2002 Montepulciano d'Abruzzo Riserva
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Tasting notes
The 2002 Montepulciano d’Abruzzo Vecchie Vigne intrigues the senses with a cool-toned mix of dried strawberries, cinnamon and dusty rose. It washes across the palate with ease, lifted and pure in feel, with pretty red berries and a subtle tug of flinty minerality. Fruit concentration lingers, along with gentle tannins and a pleasant burst of inner sweetness, as the 2002 finishes with cheek-puckering tension. There’s a lightness of being here that may not promise a long life, but is very pleasurable today. The 2002 vintage was quite cold, and the wine was so austere in its youth that the Pepe family decided not to release it at first. Because of the library program, the 2002 is now available in the market.
Critic scores
Walter Speller, jancisrobinson.com
Eric Guido, Vinous
More reviews and scores
Chiara, Emidio's granddaughter, says of the 2002 vintage: 'It was a cold and rainy year and Montepulciano is not used to cold seasons, which we rarely have. It was quite a difficult vintage to produce because of the fact that Montepulciano starts with high acidity and low extract and therefore in its youth (in bottle) is unbalanced. If you leave them time they will reveal a level of elegance most vintages will not reach. You have clearly high acidity, but a suppleness the warmer years do not have.' Bottle number 40,176. Lustrous mid ruby with orange tinges. Cool, red-fruit nose with spice, hints of iron and tobacco leaf. Cool and sleek palate with lots of acidity, grainy tannins and sleek, red fruit. Hints of tobacco and rusty nail on the finish. Does not possess the same substance or persistence compared with the previous vintages tasted, but attractively elegant and sleek. (WS)
About the producer
Emidio Pepe is a star of the Abruzzo region and one of Italy’s most famous names. Worshipped by natural-wine lovers for its low-intervention approach, this estate makes category-defying, age-worthy examples of Montepulciano, Trebbiano and Cerasolo d’Abruzzo, as well as Pecorino Colli Aprutini.