Emidio Pepe - Montepulciano d'Abruzzo 2001

Emidio Pepe is a singular producer creating amazingly complex age-worthy reds and whites in a region of mass produced, overly engineered versions of Montepulciano d'Abruzzo. Though the family has been producing wines here since the end of the 19th Century, the winemaking process has remained philosophically unchanged since Emidio Pepe took over the estate in 1964. The business and wine production has been in the hands of the fourth generation of the Pepe family with sisters, Daniela and Sofia, since 1997. And more recently, the dynamic Chiara de Iulis Pepe has joined the estate as the fifth generation!

The Pepe vineyards are located in the northern province of Teramo, with soils rich in clay and limestone. In fact the top 40 centimeters of the soils is clay but underneath it is solid limestone. The Trebbiano is foot trodden in wooden tubs for two reasons: in order to avoid contact between the iron presses and the acids of the fruit and also for the textural complexity resulting in the subtle maceration that happens when the trodden skins release their characteristics in to the juice. The resulting white wines are slightly golden hued, well balanced and complex, with hints of nuts, hay, and yellow fruits. The Montepulciano bears little relation to most other wines of this appellation; they are big, bold, and filled with the intense flavors of dried black cherries, licorice and wild herbs.

The winemaking regime at Pepe follows an uber-natural and artisinal path. Grapes are grown biodynamically, hand-harvested, hand-destemmed, fermented with spontaneous yeast and aged 18-24 months in glass-lined cement tanks. The wines are bottled unfined and unfiltered and are aged in their cellar in bottles for continued development. Before release, the Montepulciano bottles that are 20 or more years old are decanted by hand into new bottles and labeled. An extensive stock of older vintages is kept at the cellar. The year of decantation is now listed on a strip around the neck of the bottle. Trebbiano and Pecorino are not, and have never been decanted.

In most vintages there are two Montepulciano wines made at the winery. One made from young vines which is released only in Italy after a few years of aging, and one that is laid down in the cellar for, normally, at least five years. The bottlings from young vines are never exported outside of Italy. The winery doesn't feel the young vine wines have the body or complexity to make the voyage overseas. The bottlings from the old vine selection is released in Europe a few years earlier than they are released in the United States. For example, in 2020 the 2015 VV was already released in Europe but for the USA the current vintage was 2012. The winery doesn't feel the old wine is ready for that trip until it has aged in the cellar for the 5+ years and gained some maturity. To help clear up any confusion, the winery has started differentiating the bottlings by adding "Selezione Vecchie Vigne" to the front label of the old vine wine - that practice started in 2018 with the release of the 2010 vintage. Also, when the reds are decanted before leaving the cellar, the cork is stamped with the date it was decanted and labelled. So a 2002 Montepulciano could have a cork that says 2017 for example.

"The 2001 is a sultry and flirtatious vintage of Pepe’s Montepulciano d’Abruzzo Vecchie Vigne. Dark and a bit murky at first, it takes nearly an hour to blow off a musky, almost wooly mineral and animal-toned air; however, beneath it all, there are depths of tobacco, cherry sauce, scorched earth and a mentholated, herbal freshness that adds a wonderful lift. This soft, nearly-fleshy wine finds a lovely harmony through a mix of nervous acidity and citrus-tinged red fruits that add a highly energetic and almost-juicy feel. Blood orange nuances and a burst of inner sweetness mix with an inner sensation of wet autumn leaves (I know, I know, but it’s Pepe), as the 2001 finishes completely resolved, long and with a hint of balsamic spice that lingers on and on. While it takes a little work to unlock the 2001’s charms, good luck not devouring the entire bottle once it’s opened." - 93 points, Antonio Galloni Vinous

"The 2001 vintage is one of the recent favorites of Signor Pepe, and he is convinced that this will be a classic in the fullness of time. The bouquet is still quite primary in its blend of dark berries, black cherries, Cuban cigars, a bit of cherry pits, dark soil, botanicals and a nice touch of nutskin in the upper register. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and quite a powerful young vintage of the Pepe Montepulciano, with a rock solid core of fruit, lovely, nascent complexity, chewy tannins and excellent length and grip on the focused and still quite youthful finish. Today, the fine 2003 accessible, but with sufficient bottle age, the 2001 is going to be a reference point vintage of this great wine. 2020-2050+" -  94+ points, John Gilman View From the Cellar

"Dark and tightly wound, with iron, wild herb and cocoa notes backed by full tannins wrapping the firm dark cherry and plum skin notes, ending with dark tar, graphite and bitter almond. Hide this in the cellar for a few years. Non-blind Emidio Pepe vertical (May 2013). Best from 2016 through 2030." - 95 points, Wine Spectator

Producer: Emidio Pepe

Country: Italy

Region: Abruzzo

Varietal: Montepulciano

Appellation: Montepulciano d'Abruzzo

Vintage: 2001

Size: 750ml