2025 The Little Wine Company Pecorino, Hunter Valley

Pale gold in the glass with aromas of wet stone, green almond and light lemon curd. The palate has a steely freshness with acidity that drives the fruit weight, and a refreshing bitter peel note that adds intrigue and makes you want another sip. Drink 2025 to 2030.

93 points Melissa Moore for The Real Review, October 2025

A distinctly floral wine that leads with elderflower, fennel bulb and Star Jasmine. Fruit then shows up in droves with Greengage plums, white nectarine and pomelo. That to and fro of vibrant fruit and saline succulence is countered again by savoury white pepper and lime skin bitterness. All of this makes for detail, complexity and intriguing drinking. If you haven’t discovered Pecorino yet this is a friendly, welcoming wine and designed to please. Drink now with pea, mint and feta risotto. Drink 2026 to 2027.

92 points Shanteh Wale for Wine Pilot, January 2026

Ian and Suzanne Little are both winemakers, both Hunter Valley through and through, and genuinely equal partners in every sense — a combination that's rarer in Australian wine than you might think. Ian has been making wine in the region for over 40 years, while Suzanne oversaw white wines at Rosemount during the era when the local Roxburgh Chardonnay was the benchmark for the variety in Australia. Between them they bring serious credentials to a project that wears them lightly. The Little Wine Company has quietly become one of the Hunter Valley's most interesting producers, built around alternative varieties, made with a light hand and an instinct for balance over extraction.

Pecorino takes its name from the shepherds herding their sheep (pecore) in the mountains of central Italy, where the vines grew along their routes. Ian and Suzanne were among the first to produce it in Australia. The variety holds its flavour and acidity well through the warm Hunter Valley months of December and January, and its naturally lower water demand makes it one of the more sustainable options available.

The fruit is harvested early and moved to the winery quickly, with juice separated from skins as soon as possible. Around 20% is fermented in older French oak for texture, the rest in stainless steel at 14°C. The wine then spends around ten weeks on lees before racking and bottling — enough time to build mouthfeel and weight without losing the freshness.

This is floral and aromatic on the nose with elderflower, stone fruit and citrus, and a saline, savoury edge keeping it honest. The palate is textural and generous, with bright natural acidity driving the fruit through a dry, refreshing finish.

The wine's acidity and textural richness are good company for anything fresh and flavoursome: pea and mint risotto with a grating of pecorino (the cheese), salt and pepper squid with aioli, or a simple grilled snapper with lemon and herbs.

A versatile and food-friendly wine from the moment you open it, with the structure to develop further interest over a few years.

Drink now through 2028.