WHAT

Pecorino

WHEN

2024

WHERE

Loreto Aprutino, Abruzzo, Italy

You already know the estate from their Montepulciano — Fausto Albanesi and Adriana Galasso's certified organic domaine in Loreto Aprutino, between the Adriatic and the Gran Sasso. Torre dei Beati takes its name from a 14th century fresco at the nearby Santa Maria in Piano church. They converted to organic from day one in 1999 and have never changed that commitment.

The "Bianchi Grilli per la Testa" is their Pecorino — the ancient white grape native to central Italy that was nearly extinct before a revival in the 1980s and 90s. The name is a local Abruzzese expression meaning "white crickets in the head," a way of describing someone who is a little dreamy or lost in thought. It suits the wine: aromatic and ethereal, fermented and aged entirely in stainless steel to keep it pure and fresh. Peach, apricot, white flowers, chamomile, fresh herbs, and a pronounced mineral salinity that reflects the limestone and clay soils between the Adriatic and the mountains. Dry, long, and seriously expressive for a white wine at this price. Pour it cold with seafood, pasta with clams, grilled fish, or simply on its own.