Country: Italy  Region: Abruzzo  Vintage: 2017 Category: White Wine  Color: White Producer: Gran Sasso "The Gran Sasso wines are made by Valentino Sciotti and his team. Rino Santeusanio is the winemaker while Alberto Antonini acts as consultant. Together, they ensure that the wines have a freshness and vivacity that sets them apart from many in this area. They work closely with their growers to produce a deep-coloured, clean and plummy young Montepulciano, as well as their 'riserva' style Montepulciano d'Abruzzo Colline Teramane DOCG. The 'Colline Teramane' comes from a zone in the northern part of the Abruzzi that is renowned for the quality of its wine, whereas the Trebbiano grapes are grown in the cooler areas of the Apennine foothills and fermented at low temperatures. The Pecorino is apparently named after the resemblance that the bunch of grapes bears to a sheep's head. A relatively rare variety, there are only 300 hectares planted in Abruzzo and Le Marche." Winemaker: Filippo Baccalaro Vineyards: The grapes for this wine are grown in selected sites in cooler vineyards in the foothills of the Appenines. The relatively high altitude means there is a greater contrast between day and night time temperatures, thereby allowing the development of wonderful aromatic qualities in the fruit. The vineyards are 10-15 years old and situated at an altitude of between 150-350 metres above sea level. Vinification: Grapes were handpicked in mid to late September. The must was held at 0°C for 10 days and then fermented at 12°C. This helped retain as much flavour and character in the grapes as possible. It was unoaked to allow the perfume of the grapes to show through and remained in temperature-controlled stainless steel tank until bottling. Tasting Notes: Light gold in colour with a clean, open perfume of fresh yellow plums and white flowers. Nicely balanced on the palate, with lively, peachy fruit and a citrus twist on the finish. Food Suggestion: Serve with light appetisers, white meat, fish, and delicate cheeses. Closure: Synthetic Cork  ABV: 12.5%