Talamonti makes this in Abruzzo, on the hills between the Gran Sasso and the Adriatic, from a grape most drinkers have never met. Pecorino was nearly gone by the 1980s, rescued from a handful of old vineyards in the Marche and Abruzzo and planted again. It has nothing to do with the cheese. The name comes from the sheep that grazed the vines.
- Pecorino, an Abruzzo white grape, not the cheese.
- Abruzzo, central Italy, hills running down to the Adriatic.
- 2020, a warm vintage across central Italy.
- Dry, medium body, high acidity, low tannin.
- 13.5% alcohol, 750ml.
How it is made
Made as a still white, fermented dry and kept away from oak so the grape stays in front. Pecorino ripens early and holds its acid well, which is why it keeps the bite that defines the variety. Talamonti works the hills of the Abruzzo interior, where day-night temperature swings are wide.
How it tastes
Green apple and citrus zest first, then white flowers, a trace of almond on the finish, and a mineral streak underneath that gives it shape. The acidity is high and the body medium, so it reads as lean rather than soft. The almond note is the giveaway for Pecorino.
Good to know
Pecorino was almost extinct as a wine grape until a few producers replanted it in the 1980s, and it now has its own DOC in the Marche. The grape is thin-skinned and prone to rot, which is part of why it disappeared and part of why it is still grown in small parcels.
Contains alcohol.
