Emidio Pepe, Trebbiano d'Abruzzo, Italy, 2020

Overview of the Wine
This estate is too good to be true. The wines are amongst the best in Italy, the reds famous and the whites, in my view, just as good, and equally beautiful with age; the family that produces them is charming, three generations from Emidio himself (elegant in flat cap and red sweater vest) to his lovely, enthusiastic grand-daughter Chiara, who handles export markets, not to forget Emidio’s daughters Daniela and Sofia, who now run the winery; and the wines have been grown naturally and vinified using traditional techniques since the first vintage in 1964, perhaps the oldest and most genuine ‘natural wines’ in Italy, and not a hipster in sight. It’s just too perfect, the epitome of all good things in Old World viticulture; and it’s all real. Did I mention that the wines are breathtaking? And the Pepe family have a huge aging cellar where they keep large stocks of old wines, which are decanted to order by Emidio’s wife Rosa, so you can order old bottles of Pepe knowing that they’re genuine and that they’ve been stored perfectly. Ridiculous. 

The winemaking is a complete throwback, nothing changed in a hundred years. The vineyards are planted using plants from massal selection of their own oldest vineyards, not clones, and are farmed biodynamically.

Winemaker
Chiara De Iulis Pepe

Grape / Blend
Trebbiano

Origin
d'Abruzzo, Italy

Tasting Notes
Emidio Pepe's 2020 releases underline one of the fundamental truths of Abruzzo's finest wines. When executed to the highest criteria, the red wines made from Montepulciano can deliver the grace and luminosity of a white wine. And the white wines made with Trebbiano can exhibit the texture and aging potential of a red. This fascinating role reversal is at play in the two beautiful wines reviewed here.

94 Points - Wine Advocate
Here is another must-try wine if you love Trebbiano from Italy’s rustic and beautiful Abruzzo region. On a scale of Italian whites, there is no doubt regarding the aging potential of this fascinating workhorse grape. The Emidio Pepe 2020 Trebbiano d’Abruzzo (a certified organic wine) delivers some of the distinctive flavors that come with extended skin contact. You get dried apricot, honey, pine nut and beeswax. Those robust aromas meet the wine’s generous mouthfeel and creamy texture. The alcohol is measured at a manageable 12.5%. This contributes greatly to the pleasure factor of this wine.

92 Points - Vinous
The 2020 Trebbiano d’Abruzzo Vecchie Vigne is remarkably pretty, wafting up with perfumed air of honeyed flowers, green melon and mint. It's round and supple with mineral-tinged pit fruits and hints of almond paste, all motivated by juicy acidity. This finishes long with a savory and salty sensation, leaving hints of brown spice lingering on. (EG) 

Product size: 750ml