Some wine is top of its class; others are in a class of their own. Emidio Pepe, the legendary producer from the northern Abruzzo province of Teramo, undoubtedly falls in the latter category.
Since the end of the 19th century, the Pepe family has established itself as the benchmark producer of Montepulciano and Trebbiano in Abruzzo, pioneering biodynamic practices, exercising rare restraint in a region plagued by mass production, and eschewing the use of oak altogether. For all the discourse about natural wine in the current moment, production at Pepe has always been unapologetically hands-off, even as they've become recognized as one of the icons of Italian wine, and as producers of some of the most age-worthy wines from anywhere in the world. Grapes are picked and destemmed by hand; the reds are crushed by hand, the whites by foot; fermentations are always spontaneous; all wine is aged in a glass lined, cement tanks. That approach might seem radical even now, but it was unheard of when the estate was established, and even still when Emidio Pepe took over in 1964. Still, they've never strayed from those ideals, even as the fourth and fifth generations of the Pepe family (sisters Daniela and Sofia, and more recently, Daniela's daughter Chiara) have taken charge of the estate.
Wines made in such a low intervention style are rarely seen as worthy of decades in the cellar. And yet, the Pepe wines are among the most collectable wines in the world, maintaining a remarkable freshness at 20, 30, even 40+ years old. That's because the Pepe family not only holds back a significant portion of each vintage to age in bottle in their cellar, they also decant each of those bottles after 20 years, sealing with a fresh cork and ensuring quality before release. Pepe considers the 2001 Montepulciano as one of the greatest in the history of the estate. It's no wonder then that it's stunning after 25 years, marked by dark fruit and savory spice. Perhaps more a testament to the brilliance of Pepe's approach is the 2003 Montepulciano; despite a somewhat more difficult vintage, it's a marvel of savory, earthy complexity, one of the most alluring wines we've had the pleasure of tasting, time and time again.
In 2020, Pepe started releasing their Montepulciano as single vineyard vinifications of their two oldest plots: Casa Pepe and Branella. Where the former is lush, rich, and with a deeply enveloping texture, the latter is strikingly fresh, dynamic, and almost ethereal in texture. In a warm, dry vintage like 2021, the Branella shined, with brilliant acidity, beautifully preserved aromatics, and sturdy tannins. It's a delight to drink now; in 10-20 years, it will be a revelation.