2023 Trousseau

Tegan Passalacqua’s 2023s are the very finest wines he has made at Sandlands. I say that having tasted these wines all the way back to the first vintage. Several of these wines hit new highs. The rest aren’t too far behind. Most of the reds are done with a high percentage of stems (the Zinfandel is an exception) and aged in neutral wood. In 2023, the Contra Costa Mataro, from Oakley Road, steals the show, but it is next to impossible to pick favorites. Among the whites, the Chenin speaks to me most. My only regret with this tasting is that I had to catch a flight back to New York. Otherwise, I would have been very tempted to spend even longer with these wines. Last but certainly not least, Passalacqua has kept prices very fair, something that is exceedingly rare in today’s world.