Perduto Pecorino 2023

Maximum six bottles per customer due to low quantities. 

Story

Once thought to have completely vanished from its native Italian home, Pecorino was rediscovered in the late 20th century amongst the rubble of a neglected vineyard. Pecorino, not to be confused with the sheep-derived hard cheese, can produce highly complex white wines brimming with floral aromatics and textural character. Sourced from McLaren Vale’s first pecorino plantings less than 4km from the coast at Aldinga, Mitolo’s Perduto is no exception.

Tasting note

Lifted bouquet with subtle complexities, fresh-cut lime, quince and fig. Lime blossom and jasmine florals, with intriguing notes of fennel, basil, and fresh shortcrust pastry. Fresh, crisp and textural with great drive on the palate. Kiwifruit, champagne melon, green papaya and salted lime abound, while shortbread biscuit, lemon curd and dry popcorn add layers of creamy texture and complexity around the wine’s lemon-lime acidity and fine talcy phenolics. There are hints of dark spices and pepper, and the palate profile is ever long, refreshing and moreish. 

Vinification

Crushed, destemmed and air bag pressed to tank for 5 days cold settling before racking off heavy lees to temperature controlled stainless steel tank. The juice was inoculated using W28 yeast and fermented over two weeks, with temperatures between 15-18 degrees Celsius, to express and retain fine floral aromatics. Following primary fermentation, the wine was sulphured and kept on lees for 7 months with regular stirring to build texture around the variety’s crisp mineral acidity and savoury phenolics.

Vineyard

Lopresti Home Block Vineyard – Flour Mill Road, Whites Valley.

Located less than 2 kilometres from the coastal town of Aldinga and only 4 kilometres from the coastline. Ngaltinga Formation derived alluvial grey sandy clay with pockets of sand interbeds support healthy canopy growth, protecting Pecorino’s fine aromatics and natural acidity. Cooling sea breezes which run across the Gulf St Vincent cool the vineyard and help to retain freshness and vibrancy.

Read press reviews