Sandlands 2016

6/22/18 -

We are excited to offer today our new allocation of 2016 wines from Sandlands Vineyards, one of our very favorite producers working in California today. The passion project of Tegan and Olivia Passalacqua (the winemaker at Turley Wine Cellars and a partner at Folio Fine Wine Partners respectively), Sandlands emphasizes old vineyards from previously neglected varietals, grown on predominantly decomposed sandy soils that are ungrafted, dry-farmed, and head-trained. Specializing in virtuosic vineyard work, their wines are now renowned examples of the old-vine renaissance in California.

First we have their 2016 California Chenin Blanc, sourced equally from the Kirschenmann vineyard, owned and farmed by Tegan and Olivia, and the Buddha vineyard, a site planted in 1944 now owned and farmed by the City of 10,000 Buddhas, the largest Buddhist monastery in the Western Hemisphere, conveniently located on the viticulturally significant upper plateau of the Talmage bench in Mendocino. The Kirschenmann vineyard, planted in 1915, is situated near the Mokelumne river. Kirschenmann is thus protected from the worst of Lodi's ferocious heat: most days the vineyard itself is cooler than Calistoga or St. Helena. A truly classic California chenin blanc. 12 barrels produced.

We also have limited numbers of three different reds. The first, the 2016 Sonoma Coast Trousseau is sourced from the Bohan vineyard, located on the same single-access road as Hirsch Vineyards less than three miles from the Pacific, and situated at 1400 feet. The fruit is sourced from a block of Trousseau farmed by Tegan planted on gravelly loam soil derived from originally from sandstone and shale. We also have three bottles each of the 2016 Contra Costa Carignane, from vines planted in the late 1920s in Dehli blow sand (decomposed granite deposited by wind and/or water), of which only 4 barrels were produced, and the 2016 San Benito Mataro, sourced from the Enz vineyard, planted in 1923 in a mix of granite and limestone-rich soils.

In addition to the 2016s, we are excited to offer a number of different cuvées of back-vintage Sandlands wines that we have kept in our cellar here at Chambers Street that are a one-time offering. Enjoy!

-Andrew Farquhar