Passopisciaro Passorosso Terre Siciliane IGT, Sicily, Italy 2022

In 2000 Andrea Franchetti decided to restore an old farm and cellars on the slopes of Mount Etna, an active volcano in northeastern Sicily. The winery sits at about a thousand meters of altitude above the small wine town of Passopisciaro in the district of Castiglione di Sicilia, on the northern slope of the volcano. His first task was to clear and restore long-abandoned terraces of ancient vines on the northern slopes of the mountain, replanting at a density of 12,000 vines per hectare on thin lavic soil. His arrival on Etna helped to initiate the renaissance of viticulture on the mountain and an international discovery of the wines of Etna. At Passopisciaro, he focuses on the native grape Nerello Mascalese and its various expressions of terroir and altitudes through a series of crus, as well as the varieties Chardonnay, Petit Verdot, and Cesanese d’Affile.

A blend of ancient grapes of Nerello Mascalese from different vineyards located at different altitudes on the northern side of Etna. In general, the highest districts lie on more gravelly soils to coarser grain, while the lower ones on the finer and deeper soils composed of older lava flows, now oxidized and reduced to lava dust. This wine concentrates the characteristics of different terroirs in a single bottle to offer a global idea of a territory.

“The 2022 Passorosso is spicy in the glass with an herbal thrust up front, giving way to ginger-tinged dried cherries and dusty sage. This is silky-smooth with ripe red and hints of blue fruit. Brisk acidity motivates the mouthfeel as the 2022 takes on a salty savoriness toward the close. It finishes with outstanding length and concentration, leaving a coating of fine tannins and a resonance of licorice on the close. This is far from your average Etna Rosso, with nearly 50% of the fruit hailing from Contrada Guardiola.” Vinous, 92 points