Tom Casagrande

9.1

This really does live into the moniker “Red Table Wine.” 100 year old vines. Pure sand vineyards. 75% Carignane 35% Mataro. No one varietal stands out. It’s just gutsy and deep and balanced and good. Little bit of everything: ripe fruit, earth, spice, acids, tannin. — 3 days 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. — 3 months ago

Jay Kline

9.3

Popped and poured; enjoyed over the course of an hour. No formal notes due to the setting however, looking back on my previous notes, that assessment still applies. The 2017 Amador County continues to be an absolutely delicious expression of the variety. Drink now through 2032.  — a month ago

romo

9.0

White Madeira with a scotch note and orange zest. A nice science project. — 2 months ago

Raul Puga

9.3

Really good. — 4 months ago

romo

9.3

Watermelon salad w fresh cracked pepper. California dreaming. — 4 months ago

Clay Bullwinkel

9.3

Excellent well balance Zin — 23 days ago

Jonathan Wall

9.1

Started out sharp and tart… but after a few hours balanced out into a beautiful wine. Floral dark berries. Medium everything in a good way. — a month ago

David Shaw

9.0

Purple, slightly cloudy. Blackberry and graphite in nose and mouth, light alcohol in the house style. Light seed tannin bitterness.. Only allocated one bottle. Beef ragu overwhelmed the wine, so I’d advise drinking it on its own first. Still not sure what this varietal should taste like, even with two hours decanting. Gotta drink more of these — 3 months ago

Raul Puga

9.3

WOW. Well done Tegan. So delicious — 4 months ago