Super smooth delicious easy to imbibe wine that glides along on a single taste dimension. Yes! This is a terrific rendition of carignane. I doubt anyone else in the world can make a better carignane, but it's carignane which simply doesn't have the lift and complexity of other varietals. Bravo! I'm really happy to drink this because I knew beforehand the limitations of the varietal and am impressed by the craftsmanship of this wine.
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Consumed over three nights. Wonderful wine. Dark fruit. Acidic. Mineral. Was much improved on the third night. Many years left in this. Wish I had more.
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Dark fruited, bold and full bodied with nice acidity to keep it round. Starts out like a zinfandel field blend but, but instead of a sweet fruity finish, you get salted blackberries and wet stones. Savory.
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Aromas of black cherries, crushed rock, wood, and tar. Very, very interesting. Had with a gras fed strip and it went really well. Full bodied, the wine starts of fruity and moves to a nice bright acidity and crunchy finish. Very youthful. I would like to see this again in another 4-8 years. Awesome stuff, a little new world, but still not as giving as a lot of Napa producers today. There was some real mineral to this wine...
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Served blind. Nose of dark cherries and chocolate. Bit of heat. Ripe and Juicy. Modern Napa-ish. Darkly fruited with a lean grip. Touch of alcohol. Didn't see this one coming at all. I thought Chris was telling us he liked modern Napa Cabs. I've been told Sandlands is a more traditionally styled producer. And I've been interested in Carignan for quite some time. Could be in a clumsy phase if I want to make an apology for it.
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Blind Wines In The OC (The Winery Restaurant in Newport Beach, CA (The OC)): Poured blind. The aromatics painted me a picture of something I thought was going to be bigger and riper than I usually prefer, and included a whiff of alcohol or something in that vein. Dark berry, spice, with acidity popping through too and yet I was left with a conclusion that the wine just was out of balance for me.
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Crimson in color. 13.8% ABV. Savory nose of black fruits, flowers, earth and pepper. Light and somewhat rustic. Black cherry, iron, raspberry and earth on the palate. The finish is long with drying tannins. Interesting for what it is but in this case I'm not sure I prefer Carignane as a stand alone as opposed to a component of a more traditional field blend. Drink over the next 1-2 years.
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Very good. Rich cherry and red fruit nose -- fruitier than I expected. Lots of fruit on the palate, and after an hour or so opened up with more minerality, zest and pepper. Medium weight, very enjoyable. Looking forward to my next bottle. Unlike other reviewers, not a lot of tannin present.
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I enjoyed this though it needs some time, not sure why I opened my second of two bottles. There is a not a ton of fruit, it's sort of brambly, almost like a DCV zin, definitely some sour acidity and tannic structure. I think this will be great in 5-10 years.
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Lightly fruited nose—red berries--with some dustiness. On the tongue, again, a light hit of red raspberry very (very) little suggestion of fruit sweetness. In fact, if anything there is more a suggestion of viney bitterness. Medium-bodied. To me, this one is fairly light on tannin, and the acid seems more sour than tart. I enjoy it, but it doesn’t show me any complexity that makes me think “great wine.”
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Opened this last week (Friday) originally and whether it was the wine before or the food pairing or whatever just really didn't love it. Popped the cork back in and stuck in the fridge for a few days. Pulling it out again now and it feels like a totally different wine. The first day I got alcohol and acid. Now I get the acidity but it is nicely balanced with a darker fruit flavor (bosenberry, blueberry) and some more earth tones. It's crisp in the finish and one of those wines that I think of as 'clean'. Not overdone or over-extracted. Well balanced. Meant to pair with food although ok to drink as a pre-dinner glass (which is what we did tonight). Glad that we tried it again.
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Agree with previous notes that this feels like a hybrid of a Southern Rhone and a Cru Beaujolais. Not much experience with Carignane on it's own, but this was very enjoyable for the price. Liked it best on day 1 with about 30-45 mins of air. 90-91
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My first Sandlands red. Beautiful medium bodied, refreshing with medium plus acid. Juicy red fruit with gripping tannins. Everything in nice balance tonight!
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Dark ruby color with appealing blackberry, red berry, cardamom, and crushed rock aromas. On the palate, it's medium-bodied with ample fruit, lively acidity, and well-integrated dusty tannins, and blackberry, black cherry, and raspberry with a pleasing bit of minerality, and a giving spicy finish. Gulpable, delicious yet showing some complexity. Fruit from Ukiah Cemetery vineyard - a head-trained and dry-farmed vineyard was planted in 1953.
