Montepulciano D’Abruzzo (Red) 2002

Montepulciano d`Abruzzo is “the king” of the Abruzzo varietals. Emidio Pepe describes it as the wine of the future for its immediate beauty and its ageing potential.

"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." (Walter Speller July 2020)

Terroir: Clay for 1.5m deep and then, limestone underneath. South-west facing vineyard

Age of vines: 48 years old

Vinification: Grapes are hand-harvested // destemmed by hand // maceration for 7/8 days // gentle tannin extraction with punch down only - no pump over // ageing for two years in cement tank // bottled for further ageing in the bottle // sulphur 50mg/L.