Contrada R (Rampante) Rosso Terre Siciliane IGT 2023

Passopisciaro | Sicily
Vini Franchetti s.r.l. | Via Val d'Orcia 15 | IT 53047 Sarteano

19152323 · 0,75 l · 78,67 €/l · Price (DE) incl. VAT, excl. Shipping< 24 units available

At the absolute limit of viticulture on Mount Etna, where the air becomes thin and the vines reach their biological limits, lies Rampante – the highest contrada of Passopisciaro at exactly 1,000 metres above sea level. This is no ordinary vineyard. This is a place where only the hardiest, oldest Nerello Mascalese vines can survive. Vines that now number over a century and claim the longest ripening period of all Etna vineyards every autumn. Andrea Franchetti realised as soon as he arrived in 2000 that Rampante had something special: Here, where the ancient lava has crumbled into fine sand, the most aromatic, airiest of all Passopisciaro wines is created. The name means "climbing, ascending" - and that is exactly what this wine does: it rises up from volcanic dust, carried by the coolness of the altitude, animated by the clarity of the mountain air.

In the glass, 2023 reveals itself as a year of pure elegance: fragrant summer flowers, sage and broom intertwine with the fine minerality of pulverised lava. This silky, almost floating texture on the palate – ruby red berries, raspberries, sloes, enveloped in fine, talc-like tannins and that brilliant acidity that can only be found in the Alpine heights of Sicily. After 18 months in large neutral oak barrels, Rampante remains what it always was: a wine of beguiling finesse that paradoxically reveals the greatest depth in its lightness. The currency here is not power, but precision. Not opulence, but fragrance. SUPERIORE.DE

"Medium-dark ruby red with garnet shimmer. Aromas of raspberries and redcurrants on the nose, later some cedar wood and cold smoke. Very fine and polished on the palate, dense, well-integrated tannins, salty final, lingers for a very long time." Falstaff

"The 2023 Rosso Contrada R evolves in the glass, youthfully tight and complex, with dusty earth and rose tones that open the stage for citrus-inflected cherries and nuances of wet stones. This envelops the palate with soothingly round, creamy textures as ripe blackberries mix with exotic spice and licorice notes throughout. The 2023 finishes long and quite spicy, leaving a pleasantly bitter tinge and grippy tannins to linger on. Give the R time in the cellar to soften its contours. I'm optimistic about its future." Vinous

"Sliced plums and cherries with heather and fresh thyme on the nose. Medium-bodied, this has fine tannins and a creamy finish with nice tension. Focused, pristine young wine, showing layers of tightly curated fruit." James Suckling