Chiara Pepe came to visit us at the beginning of harvest 2023, to lead an evening at 12 seats. Her session coincided with the first day of the Palomino harvest, and we did not intend at first to harvest any fruit-- we were going to wait a day or two for slightly riper fruit from another, older, section of the vineyard.

When Chiara heard this she was astounded and objected: "I am here, and you are not going to harvest??"

So we changed our plans and brought in fruit. When we got it to the winery, she jumped in the bin and began stomping-- and taught us how to press without a press, using only our feet and a pump, the way they do at Emidio Pepe. She has forever changed the way that we make wine.  

We kept her juice separate and fermented and aged it in a single, neutral, wooden, barrel. 

The wine is a proper reflection of its namesake and progenitor: deep, complex, insistent. The wine will reward, and might even require, age-- treat it seriously.

22 cases produced.

Normally, $75 per bottle-- discounted to $50 for the sake of this release.