Emidio Pepe Montepulciano d'Abruzzo 2013

Doctor No

Opened with a bit of leather, brett, animal sweat, dark cherry. Cleaned up and rounded up into a more Powerful-but-middleweight cherry-fig-saddle leather-tobacco thing that was elegant and feral at the same time. For a wine so young this felt well-developed, and the lack of oak is refreshing and makes the wine even more transparent.

Ben Cane

Head Winemaker, Westwood Wines, Sonoma CA

Wrong in so many ways, then became so right. Weird backwardly burgundy esque funk and sweat with pure fruit behind. Intriguing!

Alvaro Bustillos

@ perluigi con xf

Mike Evans

Still young.

Gabrielle Micheletti

#GuidaVitae2016

Michael Greene

Smokey, funky cherry. Herbs.

Michal Rosenn

carbonic funk upon opening — smoky and herbaceous. opens up gorgeously over the next few hours into notes of cherry, violet, and olive. still young, will keep getting better

Sylvain Rhainds

2013. Bien

Kyle Harvey

We found this bad boy on the last page of a Michelin star restaurant- Coria in Caltagirone, Sicily - for €60, needless to say we pounced. It was decanted for only about an hour, but my god, the upfront dark red fruits giving way to some savory leather and game, followed by a coordinated dance of vibrant acidity and plentiful but not overpowering tannins, it loved up to the hype as my first MdA from EP.

NicòB

Stellar reputation, not exactly affordable, but failed to impress. Second time I have had a bottle of this vintage and it just doesn't entice. Hardly any amelioration after three hours open. At this years 50 years Vinitaly tasting the '97 was complex, vibrant and a challenging joy to taste. Nothing like this bottle. Maybe time will make up for it, but the almost complete lack of development in three hours leaves me doubting.