De Fermo Concrete Bianco 2024

The De Fermo family has farmed at Loreto Aprutino in Abruzzo since 1785, and the current generation works the estate biodynamically on hills between the Adriatic and the Majella massif. This white blends Chardonnay with the native Pecorino and is raised for eight months in old concrete vats, a neutral material that lets the fruit and the site speak without the influence of oak. Cement holds a stable temperature and allows a slow, gentle micro-oxygenation through its walls, which softens the wine and adds texture while preserving its bright fruit. At 12.5 percent alcohol this is a lighter, more direct style than the estate's barrel-aged whites. The colour is a brilliant straw-yellow. The nose is fresh and vibrant, with pear, melon and green apple lifted by white flowers and a herbal note of thyme. The palate is crisp and mineral, driven by clean acidity and a saline, stony finish that reflects the limestone soils. Serve well chilled at 9 to 10 degrees.