Sandlands, Chenin Blanc, Amador County

Sandlands · California › Amador County › United States of America

White · Chenin Blanc

Critics

90 /100

Reviews

professional

Vintages

No vintages

No vintage-specific entries have been added for this wine.

Community Reviews

Reviews

90.0

Avg Score

Highest

Comes across as quiet and understated, very typical Chenin with a core of honeyed fruit. Tight upon opening, this needed 30 minutes or so in the glass to shine. Delicious.

2017 vintage

I opened this bottle to pair with seared Halibut and a cream wine sauce, Asparagus , and tomatoes cut of the vine. It was absolutely perfect. Others have commented on a lack of acidity , but my bottle had it, lots of it. The cooked fruit flavor is more peach or apricot, rather than apple. It certainly has the wet stone flavor and minerals which is what I personally like , so it was easy to rate it a 94. …

2017 vintage

Just delicious…

2017 vintage

I enjoy this but not my favorite expression. Very soft and understated, with suggestion of cooked apples the dominant flavor to me. Low acidity and at or just past peak if I had to guess.

2017 vintage

Perfectly fine, but generally four-square, Chenin that needs the acid turned up a bit. All the classic flavor elements are there, but it doesn't really exceed much beyond that. It's hard to complain, as this was like $22, but it pretty clearly lags behind the Lodi and Amador bottlings... which I think only run you like two bucks more. Given the tight allocations, this is still an annual "buy as much as they'll sell you" sort of purchase and maybe …

2017 vintage

I think this is the last one in the cellar, and I'm not to broken up about it as this was very good - certainly more fresh and energetic than the one a few months back. In top form now, and should drink at this level for a couple more years, I should think. Lovely combination of place and grape. 12,4% abv. Considering the price ($30) and quality, it's highly recommended

2017 vintage

Beautiful understated apple, white stone fruit, floral, citrus, great balanced texture as good length. Loved this bottle. Would buy by the case if I could.

2017 vintage

PnP. Straw color, bright, clear. Lovely aromatics that lean just as heavily on minerals as fruit - in my mind, this is a good thing. That said, the palate does favor yellow, and to some extent white, fruit vs. minerality, but it's splitting hairs. And who really cares how the watch is made, people just want to know what time it is. And this watch is delicious, with a full middle palate, plenty of lifting acidity, and a supple, almost …

2017 vintage

I would have guessed southwest France blanc, but this stands well on it's own. The oak stands out in the aromatics, overall it's a nice white wine.

2017 vintage

Reminds me of a basic CdP Blanc

2017 vintage

This is a curious wine, tasting more like an Alsace Riesling without the acidity, than a Chenin Blanc. The predominant aromas and flavors are of parafin and beeswax, with subtler notes of pineapple and herbs. The acidity is mostly gone, so if you have this one, drink up, as it isn't suitable for longer aging. It's a disappointment.

2017 vintage

Medium pale. Apples and citrus. Lemons. There’s a chalky mineral profile for a Californian wine. The palate is rich. Great core. Apples and nectarines. Quince like texture. Will be interesting to see if this wine ages or falls over.

2017 vintage

light gold. A: cream, lime, honey, sea spray. F: pretty rocky, minerally, not a lot of fruit. somewhat textured, good persistence, medium high acid. more interesting and enjoyable with lots of air and at closer to room temp.

2017 vintage

I really like this. This is very enjoyable and in the style I prefer. I generally like my Chenin's like I like my comedy, very dry.

2017 vintage

Unicorn wine! Thoughtful and interesting.

2017 vintage

Medium body, light golden color, lots of citrus nose and taste. Very nice.

2017 vintage

PnP with tuna. Good balance, but pretty simple. Mid body, mid+ acid. 12.4%

2017 vintage

Pale lemon yellow, limpid, very clean nose showing white flowers, citrus (pink grapefruit), hints of lemon curd, just the barest note of vanilla. Crisp and lively palate, good acidity, long mineral finish. With air, the wine develops a lovely sappy character, very distinctive: this is not your generic California buttery Chardonnay... An excellent Chenin Blanc!

2017 vintage

Neither lean or mineral driven. More so dominated by plenty of juicy stone fruit and vanilla with a touch of bitterness. Drinks like a $40 Sonoma Coast Chardonnay. Pretty one dimensional now and needing another year.

2017 vintage

12.4% abv. Light straw, very aromatic. A bit of pineapple, a touch of pear and lemon. Good depth and length. A sunny, cheerful Chenin, full of energy and zest.

2017 vintage