2024 De Iuliis Steven Vineyard Pecorino

Highly Rated
Inspired by family roots in Abruzzo, this small-batch Pecorino brings a layered, food-friendly edge to the Hunter’s growing cast of Italian varietals.

Price:
Sale price$35.00
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Description

Inspired by a trip to his ancestral roots in Abruzzo, Mike De Iuliis planted Pecorino in the sandy soils of the Steven Vineyard back in 2020. This is the third release from those vines, and the first to lean into a slightly more complex, textured style.

The fruit was hand picked, basket pressed, and fermented wild in neutral French oak – then left on full lees for nine months to soften the acidity and build that creamy, saline texture Pecorino can do so well. There’s no new oak, no winemaking tricks – just smart farming and a confident hand in the cellar.

This isn’t your usual zing-and-go white. It’s got weight, shape and a nice savoury twist that makes it just as good with a proper meal as it is chilled in the fridge for a sunny afternoon.

95 points
"Juicy pear flavours, plus nuances of magnolia and sage that add an alluring, sophisticated note. The palate has excellent weight with a faint mealy thread. Serve ice cold to highlight the savoury tones, amplify the sherbety acid vein and temper the sweetness of the fruit."
- Toni Paterson (Halliday Wine Companion)

95 points - "Hand picked by the De Iuliis team and barrel fermented in foudres to add texture. Juicy pear flavours, plus nuances of magnolia and sage that add an alluring, sophisticated note. The palate has excellent weight with a faint mealy thread. Serve ice cold to highlight the savoury tones, amplify the sherbety acid vein and temper the sweetness of the fruit." - Toni Paterson (Halliday Wine Companion)

The Single Vineyard range reveals the unique character of the Hunter Valley’s finest vineyards. Produced in small quantities and only in exceptional vintages, the wines are brought to life using modern viticultural and winemaking techniques.

The Story
Pecorino is the native white variety from the Abruzzo region where the De Iuliis family immigrated from. A trip to Abruzzo in 2022 inspired Mike to pay homage to winemaking of the region and so, the release of the 2024 Steven Vineyard Pecorino marks a new stylistic direction for our pecorino.

The Wine
The grapes were handpicked, and basket pressed for a gentle extraction in the winery. The juice was then transferred to neutral French oak barriques to increase texture and palate weight. The use of indigenous yeast aids in building complexity into the finished wine. Aged in barrel for 9 months on full lees was used to increase the palate texture to give creaminess and soften the naturally high acidity.

The Vintage
Excellent growing conditions in 2024 led to the production of this outstanding wine. Low yielding and high quality for these grapes. We were the first in the Hunter to plant Pecorino in 2020. In 2024, we extended the original vineyard with additional plantings. The vines are planted on the alluvial, sandy flats of our Steven Vineyard.

The Potential
The 2024 vintage was made in a slightly more complex style to add palate weight and textuality. It has the potential to cellar for 3–5 years.

The Match
Italian food with Italian varietals is a match made in foodie heaven. The zippy salinity and palate weight will pair perfectly with calamari fritti, Cavolo Nero pesto pappardelle, or Risotto alla Milanese. Buon appetito!

Price Bracket $31 to $40
Type White
Body Medium Bodied
Variety Pecorino
Country Australia
Region Hunter Valley
Australian State NSW
Reviewed By Halliday Wine Companion
Critic Score 95
Alcohol 11%
Size 750ml
Vintage 2024
Closure Screw Cap

De Iuliis

De Iuliis - pronounced [de uli ~ iss] - is one of the brightest stars from the Hunter Valley.

Owners Joss and Anna De luliis first planted vines on their estate in the famous Lovedale sub-region back in 1990, but it wasn’t until their son Mike got involved after graduating from the world-renowned Roseworthy campus (Adelaide University) in 1999 that things really took off.

Today Mike crafts an excellent array of site-specific wines that are a very good modern representation of what the Hunter Valley has to offer.

Mike De Iuliis - Hunter Valley, NSW De Iuliis

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