2023 Sandlands Mataro

100% dry farmed Mataro (aka Mourvedre) from the 120+ year old own-rooted vines of the super sandy-soiled Oakley Road Vineyard in Antioch. Only seven barrels were produced from these gnarled, head-trained vines that survived Prohibition. This is a bit shy at first, as it’s very young, but give it an hour’s decanting and you’ll start to see its complexity. Drink now and over the next twenty years. Sandlands is the personal project of Tegan Passalacqua. Tegan has made wine around the world, including at the famed Alain Graillot in the Northern Rhone, and most notably he spent twenty years working his way up to wine-maker/vineyard manager at Turley. 

96 points, Vinous. "The 2023 Mataro (Contra Costa County), from Oakley Road, is magnificent. It offers a beguiling mix of inky dark fruit, new leather, incense, licorice, chocolate and plum, with a whole range of floral and savory overtones that add character. A vivid, statuesque Mataro, the 2023 dazzles from start to finish. What a wine! (Drink between 2026-2043)" (AG)