Montepulciano d’Abruzzo DOC Selezione Vecchie Vigne 2003

Wine Description for Montepulciano d’Abruzzo DOC Selezione Vecchie Vigne 2003 by Emidio Pepe

Character

A wine of positively archaic integrity. Emidio Pepe is regarded as one of Italy’s most uncompromising natural winemakers – a man who swam against the current for decades whilst modernisation and mechanisation swept through the wine world. His Selezione Vecchie Vigne is the distillation of this conviction: a wine grown from old vines, hand-harvested, foot-trodden and vinified without any technical aids in the cellar. The result is not a smooth, crowd-pleasing wine – but rather a wine with character, depth and the unmistakable stamp of its origins.

Terroir & Origin

The Abruzzi region is one of Italy’s most fascinating and simultaneously most underrated wine regions. Emidio Pepe’s estate is located in Torano Nuovo, in the heart of the region, where the Apennine Mountains to the west and the Adriatic to the east create a unique microclimate: hot, dry summers, cool nights and soil composed of clay and limestone that imparts minerality and structure to the vines. The 2003 vintage was characterised across Europe by extreme heat – a challenge for many winemakers that was mitigated in the Abruzzi, however, by the altitude and nocturnal cooling. For Pepe, who relies on old vines with deep roots, this was a test of character that his vineyard apparently passed with distinction.

Grape Variety & Vinification

The Montepulciano is the soul of the Abruzzi – a grape variety of dark fruit, robust tannin and natural acidity that promises longevity. Emidio Pepe treats it with a reverence that recalls craftsmanship in its most original sense: hand-picking, foot-treading of grapes, fermentation in large fibreglass tanks without temperature control, and ageing in old wooden barrels without sulphur additions. The Vecchie Vigne – the old vines – yield concentrated, complex grapes with low yields. With an alcohol content of 13.0%, the wine remains remarkably balanced and dry despite the hot vintage.

Food Pairing Recommendations

This wine demands food with substance and character. Braised lamb with rosemary, wild boar salami from the Abruzzi or a medium-aged Pecorino cheese would be worthy companions. A classic pasta dish with Ragù alla Pecorara – the shepherd’s ragout of the region – would also reflect the cultural context of this wine most beautifully.