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Decanted 1 h. Transparent garnet. A- Really nice red cherries, marascino cherries, a bit of kirsch, anise, flowers, bark. P- Maraschino cherries, bark, a bit of earth, hint of flowers, kirsch. Nicely balanced. F-Nice echo of palate - mod long.
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A fresh and bright red and blue fruits to go with a floral notes and cardamom undertow. Smooth and already ready right from the pop of the cork. Good, lively, and would go well as a nice fresh rhone wine. Round, but the solid acid to keep it mouthwatering. Good persistence. It's perfectly placed in the market at ~25 bucks and it's a bit more of a sophisticated everyday drinker. It's like rhone come beaujolais.
till fresh and lively with almost a bit of bubblegum coming out day 2. Still this is meant to be drunk young, but a short cellar could work too, but why wait?
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Really pronounced scent of cardamom and lavender together. A very intensely flavored, almost flamboyant wine, plenty of delicious fruit. Strong finish. Should pair well with something big and bold in flavor (lamb, olives, cured meats).
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Really fantastic bottle of wine! spicy raspberries, cherry, cassis, mineral medium plus acid and biting tannin. Could use a year or two but i'm glad I popped one. Went very well with roast chicken.
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Definitely a summer-time red. Not as much serious "earth" or "leather", rather, a distinct nose of banana bread (cinnamon, banana, walnut) and blueberry that was so interesting that I wonder if I should now go and make a blueberry banana bread! On the palate, with moderate red fruit, no rough edges, enough acidity to keep the mouth watered, and I swear an aftertaste of a hint of more banana bread. I wish I had another bottle just to make sure I wasn't hallucinating! Regardless, it wasn't the wine I wanted with steak or stew on a cold winter day; it was a wine to have with a good burger, outdoors, among friends.
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Pretty red color. Muted, dusty nose. Hit of raspberry or cherry on the tip of the tongue. Then some earthiness—not as much as I’m used to seeing in Carignanes. This is followed by serious acid tartness. Drying tannins are apparent, but they are different from tannins that I get from Cabernet Sauvignon or Zinfandel. Not terribly heavy. This could almost be a summer sipper. I am hesitant to predict the age-worthiness of this wine, but I do have another example in my inventory and I’ll just leave it there for a few years.
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13.8% abv. Medium dark ruby. Very expressive aromas. Cherry, black raspberry, spice and pomegranate on the palate. Nice tension, depth and length. Very enjoyable now and should continue to improve over the next few years.
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10/20/2020 - der Schmecker Likes this wine: 91 Points
Super smooth delicious easy to imbibe wine that glides along on a single taste dimension. Yes! This is a terrific rendition of carignane. I doubt anyone else in the world can make a better carignane, but it's carignane which simply doesn't have the lift and complexity of other varietals. Bravo! I'm really happy to drink this because I knew beforehand the limitations of the varietal and am impressed by the craftsmanship of this wine.
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3/1/2020 - Mtpisgah Likes this wine:
Consumed over three nights. Wonderful wine. Dark fruit. Acidic. Mineral. Was much improved on the third night. Many years left in this. Wish I had more.
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10/9/2019 - rama Likes this wine:
Dark fruited, bold and full bodied with nice acidity to keep it round. Starts out like a zinfandel field blend but, but instead of a sweet fruity finish, you get salted blackberries and wet stones. Savory.
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4/27/2019 - jmw17 Likes this wine:
This is gorgeous now. Red fruit, clay, rusticity. Very clean finish with some walnut skin and talc. Perfect for the table. Take me to the river
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2/26/2019 - HandmadeHomemade wrote:
Slow oxxed for an hour.
Aromas of black cherries, crushed rock, wood, and tar. Very, very interesting. Had with a gras fed strip and it went really well. Full bodied, the wine starts of fruity and moves to a nice bright acidity and crunchy finish. Very youthful. I would like to see this again in another 4-8 years. Awesome stuff, a little new world, but still not as giving as a lot of Napa producers today. There was some real mineral to this wine...
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7/19/2018 - WetRock wrote:
Served blind. Nose of dark cherries and chocolate. Bit of heat. Ripe and Juicy. Modern Napa-ish. Darkly fruited with a lean grip. Touch of alcohol. Didn't see this one coming at all. I thought Chris was telling us he liked modern Napa Cabs. I've been told Sandlands is a more traditionally styled producer. And I've been interested in Carignan for quite some time. Could be in a clumsy phase if I want to make an apology for it.
