Emidio Pepe Montepulciano d'Abruzzo 2018
Full-bodied red; artisanal and natural style. Unfined, unfiltered, and made with minimal intervention. · Az. Agr. Emidio Pepe; a legendary family-owned estate founded in 1964. The estate is globally renowned as the benchmark for traditional, natural winemaking in Italy, rejecting modern technology in favor of artisanal, manual methods.
Vintage: 2018; a generally balanced vintage in Abruzzo featuring a moderate growing season. It produced wines with elegant acidity and bright fruit, characterized as a very good, more 'classical' year compared to the heat of 2017.
Type
Full-bodied red; artisanal and natural style. Unfined, unfiltered, and made with minimal intervention.
Producer
Az. Agr. Emidio Pepe; a legendary family-owned estate founded in 1964. The estate is globally renowned as the benchmark for traditional, natural winemaking in Italy, rejecting modern technology in favor of artisanal, manual methods.
Country
Italy; a country with a 3,000-year winemaking history. Italy is known for its incredibly diverse indigenous grape varieties and the strict DOC/DOCG classification system.
Vintage
2018; a generally balanced vintage in Abruzzo featuring a moderate growing season. It produced wines with elegant acidity and bright fruit, characterized as a very good, more 'classical' year compared to the heat of 2017.
Region & Appellation
Abruzzo, Montepulciano d'Abruzzo DOC. Within the region, Pepe's vineyards in Torano Nuovo are considered exceptional, often outperforming the general DOC standards due to their specific microclimate.
Grape Varieties
100% Montepulciano; a thick-skinned grape known for deep color and robust tannins. In Pepe's hands, it expresses a rustic elegance that balances dark fruit with savory complexity.
Color & Appearance
Deep ruby-purple with moderate transparency. As it ages, it develops garnet hues at the rim. High viscosity is apparent through slow-moving legs.
Aroma Profile
Intense and complex. Primary notes of black cherry and plum; secondary notes of dried herbs and graphite; tertiary notes of leather, damp earth, iron, and a signature 'wild' balsamic hint.
Tasting Notes
A powerful yet agile palate. Initial attack of tart black fruit followed by a mid-palate of minerals and dried spices. The finish is remarkably long, echoing with savory earth and dark berries.
Flavor Profile
Wild blackberry, pomegranate, licorice, black pepper, and crushed stones. It possesses a saline minerality and a distinct umami character often described as meaty or gamey.
Body & Texture
Full-bodied with a rustic, 'raw' texture. It feels alive and vibrant on the tongue, with a dense mid-palate concentration that is never heavy or jammy.
Acidity & Tannins
High, bright acidity that provides incredible lift. Tannins are firm, fine-grained, and structural, ensuring the wine can age for decades while remaining balanced in its youth.
Sweetness Level
Bone dry. Minimal residual sugar, balanced perfectly by high acidity and structural tannins.
Alcohol Content
Approximately 13.5% - 14.5% ABV. The alcohol is impeccably integrated, providing warmth without any burning sensation.
Aging & Oak
Aged for 24 months in large glass-lined concrete vats (no oak). Emidio Pepe believes oak masks the terroir and the primary fruit of Montepulciano.
Food Pairings
Abruzzese lamb skewers (Arrosticini), wild boar ragù, aged Pecorino cheese, and fatty cuts of grilled beef.
Serving Suggestions
Serve at 18°C (64°F) in a large Bordeaux glass. Decanting is highly recommended for at least 1-2 hours to allow the reduction and 'wild' notes to harmonize.
Price Range
$120 - $160 USD. A premium luxury wine that commands a high price due to its artisanal production and massive aging potential.
Quality Assessment
94-96 points. An icon/cult wine that is widely considered the greatest expression of the Montepulciano grape in existence.
Production Methods
Meticulously traditional: grapes are hand-destemmed in wooden bins (for reds) or foot-trodden (for whites). Fermentation occurs spontaneously with wild yeasts in concrete tanks.
Terroir
Clay and limestone soils in Torano Nuovo; influenced by both the Adriatic Sea and the Apennine Mountains. This creates a high diurnal temperature range that preserves acidity.
History & Heritage
Founded in 1964 by Emidio Pepe, who famously claimed his wines could age for 50 years. The estate is now run by daughters Daniela and Sofia and granddaughter Chiara.
Interesting Facts
Every bottle of older vintage is decanted by hand into a new bottle and re-corked before leaving the cellar to remove sediment, a process performed exclusively by the Pepe family.
Cellaring Potential
Exceptional. While approachable after 5 years, this wine peaks between 15 and 30 years and can easily last 50 years in a proper cellar.
Similar Wines
Valentini Montepulciano d'Abruzzo, Tiberio 'Archivio', or traditional Northern Rhone Syrah like those from Auguste Clape.