Contesa, Pecorino 2011, Abruzzo, Italy
Not to be confused with the cheese of the same name and from the same Italian region on the Adriatic coast east of Rome. Pecorino is one of those ‘bubbling under’ grapes of the moment, beginning to find a place on most supermarket and wine merchant shelves. Wine drinkers are in love with fresh, fruity but quite complex white wines at the moment (think everything from Albarino to Picpoul de Pinet) and this is flooded with very ripe pear fruit on the nose, not the pear-droppy aroma of simple young whites, but a succulent ripe fruit along with some woody herbs. In the mouth it is deliciously sweet and fruit-filled, a really natural fruit sweetness and a tongue-coating texture leading seamlessly into a fresh citrus finish. Sophisticated but approachable stuff. Watch the video for more information and for food-matching suggestions for this wine. 8.95, The Wine Society. In half bottles at 5.25.