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7/19/2018 - Frank Murray III wrote:
Blind Wines In The OC (The Winery Restaurant in Newport Beach, CA (The OC)): Poured blind. The aromatics painted me a picture of something I thought was going to be bigger and riper than I usually prefer, and included a whiff of alcohol or something in that vein. Dark berry, spice, with acidity popping through too and yet I was left with a conclusion that the wine just was out of balance for me.
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6/13/2018 - tomlee wrote: 89 Points
Crimson in color. 13.8% ABV. Savory nose of black fruits, flowers, earth and pepper. Light and somewhat rustic. Black cherry, iron, raspberry and earth on the palate. The finish is long with drying tannins. Interesting for what it is but in this case I'm not sure I prefer Carignane as a stand alone as opposed to a component of a more traditional field blend. Drink over the next 1-2 years.
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6/19/2017 - Richard P Howden Likes this wine: 91 Points
Very good. Rich cherry and red fruit nose -- fruitier than I expected. Lots of fruit on the palate, and after an hour or so opened up with more minerality, zest and pepper. Medium weight, very enjoyable. Looking forward to my next bottle. Unlike other reviewers, not a lot of tannin present.
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4/6/2017 - Anthonut Likes this wine: 88 Points
A lighter, zippier red, that benefited from some decant time. Hints of dark fruit lie behind a strong acidic and tannic backbone.
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1/3/2017 - Tubulus wrote: 90 Points
I enjoyed this though it needs some time, not sure why I opened my second of two bottles. There is a not a ton of fruit, it's sort of brambly, almost like a DCV zin, definitely some sour acidity and tannic structure. I think this will be great in 5-10 years.
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11/28/2016 - EMark Likes this wine:
Lightly fruited nose—red berries--with some dustiness. On the tongue, again, a light hit of red raspberry very (very) little suggestion of fruit sweetness. In fact, if anything there is more a suggestion of viney bitterness. Medium-bodied. To me, this one is fairly light on tannin, and the acid seems more sour than tart. I enjoy it, but it doesn’t show me any complexity that makes me think “great wine.”
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11/16/2016 - tthorn Likes this wine: 91 Points
Young - would suggest continuing to hold. Opens up after about an hour.
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7/21/2016 - Tubulus wrote:
Relatively meaty, balanced tannins and acidity, dark fruits, I think you could definitely hold for a few more years.
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5/15/2016 - THECORKDORK Likes this wine: 89 Points
Deep and meaty with strong violet and black plum overtones. A very impressive carignan, however my heart is still with the Mataro.
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5/11/2016 - rc@ughey wrote: 90 Points
Hard not to love this. With crunchy red fruits, fine tannins, and bright acids, this has impeccable balance and loads of charm.
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3/25/2016 - DRS-Inc wrote: 91 Points
Tart black cherry, raspberry, earth, herbes de Provence, and hint of mineral. Fine grainy tannins, crisp acidity, mid bodied and a moderate finish.
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2/29/2016 - mjf@ulkner wrote: 90 Points
Bright juicy fruit. Quaffable and easy going like a Beaujolais, but a bit more savory and extracted in its composition. Nice QPR
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2/8/2016 - the godfather wrote:
better balance than the first vintage of this I tasted, pleasant juice
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1/13/2016 - MC2 Wines Likes this wine:
Opened this last week (Friday) originally and whether it was the wine before or the food pairing or whatever just really didn't love it. Popped the cork back in and stuck in the fridge for a few days. Pulling it out again now and it feels like a totally different wine. The first day I got alcohol and acid. Now I get the acidity but it is nicely balanced with a darker fruit flavor (bosenberry, blueberry) and some more earth tones. It's crisp in the finish and one of those wines that I think of as 'clean'. Not overdone or over-extracted. Well balanced. Meant to pair with food although ok to drink as a pre-dinner glass (which is what we did tonight). Glad that we tried it again.
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1/7/2016 - Curt11 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Agree with previous notes that this feels like a hybrid of a Southern Rhone and a Cru Beaujolais. Not much experience with Carignane on it's own, but this was very enjoyable for the price. Liked it best on day 1 with about 30-45 mins of air. 90-91
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12/31/2015 - Grape_ape Likes this wine:
Easy drinking, juicy bright fruit, really nice but perhaps bordering on simple, however its so tasty its hard to put down.
