ENGLISH VERSION
I didn’t wait for springtime – as the name suggests. I ordered this wine at the Al Vecchio Teatro in Ortona (Abruzzo) in Mid-July, and it went down like water despite the scorching hot weather.
Contesa is a small winery located between Montesilvano, a seaside town just north of Pescara, and Loreto Aprutino of Valentini’s fame. However, the vineyard that gives the Aspetta Primavera is located farther inland in Capignano, near Cugnoli of Cristiana Tiberio’s fame.
The wine undergoes batonnage several times throughout the six-month aging period. Batonnage is fairly unusual for Pecorino, as the variety mainly produces easygoing, medium-bodied, mineral-driven wines.
Aspetta Primavera exhales powerful, slightly oxidative aromas of salted butter, porcini mushrooms, honey and caramel. On the palate, the wine is surprisingly fresh, taut, and boasts a mouth-cleansing saline quality that calibrates the full-bodied structure.
Suggested pairing:
Something structured such as Carbonara with shrimps instead of guanciale, monkfish cacciatore, cacio e Pepe risotto with a scampi tartare on top to enhance the wine’s salinity and highlight the buttery notes.
Score: 91/100
