Soulful, Uncompromising, Singular
2007 Pepe Montepulciano d'Abruzzo
"Bucking every trend and modern convention, the wines of Emidio Pepe represent one of the most singular expressions in winemaking today." -Antonio Galloni
Catching a Pepe Montepulciano on point is unforgettable.
There's simply no wine on Earth like them. By equal measure a traditionalist and a visionary, Emidio Pepe is stubbornly obsessed with quality. Miraculously, along with Valentini, he has managed to elevate Montepulciano and Trebbiano (two classic cheap carafe wines for red sauce joints) to the world stage.
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It's been a couple of years since we've offered Pepe's wines, which is something that's pretty shameful. This became clear recently when we opened a bottle of the 2007 Montepulciano that was absolutely gorgeous. Sandro Sangiorgi, the author of a great book on Pepe, compares the 2007 to the 2001, which the Pepes hold as one of their greatest of all time.
I encourage you to check out Levi Dalton's I'll Drink to That interview with Chiara De Iulis Pepe. It's a fascinating overview of the estate.
In the space that I have here, I'll just mention that it's easy to say that this or that wine is artisanal, that it's 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: The grapes are hand-picked, hand-destemmed, and then are crushed by foot. After a carefully watched fermentation and élevage, each and every bottle is filled by hand.
The results are some of the most strikingly original and beautiful wines that you'll ever encounter. They are hauntingly honest wines. Pepe's Montepulciano is 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.
The 2007 Montepulciano is powerful and pulsating with energy and ridiculously complex notes of lively dark fruits, smoke, flowers, sunbaked herbs and resinous savory tones. It's a wine with a saturating punch and heartbreaking grace. This is what makes Pepe so special, in its own elite category of wine.
Pepe's wines are legendary for how they age. Bottles from the 60s and 70s are still great today. They age on their density, balance and energy. We created the pack pricing for this reason. We've worked with the 2007 before. This bottling and the way it's evolved is really impressive.
Pepe's wines are some of the most soulful and individual wines around. It's always a pleasure to offer these.
To order, reply to offers@crushwineco.com or call the store at (212) 980-9463.
Joe Salamone
Wine Buyer
Crush Wine & Spirits