You are absolutely right, Taurillon on its own is an absolute wonder too (understandable why Vuitton chose that to be the base leather for their Moynat brand). My issue with newer Vuitton Taurillon pieces is the craftsmanship. They tend to use edge-paint in contrasting colours, and that makes the the low precision of their glazing scream. The last time I checked the newly re-released Taurillon LockIt, it was a true beauty from afar, but up-close all those sloppy edges made me sad.
Yes, on the original Empreinte the embossing was slowly fading over time, and the tanning was more natural, less aggressive, so it was also prone to fading, and even scratches.
The Epsom info surprised me, but kind of understandable. That is the durable leather there. But Vuitton already had very nice durable options both for women and men with Épi and Taïga. Even though they are not high-end natural grain leathers, I consider both luxurious. They feel (and smell) like it. And they can be tanned to extremely vivid colours. The new Empreinte is the worst offender. It looks like a natural grain leather, but neither feels or smells like one.