TN: 2017 Emidio Pepe Montepulciano d'Abruzzo

WINE TALK
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  • 2017 Emidio Pepe Montepulciano d’Abruzzo - Italy, Abruzzi, Montepulciano d’Abruzzo (5/11/2020)
    There is a definite difference between the bottles sold here in the US & the bottles in Italy. Others have told me, and I really didn’t believe them. This is a monster of a wine that’s built to age. Where as the bottle I opened in Italy was mostly bright & crunchy red fruits, there was a delicacy & grace in the wine that called to be enjoyed in that moment. What we have here is a beast of a wine, in the best way possible. It is just a hair away from being opaque at the core and the wine is a deep garnet hue. Scents of coffee, cured meats, and leather are the most dominant scents at this time. Now, almost two hours in the decanter and the wine is just starting to open up building depth & complexity. The fine grained tannin is immediately noticeable with notes of cacao, coffee bean, and cassis dominate the palate. This is such a well-structured and unique wine. If you have these, burry them deep in the cellar and I wouldn’t open another one until 2030+. I have no clue how long this beautiful beast can last…but my guess is somewhere in the 25-30+ year range with good storage. Bravo…what a lovely adventure I expect is awaiting anyone that has some of this to track over time.

Posted from CellarTracker

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Nice note here. I appreciate the enthusiasm for these wines. I had an almost identical reaction to the '16 when I opened it back in December! It started to play nice after 2 hours in the decanter. Leave these babies alone for a long, long time. Thanks for the early look.

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You are right bro. I have a few of these. Horse of a wine!

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I don’t think is is a secret or a myth, since they state it quite clearly even in their website:
https://www.emidiopepe.com/en-territorio/ (the Vecchie Vigne part)
https://www.emidiopepe.com/downloads/Selezione_Vecchie_Vigne_compressed.pdf

However, I guess it’s only now they’ve started to label those exported bottles with the Vecchie Vigne stamp.

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What a lovely adventure also try to guess which release the various CT notes are for as there is only one Montepulciano d’Abruzzo listed [snort.gif]

Thanks for the note though, sounds really exciting.

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I had the Italian version at a restaurant in Rome (Cul de Sac) last fall. It was quite good. Given my age, I was kind of glad it did not need 20 years of age. I wish both wines were sold in the US.

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It must be the young vines version here given the vintage right ? The Vecchie Vigne 2017 should still be in their cellars.

Seems that even if they state that the Italian bottling is for quick consumption, it can last for quite some time. Reading the various notes, it looks like good value at c. 35/40 bucks. I should put it on my radar.

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That seems to be the case . . . and not authorized for export!

Seems like they need to work on a new naming convention that goes beyond the stamp (or integrate that into the name . . . and same for CT).

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Still drinking the ‘85s. Yeah they age if you get a good bottle. Sometimes hit or miss. But when they are on!

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That looks right, the most recent offering of Montepulciano we’ve received from the winery is 2012. If it’s the old vines cuvée it will say ‘Selezione Vecchie Vigne’ on the label.