1983 Montepulciano d'Abruzzo
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Tasting notes
I would never guess the age of the 1983 Montepulciano d’Abruzzo Vecchie Vigne from its color alone, still a vivid ruby with a slight bricking around the rim. It’s perfumed, blending dried roses and citrus rinds with crushed stone and hints of dusty library books. This is soft-textured, even juicy in feel, propelled by brisk acids, as nuances of dried plums and cherries give way to minerals and a hint of raw almond. While completely resolved, there is a staining of residual concentration that provides a lightly grippy feel as the 1983 finishes with remarkable length and vibrancy. This was quite a warm vintage that was very dense and concentrated at first, explained to me as “dark as ink”, and so, the Pepe family held it back for twenty years before release. Today, it’s a mature beauty.
Critic scores
Average Score
Richard Hemming MW, jancisrobinson.com
Richard Hemming MW, jancisrobinson.com
More reviews and scores
Mushroom, blue cheese, salt, dark cherry and bitter chocolate. Soft tannins, zingy acid. Very sharp edged. Quite austere, in fact – that primary fruit has dried out and it is now very bony. (RH)
Rusty, dry, slightly madeirised. Acid sticks out. Rather too old. (RH)
The fully mature 1983 Montepulciano d'Abruzzo, a faded red, presents the wilder side of Montepulciano with an earthy, gamey profile and notes of licorice, leather and evolved, stewed fruits that develop in the glass. Its somewhat lean, angular personality and tart character are less than fully convincing in their overall balance and further cellaring is unlikely to improve things much.
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.