David White

9.3

Deep ruby with lighter rim and lovely floral and spiced nose.
Tannins are silky smooth and well integrated.
Dark fruits on palate with balance of alcohol and acidity, AbV at 13% much lower than typical Oz Shiraz @14.5%
At 8 years this is likely at its optimal drinking age
Excellent Syrah from NZ. — 9 days ago

Kirsten Beverly

9.5

Smooth but welcomed acidic. Triangular. Stone fruit - more-so peach. Peppery with a hint of smoke on very end. Doesn’t overstay its welcome. If it was sweet it would a dessert. — 9 days ago

Harrison Mills

10

Fruity and Acidic. Ideal showcase of Malborough Sauvignon Blanc for Tara and Harrison. — 23 days ago

Joe DAscoli

9.4

Somewhat of a dessert wine and post dinner vino. This wine held up with great fruit and complexity. Really nice follow on to 25 year old CdP and high end champagne. Held its own with good concentration and depth. — 2 months ago

David White

9.4

What can I add - just read @Bob McDonalds notes
Excellent Tasmanian Pinot — a month ago

Brian Hearty

9.3

2021. Drove to Omaha to attend an Arnot-Roberts wine class and tasting, and got there early to enjoy some delicious oysters with a bottle of fantastic Chardonnay that wasn’t on the tasting list. Unfortunately, Nathan Roberts flights were delayed and the class was cancelled, but we’re going home with a bunch of tasty wines instead! — a month ago

Jay Kline

9.2

Popped and poured; enjoyed over the course of two days. Delicious throughout. The 2016 Contra Costa County pours a deep, slightly hazy garnet/purple with an opaque core; medium viscosity with moderate staining of the tears and signs of light sediment. On the nose, the wine is developing with notes of ripe and tart, mostly black and blue fruit: blackberries, blueberries, plums, Montmorency cherry, purple flowers, black pepper, dry gravelly earth. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is medium+. I’m very happy to have holed away some bottles from the first few years of Sandlands. Not only do I believe these older vintages are showing well, but I also believe his newer vintages will be even better. Drink now through 2031. — a month ago

Ed Chin

9.2

The softness reminded me of a cool location something like the north coast. — 7 days ago

Jeremiah Diaz

9.3

Clear, deep ruby in color; on the nose, it's clean with pronounced primary and secondary aromas of black currants, black plums, and cedar. On the palate, it's dry, medium acidity, high tannins, medium alcohol, medium body, and a pronounced intensity of primary and secondary flavors. It tastes like blackberries, eucalyptus, graphite, and black cherries with a long finish. This wine is a little off balanced (the eucalyptus flavor is a little too intense), complex, and intense. Overall, I would rate it as very good. Nellie liked it with steak. — 4 days ago

with Nellie

Ray Vanderhoff

9.2

Light ruby color with a garnet rim. Bright aromas of red berries, violets, rose petals, geraniums and forest floor. Ripe red cherry, strawberry, cranberry and boysenberry fruit flavors with additional notes of mushrooms, Earl Grey tea, sweet spices and dark chocolate. Pleasant hint of toasted oak on the long and linear finish. Well balanced with very fine tannins. Medium-plus body and nice density. Quite good. — 2 months ago