Sandlands Lodi Red Table Wine 2023

Sandlands Lodi Red Table Wine 2023 is the work of Tegan Passalacqua, founder of Sandlands and one of California's leading champions of historic vineyards. Best known for his work preserving old vine sites throughout the state, Passalacqua built Sandlands around the belief that some of California's most distinctive wines come from overlooked regions and century old vineyards rooted in sandy soils. The project has become a benchmark for authentic, site driven California wine.

The 2023 Red Table Wine is an equal parts blend of cinsault, carignane, and zinfandel sourced from three remarkable old vine vineyards in Lodi: Bechthold Vineyard (planted in 1886), Spenker Ranch (1900), and Kirschenmann Vineyard (1915). These historic, dry farmed vineyards contribute both complexity and a strong sense of place.

Fermented with a largely hands off approach and aged in neutral oak, the wine emphasizes purity, freshness, and vineyard character rather than extraction or new oak influence. The result is a surprisingly elegant and energetic expression of Lodi that challenges expectations of what old vine California red blends can be.

The 2023 offers layers of black cherry, blackberry, plum, rose petal, dried herbs, spice, and earthy mineral notes. Medium bodied and vibrant, it combines juicy fruit with bright acidity and fine tannins, making it equally at home on the dinner table or enjoyed on its own. Vinous awarded the wine 94 points, praising its depth, energy, and expressive character.

For many California wine enthusiasts, Sandlands has become the standard bearer for old vine heritage vineyards, and the Lodi Red Table Wine is one of the clearest expressions of that mission: a wine that is complex, soulful, and remarkably drinkable.