2003 Emidio Pepe Montepulciano Vecchie Vigne (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.

94WA

93WS

92V

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. Anticipated maturity: 2013-2028.

94 points, Antonio Galloni, Wine Advocate (Issue # 189 - Jun 2010)

Ripe and aromatic, with an undercurrent of cured olive, grilled rosemary, sanguine and dark roasted espresso running through the concentrated black cherry fruit. Well-defined, as juicy acidity keeps the long finish moving. Non-blind Emidio Pepe vertical (May 2013). Drink now through 2025. 2,750 cases made, 415 cases imported.

93 points, Wine Spectator (Sep 2013)

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’Abruzzo 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.

92 points, Eric Guido, Vinous (Oct 2022)

Alcohol By Volume: 13.5%

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$199.98

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