2001 Emidio Pepe Montepulciano Vecchie Vigne Decanted (750ml)

Montepulciano from Abruzzo, Italy

B-21 Top Recommendation
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“Bucking every trend and modern convention, the wines of Emidio Pepe represent one of the most singular expressions in winemaking today.”

Antonio Galloni, Vinous

Among the rarest and highly allocated red wines of Italy, these impeccably aged Montepulciano d’Abruzzo selections from Emidio Pepe are meticulously crafted to offer the purest and most complex expression of the Montepulciano grape, all one of a kind, limited releases offering Italian wine lovers a unique opportunity to be “wowed” by Pepe’s legendary wines and a must for serious collectors to acquire without hesitation.

Located on a hilltop with stunning views of Abruzzo’s rolling countryside, the cellars of Emidio Pepe are filled with more than 350,000 bottles that have been reserved from recent vintages for extended cellaring and a library of back vintages that are released in small quantities each year, “essentially time capsules of the grape” according to Vinous critic Eric Guido, all pristinely aged to develop extraordinary complexity. Sourced from around three hectares of biodynamically farmed vineyards in Teramo in northern Abruzzo, the grapes for the Emidio Pepe Montepulciano d’Abruzzo Vecchie Vigne come from old vines around 50 years of age planted in clay and limestone soils, with temperatures moderated by the Apennine mountains to the north and nearby Adriatic Sea. Harvesting and crushing the grapes by hand, the old vine Montepulciano is fermented spontaneously with natural yeasts and aged completely without oak, spending 24 months in glass-lined cement tanks before extended cellar aging in bottle of over five years, each library bottle decanted by hand into a new bottle and sealed with a new cork bearing the date of decanting upon its release. Holding back 80% of the excellent 2015 vintage for extended aging, the beautifully balanced 95 pt. 2015 Emidio Pepe Montepulciano d’Abruzzo Vecchie Vigne boasts a “wonderful velvet texture, supported by fine-grained tannins and bright acidity” according to Decanter’s Susan Hulme, while the harmonious 95 pt. 2007 Vecchie Vigne is “a dark and penetrating red wine” that “confirms the hype that surrounds Emidio Pepe” according to the Wine Advocate’s Monica Larner. The powerfully aromatic 94 pt. 2003 Vecchie Vigne is a “dark, imposing Montepulciano” that “comes together beautifully in the glass” according to Antonio Galloni, while the muscular 95 pt. 2001 Vecchie Vigne is “rich and dense” with a decades’ long aging potential, a library selection that was decanted and recorked. Also from the library, the stunning 97 pt. 2000 Vecchie Vigne is described as a “big, powerful wine packed with dark fruit” by Galloni, and the remarkable 94 pt. 1984 Vecchie Vigne is “still vivid” according to Eric Guido of Vinous, “showing beautifully and in no fear of decline.”

Celebrating over 50 years as Abruzzo’s most iconic winery and a favorite of wine critics and insiders alike, these selections of Emidio Pepe’s legendary Montepulciano d’Abruzzo Vecchie Vigne are the region’s most coveted and longest-lived wines, this small release certain to sell out quickly and be savored by a fortunate few.

95WS

93V

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 (Sep 2013)

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, Eric Guido, Vinous (Oct 2022)

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$269.98

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