Freddy R. Troya

9.0

Lunaria – “Civitas” Pecorino 2024
Abruzzo – Italy 🇮🇹 | Biodynamic (Demeter), Organic, Vegan-Friendly

Overview
Crafted from 100% Pecorino, an indigenous grape of central Italy, “Civitas” is made by Lunaria under strict biodynamic and organic principles. Certified by Demeter, it represents both sustainability and authenticity, offering a pure expression of this versatile variety. (Educational note: Pecorino grapes, once nearly forgotten, are now celebrated for their high acidity, aromatic lift, and ability to pair with diverse cuisines.)

Aromas & Flavors
Stone fruits (peach, apricot, yellow plum) at the forefront, balanced with citrus zest, green apple, and subtle herbal tones. Secondary hints of almond and white flowers give lift.

Mouthfeel
Medium-bodied with bright acidity and excellent balance. Crisp, textural, and refreshing, finishing long with a delicious, mineral-driven edge.

Food Pairings
Extremely versatile: pairs with seafood, pasta with clams, grilled chicken, risotto, or fresh cheeses. Also a great choice for vegetarian dishes.

Verdict
A delightful Pecorino — fresh, balanced, and crowd-pleasing. The 2024 Lunaria “Civitas” is not only delicious but also a model of sustainable, biodynamic winemaking. 🍷

Did You Know?
Pecorino means “little sheep” in Italian, as the grape often grew along sheep-grazing paths in Abruzzo and Marche. Once endangered, it’s now one of central Italy’s great white grape revival stories.

Hidden Gem 💎
An indigenous revival grape, made biodynamic, organic, and vegan-friendly — Lunaria’s 2024 “Civitas” is both authentic and progressive, a perfect teaching bottle. — a day ago

Hadley Lyman

9.1

Like a fawn grazing in a field of chamomile. Or some pretty shit like that! While I munch on a ficelle and some salty butter on a red checkered blanket under a tree. — 5 years ago

with Jared

Shay A

9.3

These brutal TX summers can make it difficult to crave heavy meals, so some sort of grazing board with lots of options is definitely ideal.

A quick note: Even for me, opening Aubert this young is usually something I don’t even consider (aside from their Hudson). After enjoying some other 2017s that someone opened earlier this week, I was surprised at how open they were. I believe the vintage gives these wines more opulent and early enjoyment than normal.

As always, I believe this to be Aubert’s most acid driven wine. Almost spritz like. Aromatically it is a mix of bright citrus, honeysuckle, honey roasted cashews and lemon confit. On the palate, the entry shows strong acidity before it fades away. Lemon cream, ginger, copious amounts of tropical fruit and a somewhat surprising kiss of mineral/limestone. Aubert’s entire lineup is among the best, but this is normally towards the back of the pack for my taste profile (which means it’s still among the best Cali chards, in my opinion). — 5 years ago

David Koenen

8.9

Sturdy and tannic. Not dark nor brooding. Still enough fruit to keep things balanced. I actually kinda missed the usual barn, poop and cattle smell. — 4 months ago

Severn G

9.2

Nose has wet cedar, dried black cherry, blackberry compote, black currant must, dry earth and (light) cigar box.

Palate has spiced cherry, spicy oak/cedar, blackberry jam, chocolate powder and notable but fine tannins.

My prior notes stated a wait until 2021+ before our next bottle...TBH I never looked at my notes before selecting this bottle tonight, so 🤷🏻‍♂️. Now that we're at 2021, there's noted improvement and I calmly suggest future bottle (there's only one left) should be between 2026-2031, as this is holding just fine.

In following to my prior comment on this bottle; We have a love/hate relationship with Wine Spectator whom tasted this at 80 pts in 2005. I fully disagree (FU), but do agree there have been 'better' vintages on this vineyard site. (We also have the better vintages 😁 in waiting.)

Decanted 4H, notes at ~5H.

Paired to 'vintage' ribeye's and local grilled corn. Our favorite beef 'dealer' aka farmer, Kinderhook Farm (Valatie, NY) has an interesting program of holding some of their cattle for more than a year, our cuts tonight are from a 5 YO steer. A brief 6m grill and wonderfully medium-rare cuts at ~135°F after resting. Great depth of flavor, less of the grass fed notes we get with the regular (youthful) cuts, just delicious. — 4 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.2

This blend is named in honor of the butcher shop that David’s father started in San Francisco. His butcher shop(s) launched them into a 1956 Pritchard Hill land spending spree with the thought of starting a cattle ranch. When they were done buying parcels, they had amassed 984 acres in Pritchard Hill. The third most expensive fruit today at $28,000 a ton. If you sold all of that land today, it would be worth over a billion dollars. I bet they didn’t pay anything close to that in 1956.

This was opened the day before we’d had it. While I enjoyed it, it had leaned out a bit more than I would want it. It was round with softer tannins but may have given a false sense of its ability to cellar.

The fruits are nice, ripe, lush & juicy; blackberries, raspberries, dark cherries, black plum, mid baking spices-nutmeg, cinnamon, light clove, vanillin, light spice, barrel shavings, crushed rocks, savory, grilled meats, dark, red, & purple florals with very nice acidity and a wire to wire finish that was leaner but, clean. The finish was well balanced, elegant, on the leaner side, nicely polished and persisted minutes. — 5 years ago

Brad Kalish

9.3

W/ryan. Pnp — 4 months ago

Richard Dansereau

9.6

I’m a virgin cattle baron customer — 3 years ago

with Angela

Ryan Vento

9.3

Celebrating my Mom’s birthday 👏🏻

This is her favorite Chardonnay (or at least one of her top choices) so we pulled the cork on it to pair with a grazing board replete with cheeses, cured meats, nuts, fig spread, and olives. Solid choice. — 5 years ago

with Krystal

Michele greene

9.0

From @Joshua Sigler “Recently I’ve paid €79 for a wine I liked a lot less.”

Perfect for a rainy Irish evening overlooking the rolling hills of County Clare in the Burren with Sheep grazing in the distance. — 5 years ago

with Joshua