Lodi Cinsault

My last bottle 😔

Ruby red, excellent clarity. Red and black fruit and brambles on nose, strawberry and cherry in mouth. Good acid, not quite tart. Strawberry and raspberry finish. After an hour, candied cherry flavor dominates with an undercurrent of seed bitterness. A sharp, insistent, subdued but consistent acidity recurs throughout the taste. After two hours, some skin astringency emerges in the finish. An interesting wine to nurse through an evening, seemingly simple but layered in expression.

First pour of this vintage. Brilliant red with light pigment extraction, excellent clarity. Strawberry nose with hint of raspberry. Candied strawberry flavor, slightly tart finish with seed tannin bitterness. Light body.

Revisiting the vintage. Cork fell apart but otherwise tasting fine

Popped and poured; enjoyed over two days. Fairly consistent throughout but best on Day 2. The 2022 “Lodi” pours a bright ruby color with a transparent core; medium viscosity with no staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is developing with juicy ripe cherry and red plums. Strawberry/watermelon, red ripe licorice, red flowers, crushed gravel minerals. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium tannins and medium acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The texture is silky smooth and finish is long. Overall, this comes across so fresh and juicy; and unbelievably quaffable. I would drink these now or over the next several years.

Popped and poured. The 2021 Cinsault pours a bright ruby with a transparent core; medium viscosity with no staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine has moderate intensity; fresh with ripe red fruits mostly raspberry, some confected cherry, Earl Grey, purple flowers and crushed gravel. On the palate, the wine is dry, medium(-?) tannin, medium acid pretty much medium, across-the-board confirming the notes from the nose with a very mineral finish. Super easy to enjoy. Drink now and through the next 5-ish years.

Popped and poured; no formal notes. This vineyard was planted in 1886. Bright cherry and bruised strawberry fruits with some orange curaçao, espresso a light kiss of spices. Overall, there’s an impression of freshness that’s super attractive. Forget what you think you know about Lodi; wines like this flip the script. A lovely accompaniment with burgers on a summer night. Only 5 barrels produced.

Popped and poured, the 2020 Cinsault pours a bright ruby with a transparent core; slight staining of the tears. Medium viscosity. Redolent of red and purple flowers, strawberry, orange, coffee, dried herbs, spices. It’s dry with medium tannin and medium+ acid. The finish is savory. Fresh. Juicy. Awesome. This is what Sandlands is all about.

Ruby red, excellent clarity, moderate pigment extraction. Violets in nose, cherry and red berries in mouth. Spice and seed finish with mild skin astringency. Light body, fruity, complex, like your great grandparents might have enjoyed it. Another heirloom wonder from Sandlands.

Unbelievable! Epic cinsault.