Fazeli Cellars, Temecula Valley (California) Montepulciano 2016

 The Temecula Valley, an hour northeast of San Diego, is ideally situated for Mediterranean grape varieties and Fazeli’s 2016 Montepulciano makes that point.  It’s a grape typically grown in the Abruzzo region of Italy, east of Rome.  The Fazeli Montepulciano would do Abruzzo proud.  It is a powerful, beautifully structured red that has the potential to age though it drinks well now.  With impressive depth and excellent complexity of flavor, a touch of earthiness and a socko finish, it was a Platinum Award winner at the 2020 Sommelier Challenge International Wine & Spirits Competition.