With the crew at NYE.
Bottle from the latest shipment.

I was holding my breathe a little when I uncorked this. My first ever bottle of the 2015 had SO MUCH Brett in it, it scarred me a little. But thankfully, the following bottles have been solid.

In the glass: this classic rich dark ruby with maroon tinge, with this bright ruby rim.

On the nose: that distinct Pepe funk. Rich dark savory berries. Some touch of plums. This bottling smelled particularly earthy. Wet earth. I always struggle with describing Pepe’s, but they are just so decadent and pleasurable. This wine needs a mega ton of air – even with 2+ hours in the decanter, the wine still needed plenty of time in the glass to truly bloom. But when it did, my. What a treat.

On the palate: rich, weighty, but not like cloying or over dense. Tannins are just a touch grippy, but there’s something about Pepe tannins. They’re just simultaneously well structured, but has a softness and smoothness to it. Mid+ acidity. Long finish.

What a treat.