Little Wine Company Pecorino 2024

For most, the name refers to a hard Italian cheese made from sheeps’ milk. There is a link. The grape was given the same name – ‘pecora’ means sheep – as the vines grew along the routes taken by the shepherds when bringing the sheep down from the mountains. Needless to say, it is not a common variety here in Australia but it is certainly worth exploring. It seems well suited to the Hunter with a tolerance for warmer conditions and a lack of water. A green/gold hue, the nose gives us notes of stone fruits, nuts, spices, apricot skins and figs. The structure is a wine of poise, tight, with medium length and crisp acidity. A most likeable wine, one that will provide attractive drinking for up to five years. Those with a touch of the mischievous to them might like to include it in a blind tasting, because good luck to anyone trying to pick it.