Emidio Pepe 2003 Montepulciano d'Abruzzo DOC

Emidio Pepe 2003 Montepulciano d'Abruzzo DOC

Item Number: 6136

UPC: None

Country: Italy
Region: Abruzzo
Sub Region: Teramo
Appellation/AVA: Montepulciano d'Abruzzo DOC
Estate Grown Wine: Yes
Vintage: 2003
Grape(s): 100% Montepulciano
Type: Wine - Red
Bottle Size: 750 ml
Pack: 6
Closure: Cork
Alc by Vol(%): 13.5
Viticulture: Certified Biodynamic

Winemaking Notes: Harvest is done by hand with strict grape selection; they pick in different phases to select bunches of grapes according to their ripening. Destemming is done by hand in wooden tubs with a special net placed on top. No additives or sulfites are added. Wine undergoes natural, indigenous yeast fermentation. The Montepulciano is fermented for about 10-12 days and subsequently aged for 24 months in glass-lined cement, which Pepe prefers over oak. After spending at least two years in glass-lined tanks, it is bottled unfined and unfiltered for further aging in cellar. As the wine ages, it undergoes malolactic fermentation naturally. Before being released the bottles are opened and decanted one by one by Rosa Pepe, the family matriarch, into new bottles after which they are re-corked, labeled by hand and shipped. There is no fining, filtration or SO2 added during the second bottling.

Reviews

  • The Wine Advocate
    Rating: 94 (6/1/2010)

    Pepe’s 2003 Montepulciano d’Abruzzo is a bomb. Tar, leather, scorched earth and black fruit emerge from this dark, imposing Montepulciano. The wine comes together beautifully in the glass, as the aromas and flavors gain breadth and dimension. Despite the rich style, there is nothing excessive or over-ripe here, just exceptional balance of ripe fruit as captured by a traditional approach to vinification. A final blast of tar informs the long finish. Pepe fans will flip over the 2003, but readers who prefer subtlety over power will want to cellar this for a few years to allow for some of the baby fat to melt away.
  • Wine Enthusiast
    Rating: 87 (7/1/2013)

    Emidio Pepe is an iconic leader of the organic and natural wine movement in Italy. This meaty Montepulciano d'Abruzzo shows some aromas of rubber and Band-Aid followed by polished cherry fruit. A soft and velvety mouthfeel is followed by cured meat and bresaola.
  • Vinous
    Rating: 92 (10/20/2022)

    A smoky note of cracked ashen stone gives way to a cedar spice box full of dried berries, citrus peels, cloves, cinnamon and roses as the sweetly spiced bouquet of the 2003 Montepulciano d'Abruzo Vecchie Vigne bursts from the glass. There's an unexpected density and pliancy here, coming across as soft-natured and fully mature, with notes of ripe plum and tobacco settling upon the senses. The 2003 finishes with a pleasant grip, the result of residual acids more than tannin, while cherry pits and even sour melon notes slowly fade. While I don't see the 2003 maturing in a positive direction from here, there's so much pleasure to be found today, and there's no rush to finish the bottles in your cellar.