Unyieldingly Individual
2007 Emidio Pepe Montepulciano d'Abruzzo
Soulful, Uncompromising, Irreproducible
"Bucking every trend and modern convention, the wines of Emidio Pepe represent one of the most singular expressions in winemaking today." -Antonio Galloni
An encounter with the wines of Emidio Pepe always leaves a deep impression.
For lack of a better word, these wines are honest. They can be wild, animal, woven with dark rich earth, leather, sun-baked grasses and herbs, flowers. Yet, for all this depth and complexity, the wines are clear, with jewel-like red fruit that shimmers and oscillates between vibrant and bright, and dark and heady. These wines have a perfume that can fill a room.
If you think you know what Montepulciano is, think again. The muscular Montepulcianos of Emidio Pepe combine something of the raw power of California reds, the elegant perfume of Barolo, the earthy complexity of Bordeaux and the finesse Burgundy.
Or, you could say what Antonio Galloni says: These are some of "the most singular expressions in winemaking today."
This is one of the cult reds of Abruzzo, a region on Italy's Adriatic coast, almost directly east of Rome. This is a sun-drenched landscape, a region that enjoys both the warming breezes from the Adriatic and the cool air coming off the Gran Sasso, the rather dramatic mountains that loom to the west. The wines are utterly, undeniably of this landscape.
In a region largely known for its coops, special mention should be made of the process of winemaking at Emidio Pepe. It's easy to say this or that wine is artisanal, that it is hand crafted, but we're on a completely different level with the wines of Emidio Pepe. These must be some of the most coddled bottles on the planet: Grapes are hand-picked, hand-destemmed, the grapes are crushed by foot and after a carefully watched fermentation and élevage, each and every bottle is filled by hand.
While there is a large library of wines held back at the estate and released only when the family deems them ready, have no doubt that all the Montepulcianos can age a very, very long time. Bottles from the late 60s and 70s are still in beautiful form, so there is no harm in holding today's Montepulciano a decade or two if you have the cellar room and the patience. For this reason, we are offering 3-pack pricing below.
This is winemaking at its most soulful, most traditional and most individual - something that's becoming rarer and rarer all the time. If you're interested, now would be a good time to buy! Please give us your maximum order and we'll do our best. All orders subject to confirmation.
To order, please email us at offers@crushwineco.com or call the store at (212) 980-9463.
Joe Salamone
Wine Buyer
Crush Wine & Spirits
2007 Pepe Montepulciano d'Abruzzo
NET | No further discount