Red Table Wine (Lodi) 2021 94VM
Sandlands

• 100% whole cluster
• 100% aged in concrete tanks

94 pts Vinous Media (Galloni)
The 2021 Red Table Wine (Lodi) is rich dark and expressive but in the style that runs through all the wines. Succulent dark cherry dried herbs menthol and rose petal all build beautifully in the glass. There’s terrific depth and textural intensity not to mention tons of character. The red-toned fruit of Carignane is really popping today. Zinfandel Carignane and Cinsault in equal parts make for a compelling red.

Tegan Passalacqua, the long-time winemaker for the Turley wines, is really coming into his own with his personal wine label, Sandlands. We have a nice look at his red blend that nailed a 94 from Vinous with a few cases in stock. Get in while the pricing remains pre-hype which won't last based on these scores!

Tegan has been named Winemaker of the Year by both San Francisco Chronicle and Food & Wine Magazine.

Tegan Passalacqua is a well-known winemaker and viticulturist based in California. He is the owner and winemaker of Sandlands Vineyards, which he founded in 2010. Tegan is also the Director of winemaking at Turley Wine Cellars, where he has worked since 2013. Tegan is known for his passion for old vineyards and traditional winemaking techniques. He has a deep respect for the history and heritage of California winemaking, and he works to preserve and promote the state’s viticultural traditions.

By Antonio Galloni on January 2023: This is a stellar set of wines from Sandlands and Tegan Passalacqua. The 2021s are superb across the board. Given a smaller range in 2020, Passalacqua bounced back with his largest collection ever in 2021. Hopefully, that means these small-production wines should be a bit easier to find. Passalacqua sources from several heritage vineyards. All the wines in this range are single-vineyard offerings but labeled under county designations. “It’s a bit old-school, but that’s how wines were labeled when I was a kid,” Passalacqua explains. As always, the wines are done in a style that favors energy and freshness. The reds see 100% stem inclusion (except as noted) and are aged in neutral oak. The 2020s are solid across the board but naturally reflect the limitations of a challenging year marked by intense heat, drought, and wildfires. I find these artisan wines consistently engaging and beautiful as they show respect for California’s rich viticultural history but in a quite contemporary style.

94 pts Vinous Media (Galloni)
The 2021 Red Table Wine (Lodi) is rich dark and expressive but in the style that runs through all the wines. Succulent dark cherry dried herbs menthol and rose petal all build beautifully in the glass. There’s terrific depth and textural intensity not to mention tons of character. The red-toned fruit of Carignane is really popping today. Zinfandel Carignane and Cinsault in equal parts make for a compelling red.

Winery Note: "25 barrels produced. An intentional blend of three varieties and three vineyards in three equal parts, this wine is composed of Cinsault from the Bechthold Vineyard (1886), Carignane from Spenker Ranch (1900) and Zinfandel from Kirschenmann Vineyard (1915), our home ranch in Victor. Black cherry, orange zest, black tea, bright, velvety finish."