One of the first Pecorino to be produced in Australia, winemakers Ian & Suzanne Little planted this variety for its delicious crisp crunchy palate and its delicate pear and pink lady apple flavours.

The fruit was hand harvested and the juice removed from the skins within an hour of harvest to avoid the bitterness in the skins. 20% of the juice was fermented on full solids with wild ferment in French oak. The balance of juice was clarified, racked and inoculated with a neutral yeast and fermented in stainless steel at around 14 degrees. We left the finished wine on lees for approximately 12 weeks with regular lees stirring in both barrel and tank.

The Little Gem has an extra dimension of texture from the oaked component showing complex minerality with a lovely aromatic crispness that make it appealing as a young wine and indicates an ability to age for further complexity.