I think it is just an artifact and implies nothing about the wines.
- Both my 2001 and 1995 whites says Fattoria Pepe. One has a Cadet import sticker and there was none (or I didn't keep) on the 1995.
- The reds have a funny difference : Front labels identical. The back label of the 1975 has the website listed! (Seers as well as winemakers?) The 1977 doesn't.
Pepe bottles vat by vat, so there is definite bottle variation. I am pretty sure they don't deliberately make seperate cuvées for different importers, but they may very well bottle and label differently for them. With the labels, you may very well have a case where an old batch of labels was used up and then the remainder were labelled with a new one.
Though the site doesn't say so, I was told that Pepe also bottles when they feel the wine is ready. That can mean that different vats from the same vintage are released at very different times. From my red labels, it is pretty clear there are different releases from the winery which are then labelled at the time.
In short, you can expect differences in the wines, but they have nothing to do with anything other than the winemaker's way of doing things.
Enjoy. They are remarkable wines. Here are my recent notes on a white and a red :
- 1995 Emidio Pepe Trebbiano d'Abruzzo - Italy, Abruzzi, Trebbiano d'Abruzzo (1/28/2006)
A weekend of Jacky Truchot; 1/28/2006-1/29/2006 (Washington DC): Explosive nose with olives, clove, orange peel, herbal tea. Definite spritz and alive body. Moderate acids, gelatin, spice and lime rickey elements. Good finish with solid body. Idiosyncratic and full of character. Greatly enjoyable and delicious with a snack of tuna tataki. - 1977 Emidio Pepe Montepulciano d'Abruzzo - Italy, Abruzzi, Montepulciano d'Abruzzo (12/16/2005)
Dinner @ Phil and Jen's: Funky nose with ratafia and brick dust elements. Dried leaves and dried berries. Another wine which requires you to come to it. Loads going on here. Serious acids take some getting past, but great earth and cherry pits and brick dust. Definite hard edges here, but elegance and persistence as well. Really warms and struts it stuff with the lamb and risotto.
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