To my palate it’s an outstanding, food friendly wine that I’d buy again in a heartbeat!
Do you know the grape variety Refosco (reh-fose-ko)? Refosco (more accurately pluralized as the Refoschi) is an indigenous group of closely related dark-skinned grape varieties. According to Wine Searcher.com, “their origins – which pre-date modern day political borders – include northern Italy’s Friuli-Venezia Giulia, western Slovenia and the Istrian Peninsula of Croatia”.
There are at six distinct varieties, but Refosco dal Peduncolo Rosso, which translates to “Refosco with the red stems”, is widely regarded as the star of the group. The grapes, which are believed to be indigenous to northeast Italy, are genetically linked to Corvina and Rondinella, two important grapes used to make Valpolicella, and Amarone wines.
Fruit for the 2017 Sandlands Refosco was sourced from “1/ 2 acre of Refosco planted in 1999 on the east side of St. Helena in beautiful gravelly loam soil” according to Sandlands.
My Tasting Notes
The wine is an opaque purple color with black and red fruit, violets, loam, crushed gravel, dried savory herbs, and a whiff of leather aromas. On the palate, it’s medium-bodied with vibrant, zesty acidity, and firm tannins boysenberry, pomegranate, and raspberry flavors accented with very appealing savory notes and a lingering tart finish. 12.9% abv|SRP – $28.|90pts
Note: I decanted this wine for about 2 hours before tasting.
To my palate it’s an outstanding, food friendly wine that I’d buy again in a heartbeat! It was excellent paired with Red Lentil Bolognese, and a slice of Pumpkin Pepita Foccacia
About Sandlands
Sandlands is a personal project of Tegan and Olivia Passalaqua. They are focused on forgotten classic California varieties, primarily grown in decomposed granite (sand), from regions and vineyards that have been farmed for many generations but have remained the outliers of California viticulture according to their website. Their lineup includes wines made from Chenin Blanc, Cinsault, Mataro, Carignane, and Mission.
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I’ve had only Italian Refosco and not a lot. Hearing quite a bit about this couple and their project… be fun to taste this Sandlands with an Italian counterpart. As previously noted, that red lentil bolognese- yum!
I’ve had the same thought about comparing Sandlands to its Italian counterpart. I will say the Sandlands definitely has an minimal intervention, and Old World winemaking aesthetic. Unfortunately finding an Italian Refosco, locally is a bit of a challenge. Thanks for dropping by Lynn!
I love learning about new to me varietals! Thanks for sharing!
Love reading about refosco. One we don’t see too often.
You’re so right about that Jen. I’m hoping Sandlands will continue to produce it! It’s delightful, but a challenge to find!