2022 Sandlands Vineyards, Cinsault, Lodi, California.
A bit riper and more expressive than the 2021 edition the the bright ruby/garnet 2022 Sandlands Cinsault is Pinot Noir like silky, smooth and fresh with tangy strawberry, black cherry, brambly raspberry tree picked plum and tart lingonberry fruits, along with delicate florals, chalky stones, minty herbs, a touch of earth and candied orange rind accents. This vintage actually reminds me of a Frappato, the native grape of the Vittoria region of Sicily, with its medium bodied palate and juicy charm, a bit less Beaujolais like in personality and it was terrific with a pizza and has plenty of acidity to keep things crisply focused, plus the lower natural alcohol 12.6% is a bonus. I tried it both at cellar temperature and chilled down, and it was great both ways, though I think I preferred it with the chill on it. The Cinsault grape is found throughout the Rhone, Languedoc and Provence regions of France, where it is mostly a minor player in Reds and Rosé, though its influence in the wines should not be overlooked and most are significantly better with the addition of this grape, as it retains good acidity, has modest sugars and provides life to the resulting wines. When done solo, most people think of it as the south of France’s (or here in warm California) great alternative to Cru Beaujolais, it is seriously tasty stuff and easily quaffable, especially done in the whole cluster style, like this Sandlands. In winemaker Tegan Passalaacqua’s Sandlands fabulous collection of hand crafted and authentic wines, which are mainly made with whole bunches, native yeasts and aged in neutral oak barrels, I always love this one and recommend getting on the mailing list here.
This Sandlands Cinsault comes from the historic 135 plus year old Bechthold Vineyard, as Tegan Passalacqua notes, was originally planted back in 1886, this Cinsault vineyard is the oldest of its kind in the country—perhaps even beyond. The legendary vines here are gnarly, head-trained and planted on their own roots, it is all organic and dry-farmed, and set in deep, sandy soils, it makes for a distinctly California wine, as Tegan’s shows, that is terroir driven and always delicious. Over the last ten years Passalacqua, along with a few others of his generation, have become the keepers of the faith of California wine history and are very influenced by old school wines rather than modern trends. The Sandlands version, as I’ve said many times, is one of the best examples of California Cinsault, along with the Turley Bechthold, that Tegan oversees as well, it provides joyous purity and drinking pleasure, that makes it so compelling for fans of this grape. As mentioned many times here at Grapelive.com, Sandlands Vineyards, the personal project of Tegan Passalacqua, who is the head winemaker and vineyard manager at the famed Turley Cellars, and his Olivia, is an exciting small lot winery and must follow label, especially for those that want to taste California wine history. Their line-up of wines, as they note, includes some the forgotten classic California varieties, like this Cinsault, but also includes the Mission grape, Carignane, Mataro (Mourvedre), Chenin Blanc, Grenache and Zinfandel field blends from old vine vineyards, mostly planted on California’s sandy decomposed granite soils. I never miss the chance to try these soulful, authentic Californian and transparent wines, especially this Cinsault, the mentioned Carignane, along with the Nebbiolo and the Soberanes Syrah!
($28 Est.) 93 Points, grapelive