There’s a mythical quality to the wines of Emidio Pepe, in that more people have seen or heard of them than have tasted them. Their antique labels are unforgettable, as is their natty, octogenarian namesake, but they didn’t have a consistent presence or a coherent message in the US market until somewhat recently. Because of how they’re produced and released, they’re not cheap, either, so even now they’re still mostly the preserve of restaurants and in-the-know collectors.
Today, we consider ourselves lucky to offer a one-stop full immersion in the Emidio Pepe experience: a bottle each of his iconic Trebbiano (white) and Montepulciano (red) from the southern Italian region of Abruzzo. Neither of these grapes are widely known for producing wines of consequence, but Emidio Pepe has been a noteworthy exception since he took over his family winery back in 1964. His were “natural wines” way before that was cool, and not a single thing has changed: Farming is biodynamic; grapes are crushed by foot (or hand); there isn’t an oak barrel anywhere to be found; no sulfur is used; and the wines for export are aged for many years in their cellar before being hand-decanted into a new bottle, re-corked, labeled, and shipped. Today’s 2015 Trebbiano d’Abruzzo and 2010 Montepulciano are current release (!) wines in the US and without a doubt two of the most singular Italian wine collectibles money can buy. We have very few of these two-packs to share—all of them coming direct from Pepe’s cellars—so act fast if you’re interested in a wine experience like no other.
For as long as I can remember, Pepe’s wines have been hard to get. That’s due in part to the winery’s small production, long aging process, and the fact that they only release fractions of vintages at a time. It’s also partly due to them bouncing around among different importers in years past; it was often difficult to figure out who “had” them, and similarly difficult to trust that some purveyors had shipped/stored the wines properly. Although the wines Pepe bottles for export are aged for many years in bottle first to inure them to the rigors of travel, these are nevertheless no-sulfur, unfiltered wines that require more careful handling. These days, with fifth-generation Chiara De Iulis Pepe (Emidio’s granddaughter) overseeing exports and working closely with her US importers, provenance is closely monitored. The Pepes make different cuvées of their two signature wines: one, from older vines, or
vecchie vigne, that is reserved for export and aged many years before release, and one from younger vines that is for the Italian market and released after just a few years in bottle. Right now, the official “current releases” of Pepe Montepulciano and Trebbiano in the US market are 2010 and 2015, respectively. Anything younger would have gotten here by “unauthorized” means and is in fact a different wine (likely one of the Italian-market younger-vine bottlings). They’ve endeavored to authenticate their export bottles further by including a
stamp on the label that says “Selezione Vecchie Vigne,” in addition to inscribing the cork with the year of decantation (which has always been done).
I know, it’s confusing. But it’s also amazing. This is a winery that can reach into deep back-stocks of wine and custom-bottle old vintages to order. That is, in fact, what they did for the 2015 Trebbiano d’Abruzzo on offer today, which was crushed by foot in old wooden vats then fermented on indigenous yeasts in glass-lined cement tanks, where it also aged for about six months before bottling. The wine then spent a lengthy period aging in bottle, during which time it completed its malolactic fermentation (the conversion of sharp malic acid to creamier lactic acid). There’s a white Burgundy-esque structure and energy to the wine, which has a deep golden hue and scents of yellow apple, pear, lemon peel, cut hay, honeysuckle, wild herbs, a hint of soft cheese, and brine (Pepe’s vineyards, in the hills around Teramo, are about 12 kilometers from the Adriatic Sea). It is nearly full-bodied yet loaded with nerve, with the mixture of breadth and mineral tension you’d find in a good Chassagne-Montrachet. Please Note: With both the white and the red, you may well notice a slight prickle from trapped CO2 in the wine: this is normal (the result of leaving the wine, untouched, on its sediment for extended periods) and in fact it was that CO2, not sulfur, which functioned as the anti-oxidant/preservative. Decant the wine well in advance of serving and literally watch it come to life!
The Montepulciano d’Abruzzo, meanwhile, re-defines what’s possible with this grape—undoubtedly one of the friendliest, juiciest, most reliably fruity varieties out there but not typically one with this kind of aromatic complexity, firm structure, and longevity. Now approaching a decade old and just getting started, it’s a medium ruby with flecks of garnet and orange, with a potpourri of spice notes (coriander, cumin, pekoe tea) layered into a dense mass of black and red cherries, plums, licorice, and some dark turned earth. It is just a hint under full-bodied, with Montepulciano’s characteristically gentle tannins but a nice jangly guitar chord of freshness giving it “cut.” As with the Trebbiano, you’ll want to give it time in a decanter to integrate and blossom; as noted above these wines are very much alive inside that bottle and need contact with air/time in the glass to reveal themselves. The Pepes minimize racking (transferring wine among vessels) during the winemaking process, so the wines tend to be reductive (oxygen-starved) when first opened. Be patient, though, and you’ll be rewarded!
There’s so much more to say here, but I’ve already gone on long enough. This is a winemaking family at the top of its game, with three generations currently working together in the vineyards and cellar. Their production regimen and aging cellar are simply unrivaled in the world of wine—it’s a testament to Emidio Pepe’s dedication to hand-craftsmanship. Find some special occasions to open these bottles and be sure to enjoy them with food—Abruzzo is Italy’s dried pasta capital and one of the epicenters of great southern Italian cooking. Check out the attached Abruzzese classic with the Trebbiano when that day comes; maybe a long-cooked lamb
ragù for the Montepulciano. Unforgettable!
