TN: 2016 Emidio Pepe Trebbiano d'Abruzzo (Italy, Abruzzi, Trebbiano d'Abruzzo)

  • 2016 Emidio Pepe Trebbiano d’Abruzzo - Italy, Abruzzi, Trebbiano d’Abruzzo (3/14/2020)
    My first EP Trebbiano…VERY dark amber looking color? Is this shot? If it was a Burgundy, down the drain. It doesn’t smell poxed though…but does have a baked apple pie, hot cider nose, fresh squeeze citrus, soaked wood chips. Pretty subdued nose though? Palate is rich and a little edgy…harsh citric acid burn, especially on the finish? Some walnut oil…crushed minerals…burnt sugar…I’m going to let this sit and come back to it. After an hour, not any better. I’ve only had a 2013 Valentini Trebbiano last summer, which blew me away…BRIGHT yellow color…bursting with energy and brightness? Going by that wine…this has to be FLAWED! Shame…my first bad experience with an EP wine. NR (flawed)

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[all] the pepe wines can be quite funky compared to valentini but that color definitely doesn’t look right

should be something like this:

Yea…that’s not what mine looks like! [shock.gif] Envoyer offered partial refund credit.


Our '15 from Tuesday night.
Great wine. Good on Envoyer.

It shouldn’t look like that. Massive bummer.

first time seeing the color (i.e. not just the TN), Brian. Certainly looks off. Bummer.

I’ve only ever seen it like the first picture pileon
Always seems to have an oxidative taste, imho.

We import Pepe for our market, I’ve opened many bottles of the Trebbiano including some older ones, that looks like (and sounds like) cork failure. If we had sold it originally I would replace it but I imagine they buy the European bottling.

Having had many bottles of this wine in varying vintages over the years, definitely an off bottle. But it can be a real crap shoot for US imported bottles. Same for the MdB.

I give up! Second bottle shot as well. Anyone else get a bad batch of these from Envoyer from 3/19 offer? Disappointing.
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I bought the 2016 vintage from Envoyer in June 2018. I haven’t opened one yet.

But FWIW, the 2015s I bought from Envoyer were fine.

Unfortunately my 2016s are in offsite case storage. The Pepe is in a mixed case along with some 2016 Valentini Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo. I hadn’t planned on retrieving it from storage until next spring.

My only experience with this wine was the 2006, which I found captivating. Sounds flawed to me. Here was my humble take on this unusual wine:

Served blind, though I’ve never had it before I thought the Pepe Trebbiano d’Abruzzo 2006 might be “hit or miss”. Fortunately it was the former. Very cloudy, rather light yellow in appearance. The nose is unlike any white I’ve ever had. One guest noted “tar”, and I think I agree. A lot going on here, with a Marsanne-like waxiness/honeyed quality, but with a very Italian bracing acidity and slightly bitter orchard fruits. Drank much younger than 13 years old, and improved as it continued to open and also warm to room temp. We drank this prior to food, which made me wonder how this might best be paired? Or is it rather a true vino da meditazion? I think I heard this wine once mentioned as “a white that drinks like a red”, and I doubt I could describe it better than that. Worth seeking out IMHO. 94

While I dig Pepe wines, their confusing labeling of old vines/new vines -Euro market - US market-versions of wines is really tedious.
Brian- are these stamped old vines? I can’t see your labels. I have a 6 pack coming from a West Coast retailer this week and will take one for a spin soon.
Thanks.

These are young vine Euro bottles…from Envoyer.

I had the '09 a few months back and while it was a darker color, that’s to be expected with an 11 year old Trebbiano vs a 4 year old. I thought my bottle to be correct, but it was pretty close to the color of your 2016. No oxidative notes. Reminded me of a Joly wine, like a similar age Coulee de Serrant - as in, unusual wine that might not be for everyone. That being said, your 2016s definitely looked advanced. I recall having the '04 in maybe 2009 and it was a lighter color and very fresh.

I too bought from the Envoyer '16 offer.
I put one in a flight for my blind wine group back in November.
The Flight had Valentini, Pepe and a Paolo Bea (who makes his in an oxidative style). No one liked the Pepe - it was on the dark side, but next to the Bea it did not seem at all in the oxidative style. I didn’t love the Pepe, but went back to try it at the end of the night and was relieved to see how much it had improved (since I have 3 more bottles).

Its a strange wine - I would love to trade my Pepe’s for a Valentini.

I’m with you! This was my first Valentini, and also first Trebbiano…and I was floored! This 13 color! [worship.gif] I guess this is what I’m looking for in the EP 16?

  • 2013 Azienda Agricola Valentini Trebbiano d’Abruzzo - Italy, Abruzzi, Trebbiano d’Abruzzo (6/21/2019)
    My first Valentini…instant fan! It’s fascinating…exotic and bursting with energy and brightness. Little tingle spritz and sulfur reduction at first…but quickly integrates beautifully showcasing the pure orchard and tropical fruits…and interesting mix of creamy ripe and underripe sourness…intense citrus acidity…smoky and saline crushed minerals…exotic florals of lime blossoms, mint peach tea, grilled pineapple…has a nuanced woolliness ala Chenin, as well as a mix of herb garden and pickling spice. Very seamless and subtle, yet snowballs to a powerhouse of complexity, while maintaining laser sharp precision. VERY impressed with this wine! Would love to see where it goes with some age to it! (97 pts.)

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Greg from Envoyer says he has not had anyone else complain about any bottles from those issued. You saw the color of my bottles…and as for the taste…it tasted like apple cider with peroxide. Just weird…and I like weird! These are definitely off bottles. Would love to here, and see, others who have had these 2016’s…especially if they bought them from Greg.