Winery: Peltzer Family Cellars
Product/Varietal: Sangiovese
Vintage: 2017
AVA on Bottle: Temecula Valley
Rating: 87
How They Describe It
Tasting Notes | Bing cherries, rainier cherries, and roasted tomato
Uncork | This “farm grown” estate red is true farm to table wine.
Pairing | Go modern Italian with this one. Sausage, potato, and kale soup with tomato tapenade crostinis or calamari with honey-chili sauce.
How I Describe It
Appearance
Sangiovese is not known as a particularly deeply colored wine. Likewise, this wine is fairly pale for a red wine. Being young for a red, it’s also singularly and solidly ruby red.
Nose
This wine comes across as youthful with medium-minus intensity. Red fruit stands out the most, with aromas of red currants, cherries, and strawberry. In addition, there’s a bit of brett (farmyard), along with subtle grass and wet wool scents. Slight cedar notes hint at brief exposure to oak barrel aging.
Palate
There’s a somewhat creamy mouthfeel, possibly indicating malolactic fermentation (skipping over the chemistry, it’s also referred to as MLF, and is what gives some Chardonnays their buttery texture). Jammy strawberry and red cherry lead, with cranberry cocktail in the secondary. There is minerality and leafy herbaciousness, along with vanilla, cloves, and cedar.
Peltzer’s 2017 Sangiovese is dry with medium acid, medium tannin, and higher alcohol. It has a medium body, medium flavor intensity, and medium finish. In short, this is a very “medium” wine — not bold, but not bland.
Why is This Wine Special?
Peltzer’s wines are to taste as Peltzer Winery is to its ambiance: relaxed and casual. The Sangiovese is a fairly straightforward, easy-to-enjoy wine. It’s not stuffy or overly complex; it won’t leave your mouth puckered from acidity or dried out from tannin. As far as Sangiovese goes, it’s a fun take which is easy for all wine drinkers, novice to aficionado, to enjoy.
Similarly, Peltzer Winery is considered one of the most fun, relaxed, family friendly wineries in the Temecula Valley AVA. For example, it hosts an annual Halloween pumpkin patch, a petting zoo, a Christmas tree lighting festival, and myriad other gatherings. On weekends it’s frequented by new parents with children, where there is no shortage of activities to keep the latter entertained. It’s a relaxed environment where it’s easy to feel at home.
When & How I Would Drink It
The Peltzer 2017 Sangiovese is not particularly complex, but that’s not a bad thing in the right circumstance. It’s easy drinking, isn’t overwhelming, and is easy to pair. I found it’s best paired with acidic and spiced food. My wife and I enjoyed the bottle along with spaghetti in Arrabbiata sauce, which accentuated the wine’s fruit notes.
Last, drink immediately after purchasing, as it will likely remain consistent even with age.
How to Get It
Order Online: https://peltzerfamilycellars.orderport.net/product-details/2533/2017-SANGIOVESE
Bottle Price: $42
Cases Produced: unknown
Have you tried the Peltzer 2017 Sangiovese? How did the tasting notes compare with your experience? Leave a comment below.