Emidio Pepe: Montepulciano d'Abruzzo Vecchie Vigne 1983

Galloni om: Montepulciano d'Abruzzo Vecchie Vigne

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. 92/100