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12/27/2015 - Foster wrote: 90 Points
My first Sandlands red. Beautiful medium bodied, refreshing with medium plus acid. Juicy red fruit with gripping tannins. Everything in nice balance tonight!
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12/15/2015 - Martin Redmond Likes this wine: 91 Points
Dark ruby color with appealing blackberry, red berry, cardamom, and crushed rock aromas. On the palate, it's medium-bodied with ample fruit, lively acidity, and well-integrated dusty tannins, and blackberry, black cherry, and raspberry with a pleasing bit of minerality, and a giving spicy finish. Gulpable, delicious yet showing some complexity. Fruit from Ukiah Cemetery vineyard - a head-trained and dry-farmed vineyard was planted in 1953.
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11/6/2015 - christyler wrote: 90 Points
A well balanced wine. Has all of the CA sunshine and fruit that you'd expect, but there's a nice verve and acidity to balance it out.
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11/4/2015 - James Kim wrote: 91 Points
Decanted 1 h. Transparent garnet. A- Really nice red cherries, marascino cherries, a bit of kirsch, anise, flowers, bark. P- Maraschino cherries, bark, a bit of earth, hint of flowers, kirsch. Nicely balanced. F-Nice echo of palate - mod long.
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11/1/2015 - jcha24 wrote:
another excellent bottle from sandlands.....juicy and fruit forward, but totally balanced and gulpable.
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10/24/2015 - yossarian.livez wrote: 88 Points
A fresh and bright red and blue fruits to go with a floral notes and cardamom undertow. Smooth and already ready right from the pop of the cork. Good, lively, and would go well as a nice fresh rhone wine. Round, but the solid acid to keep it mouthwatering. Good persistence. It's perfectly placed in the market at ~25 bucks and it's a bit more of a sophisticated everyday drinker. It's like rhone come beaujolais.
till fresh and lively with almost a bit of bubblegum coming out day 2. Still this is meant to be drunk young, but a short cellar could work too, but why wait?
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9/20/2015 - nectar14 Likes this wine:
Really pronounced scent of cardamom and lavender together. A very intensely flavored, almost flamboyant wine, plenty of delicious fruit. Strong finish. Should pair well with something big and bold in flavor (lamb, olives, cured meats).
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7/22/2015 - scott w Likes this wine: 92 Points
Really fantastic bottle of wine! spicy raspberries, cherry, cassis, mineral medium plus acid and biting tannin. Could use a year or two but i'm glad I popped one. Went very well with roast chicken.
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7/15/2015 - BadOyster wrote: 91 Points
Definitely a summer-time red. Not as much serious "earth" or "leather", rather, a distinct nose of banana bread (cinnamon, banana, walnut) and blueberry that was so interesting that I wonder if I should now go and make a blueberry banana bread! On the palate, with moderate red fruit, no rough edges, enough acidity to keep the mouth watered, and I swear an aftertaste of a hint of more banana bread. I wish I had another bottle just to make sure I wasn't hallucinating! Regardless, it wasn't the wine I wanted with steak or stew on a cold winter day; it was a wine to have with a good burger, outdoors, among friends.
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6/9/2015 - EMark Likes this wine:
Pretty red color. Muted, dusty nose. Hit of raspberry or cherry on the tip of the tongue. Then some earthiness—not as much as I’m used to seeing in Carignanes. This is followed by serious acid tartness. Drying tannins are apparent, but they are different from tannins that I get from Cabernet Sauvignon or Zinfandel. Not terribly heavy. This could almost be a summer sipper. I am hesitant to predict the age-worthiness of this wine, but I do have another example in my inventory and I’ll just leave it there for a few years.
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5/13/2015 - Mike Dildine Likes this wine: 93 Points
13.8% abv. Medium dark ruby. Very expressive aromas. Cherry, black raspberry, spice and pomegranate on the palate. Nice tension, depth and length. Very enjoyable now and should continue to improve over the next few years.
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4/25/2015 - Spencer wrote:
The best California Carignane I've had. Balanced, bright, pure. Not muddy like I find most Carignanes. No reason not to drink this now.
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4/15/2015 - Mike Dildine Likes this wine: 91 Points
13.8% abv. Medium ruby. Exuberant fruit aromas. On the palate, focused raspberry, black cherry and spice. Lingering aftertaste. Nice effort by Tegan!
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