Sandlands
Nebbiolo
Sonoma County, California, USA
Ruby red, moderate to high pigment extraction. Red fruit aromas, cherry flavor mostly, strawberry and floral finish with light seed tannins, on the tactile side. After 15 minutes, big tannic backbone emerges, seeds and skin contact. Wood apparent after an hour. Needs time to open and worthy of longer cellaring than I gave it. Sad, that. Almost smooth and drinkable after 24 hours, though some of us can navigate those heavy tannin levels just fine.
Ruby red, moderate to high pigment extraction. Red fruit aromas, cherry flavor mostly, strawberry and floral finish with light seed tannins, on the tactile side. After 15 minutes, big tannic backbone emerges, seeds and skin contact. Wood apparent after an hour. Needs time to open and worthy of longer cellaring than I gave it. Sad, that. Almost smooth and drinkable after 24 hours, though some of us can navigate those heavy tannin levels just fine.
Sep 11th, 2024
Popped and poured and enjoyed like I prefer to drink most Nebbiolo-based wines: no decant, so I can experience all of their typical transformations in real time. At this very youthful stage, the 2019 “Nebbiolo” from Sandlands pours a deep ruby with a transparent core. Medium+ viscosity. No obvious staining of the tears. On the nose, tremendous freshness which has become somewhat a hallmark for Sandlands wines of any variety. Dark cherries, eucalyptus, some tar, cumin, and savory minerals. On the palate, the freshness follows through. The wine is dry and carries the structure that I want and expect from Nebbiolo: tannins are perceived as high with medium+ acid. The fruits and non-fruits are confirmed. The finish is long and thoroughly enjoyable. There is an Old World sensibility to this that I found super attractive. I should never doubt Tegan’s talent and approach to winemaking but this humble Nebbiolo from the Fountain Grove AVA in Sonoma was beyond my expectations. For a little context, I have an affinity for the wines of Piemonte and particularly those made from Nebbiolo. This bottle was enjoyed directly after a 2018 Ferrando Carema (Etichetta Bianca) and it more than held its own albeit the Ferrando’s pedigree was obvious, having more elegance and a touch more complexity. Nevertheless, this is far and away the best Nebbiolo I’ve had outside of Piemonte and would certainly give me a challenge if served blind. Sadly, only six 300L hogsheads were produced. I sincerely hope to see more Nebbiolo from Sandlands in the future. Drink now and through 2034.
Popped and poured and enjoyed like I prefer to drink most Nebbiolo-based wines: no decant, so I can experience all of their typical transformations in real time. At this very youthful stage, the 2019 “Nebbiolo” from Sandlands pours a deep ruby with a transparent core. Medium+ viscosity. No obvious staining of the tears. On the nose, tremendous freshness which has become somewhat a hallmark for Sandlands wines of any variety. Dark cherries, eucalyptus, some tar, cumin, and savory minerals. On the palate, the freshness follows through. The wine is dry and carries the structure that I want and expect from Nebbiolo: tannins are perceived as high with medium+ acid. The fruits and non-fruits are confirmed. The finish is long and thoroughly enjoyable. There is an Old World sensibility to this that I found super attractive. I should never doubt Tegan’s talent and approach to winemaking but this humble Nebbiolo from the Fountain Grove AVA in Sonoma was beyond my expectations. For a little context, I have an affinity for the wines of Piemonte and particularly those made from Nebbiolo. This bottle was enjoyed directly after a 2018 Ferrando Carema (Etichetta Bianca) and it more than held its own albeit the Ferrando’s pedigree was obvious, having more elegance and a touch more complexity. Nevertheless, this is far and away the best Nebbiolo I’ve had outside of Piemonte and would certainly give me a challenge if served blind. Sadly, only six 300L hogsheads were produced. I sincerely hope to see more Nebbiolo from Sandlands in the future. Drink now and through 2034.
Dec 19th, 2022
Definitely would benefit from more time, but excellent all the same. Very structured, dark and a little dusty. Far more typical of Piemonte Nebbiolo than most ÇA Nebbiolo I’ve tasted. Well worth a look
Definitely would benefit from more time, but excellent all the same. Very structured, dark and a little dusty. Far more typical of Piemonte Nebbiolo than most ÇA Nebbiolo I’ve tasted. Well worth a look
Feb 10th, 2023