to attend a dinner organized by a close friend of the store which showcased Sandlands wines going back 15 years, and to many there (including myself) the wine of the night was the 2010 Mataro. It had developed layers and layers of spice and tertiary notes of dried leaves, leather and tobacco while still dark-fruited and strong at the core. It was a full sensory experience, enveloping and completely intoxicating, the type of wine where your surroundings momentarily melt away as you’re transported somewhere magical. These 2023s should be similarly ageworthy if you’re inclined to stash some away. We’re thrilled to be able to offer small amounts of Mataro, Carignane, Cinsault, Trousseau and a recent addition to the lineup, Assyrtiko, as well as the always incredible and sometimes overlooked Lodi Red Table Wine, a blend of Cinsault, Carignane and Zinfandel that makes for a perfect BBQ or cookout wine, just in time for summer!
-Jeff DiLorenzo
