2021 Mataro (San Benito County)

This is a stellar set of wines from Sandlands and Tegan Passalacqua. The 2021s are superb across the board. Given a smaller range in 2020, Passalacqua bounced back with his largest collection ever in 2021. Hopefully, that means these small-production wines should be a bit easier to find. Passalacqua sources from several heritage vineyards. All the wines in this range are single-vineyard offerings but labeled under county designations. “It’s a bit old-school, but that’s how wines were labeled when I was a kid,” Passalacqua explains. As always, the wines are done in a style that favors energy and freshness. The reds see 100% stem inclusion (except as noted) and are aged in neutral oak. The 2020s are solid across the board but naturally reflect the limitations of a challenging year marked by intense heat, drought, and wildfires. I find these artisan wines consistently engaging and beautiful as they show respect for California’s rich viticultural history but in a quite contemporary style.