Pecorino 2014 Marramiero, the white wine of the summer

We last visited the Marramiero winery when we covered the vertical tasting of Dante Marramiero, the Montepulciano Riserva and the estate's flagship wine.

Today we talk about the Pecorino, a white wine produced from the native grape of the same name, which evokes the fundamental event of Abruzzo's rural life: the Transumanza. This was the practice by which shepherds drove their sheep herds on wide-ranging seasonal migrations along specific natural routes (tratturi), moving from the hilly and mountainous areas toward the coast in winter and making the reverse journey in summer, with the flocks feeding on the "pecorino" grape along the way.

We have already noted that the winery sits at around 200 metres above sea level, in a position sheltered by the 3,000-metre massif of the Gran Sasso. We discussed this when we covered the Trebbiano Altare 1996, a white wine that has aged magnificently. Today we discover that Marramiero also achieves outstanding quality with white wines designed to be drunk young. This is precisely the case with the Abruzzo Pecorino 2014 we are tasting.

The grapes come from vineyards not far from the winery, located in the municipality of Rosciano. Thanks to their predominantly clay composition, north-easterly exposure, and typical hillside gradients, these vineyards prove to be highly suited for vine cultivation. Agronomic care and attention are at their highest, characterised by low yields per hectare and the absence of chemical treatments in vineyard management.

The same attention and meticulous care for detail continues in the winery, where respect for tradition goes hand in hand with the most modern winemaking techniques. For the Pecorino, this means skin maceration for 24 hours at a controlled temperature (10°C), followed by full must extraction, cold settling, and fermentation in stainless steel tanks at a variable temperature of 12–18°C.

We now taste the Abruzzo Pecorino 2014, the fruit of a far from straightforward vintage marked by an irregular climate, with rainfall and temperature swings significant enough to require a reduction in production in order to safeguard overall quality.

The wine presents a deep straw yellow, beautiful and crystal clear. The nose is characterised by alluring notes of yellow peach and tropical fruit – pineapple, grapefruit, mango. Noteworthy floral hints of acacia and spiced nuances of nutmeg and white pepper. A striking and prominent minerality. From the first sip, we immediately notice a bracing freshness, certainly owing to the nearly 6 g/l of acidity. The wine is dry with a well-judged alcohol level (13°), overall balanced, though it can only improve in this respect with time. An exceptionally long fresh-savoury finish driven by the notable acidity, with retronasal returns of minerality, exotic fruit, and sweet spices.

We served this Pecorino at below 10°C, pairing it happily with ricotta con noci e miele and buffalo mozzarella. I also recommend pairing it with pasta dishes and fish-based preparations.

The ideal white wine for this sweltering summer.