Sandlands Chenin Blanc Amador 2023

Sandland is Tegan Passalacqua's project devoted to California's old, often overlooked vineyard heritage. As vineyard manager for Turley, Passalacqua has deep experience with ancient vines, and Sandlands channels that knowledge into parcels planted to varieties such as Chenin Blanc, Carignane, Mataro, Trousseau, Zinfandel and Mission. Many sites are own-rooted, dry-farmed and planted on sandy granitic or decomposed soils that helped them survive phylloxera. The wines are made simply, with restrained alcohol and little new oak, showing a quieter California built from old vines, immigrant varieties and historical continuity rather than modern fashion.