Emidio Pepe: Montepulciano d'Abruzzo tasting

I have spoken about Emidio in my previous post, where I have described his wonderful Trebbiano wines. To go into the winery history and curiosity I remind you to http://cenedimary.blogspot.it/2014/11/emidio-pepe-with-pepe-wine-you-have.html

 

 



2005 Vintage:

Deep colour even though it's not fully clear due to the natural filtration. At the beginning the sensation it transmits is very ferrous but you need to wait a ittle bit obvsiouly and let the wine breath.

Once it will open it will reveals itself: mineral notes, red fruits, black cherry and other fruits under alcohol. What it's sure is that you cannot take this wine nonchalantly. The taste is sober at the start and then rich, always richer as time passes.

The 2007 is less sober than the 2005 one. The  spectrum of perfumes is quite wide. Ripe fruits, like cheery, red fruits. Roses and violets, a charming bouquet. Yes, charming. It needs some oxygen, but then it's perfect, natural, generous. The taste is confirming the nose, with a "wilder" note, something from the soil is captured here. I also had some licorice glares. 100% approved. 100% recommended.   

2008 Vintage: Winy and fruity but also evident spicy, like black pepper, also at the first smell. It's an excellent product, natural, rustic, genuine, vivid. In my opinion is less intriguing than the other older vintages I tried.

 

Soul and passion, driving your wine choice...Only if you call yourself into question! Sandro Sangiorgi docet!

Walking around a wine shop during a normal day, after long working hours, can make you understand that the real parameter to choose wine is your soul instinct. Indipendently if you are a Sommelier or not; indipendently if you are a wine expert or a fellow working in the wine business, what counts at the end of the day is the emotional feeling you have while choosing the bottle you are going to taste tonight or during the weekend or whenever you feel it's worthed. I personally think that every day can be the right day if you think so. There is no special occasion to wait, no need to look forward your birthday to open a special bottle. No need to open a special bottle during your birthday, you can simply toast with a beer stein, with the same ease you drink a Vintage Champagne or an aged Barolo on a regular Monday evening or, why not, during a business lunch.

All this foreword to say that tonight I decided to choose a wine based on the label I liked most, having a moderate budget, honestly speaking. I spent nearly half an hour snooping around the wine shop, having the owners's spotlight on me (it was 10 past seven and they remarked that closing time was 7.30!), perfectly aware that my choice needed to be fast.

That's why I decided to follow my instinct and choose the label that most inspired me. While driving home I was really looking forward to read on the Internet what the hell I had grabbed. And I realized that I was right. The label was exactly reflecting my expectations, confirmed reading the story about Cirelli.

Agricola Cirelli is an organic farm, whose production respects the natural cycles of the olive trees, vineyards, horticultural crops and the animal breedings. Their motto is "to live in harmony with nature". It looks like a predicted idea, but I am convinced they actually do so.

Tasting the wine I felt immediately a

simplicity touch, a genuine taste, reminding red fruits notes coming out from Montepulciano grapes. The short six month aging takes place in steel tanks, making evident the strong character of the tannins. Even though, they do not attack you, They gently cope with your toungue, softly decreasing their presence as long as you get in sympathy with them.

 

The main message of this article is just one: you need to follow your instinct. And not on purpose, while stating that, I realized that Sandro Sangiorgi (one of the few truly influential free-standing wine reviewer) has more (or less) the same opinion. On the back of his book "The invention of joy", he states the following:

"I address to those who are browsing in-between the pages of this book, attracted from the title, from the cover or, even better, from the subject: The invention of Joy", which requires a person willing to commit himself, both in the lecture and in the practice  (and in the writing, I would add). It is an important request that could discourage who is approaching for the first time the world of wine and expect immediate answers. It's highly probable he will find them (and with them precious advices) but at one unique condition: the ability and willingness to take a challenge. As I did".

 

So my interpretation is: FOLLOW YOUR INSTINCT, CHOOSE THE WINE FROM THE LABEL YOU GET ON WELL MOST. BUT THEN, DISCOVER THE WINE, STUDY ITS STORY, TASTE IT VIVIDLY. ENJOY IT. LIVE IT!