“Passorosso” Etna DOC 2023

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

19152123 · 0,75 l · 37,33 €/l · Price (DE) incl. VAT, excl. Shippingavailable immediately

Until 2012, this wine bore the name of the estate itself – passopisciaro. However, when Andrea Franchetti began to vinify his best individual vineyards separately in 2008, he renamed the basic Etna Rosso: Passorosso. A blend from different altitudes and contrade – from Malpasso to Guardiola and Santo Spirito –which shows the full range of what Nerello Mascalese can achieve on Mount Etna. The higher vineyards lie on coarse-grained lava gravel, the lower ones on finer, oxidised lava powder: each layer contributes to the complexity of this wine. 80 to 110-year-old vines, fermented in steel tanks, matured for 18 months in large neutral wooden barrels and concrete tanks, bottled unfiltered.

Passorosso epitomises the volcano in its purest form: Medium ruby red in colour, bright and clear. The nose reveals crisp red berries – strawberry, raspberry, redcurrant –herbs, smoke and a subtle minerality of stone and ash. The elegance on the palate is reminiscent of Burgundian Pinot Noir: bright fruit, firm structure, fine-grained tannins and a lively acidity that carries the wine. Balsamic notes mingle with salty minerality, the final remains fresh and juicy. With age, Passorosso loses colour and gains depth – camphor, sandalwood and exotic spices emerge. A wine that distils Etna's unique terroir: bright, pure, mineral, herbaceous. Between Barolo and Burgundy – and yet unmistakably Sicilian. SUPERIORE.DE

"Tight, fresh and succulent, Passorosso offers a grippy mouthful of cherry and blood orange with a ferrous edge. Not overly complex – but try putting the glass down!" Decanter

"The 2023 Passorosso is a pretty and perfumed effort with dusty rose and wild strawberry tones offset by a whiff of ashen stones. It's lifted and fresh in style with tart raspberry and tantalizing acidity adding a subtle inner sweetness toward the close. This tapers off with a pleasantly chewy sensation and hints of hard red candy that linger on." Vinous

"Fruity and leathery with aromatic depth, showing ripe blackberries and strawberries. This has medium body and firm, crisp acidity that’s almost sour. Despite the youthfulness,chewy and slightly chalky tannins are polished in the finish." James Suckling