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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Drinking window: Drink between 2022 and 2027 (based on 30 user opinions) |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 90.5 pts. and median of 90 pts. in 2 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by Ebrim on 9/22/2023 & rated 91 points: Short note - medium intense, lemon, greene apples, vulcanic, hint of rubber hose, palate is dry, medium+ acidityvery mineralic, concentrated and long finish, lemon, greene apples, very saline, some tropical fruit, veruy good if not outstanding quality, 91+ with upside (528 views) | | | Tasted by Ernestas on 8/13/2023 & rated 90 points: Enjoyed this much more than Rosso or Franchetti. Made from a single varietal of Chardonnay located between 800-1000 meters of altitude, aged for 18 months in cement vats and large oak barrels. Pale yellow colours, golden hue. Intense aroma of yellow ripe apples, honey, papaya, acacia, smoke, mango, mineral notes of chalk and seashells. Full body, rich and slightly creamy well balanced with vibrant high acidity. Full of flavour, fruity and mineral notes mirror aroma, touch of salinity, long finish. (538 views) |
| By Gary Walsh
The WINEFRONT (1/17/2022)
(Passopisciaro Passobianco) Subscribe to see review text. | By Walter Speller
JancisRobinson.com (6/18/2021)
(Passopisciaro, Passobianco IGT Terre Siciliane White) Subscribe to see review text. | By Eric Guido
Vinous, Sicily: Welcome to the Revolution (Jun 2022)
(Passopisciaro Passobianco White) Subscribe to see review text. |
NOTE: Scores and reviews are the property of The WINEFRONT and JancisRobinson.com and Vinous. (manage subscription channels) |
| Passopisciaro Producer website
Source: VinConnect (VinConnect.com)
About Passopisciaro
Passopisciaro sits high atop an old volcanic flow on the northern slope of Mount Etna, Europe’s largest active volcano, on the island of Sicily. It was acquired by the Tuscan visionary Andrea Franchetti in 2000 who then proceeded to restore its old farm, cellars, and terraced vineyards across the face of the volcano. Passopisciaro’s vineyards are located in various contradas, or crus, between 1,800-3,600 feet above sea level, and its microclimate is almost alpine with intense sunlight and drastic temperature shifts between day and night. The growing season often stretches into November. The soil is comprised of various types of volcanic ash which, combined with the diffused light, diurnal shifts, and varying altitudes, creates a highly unique growing environment for wine. Viticulture and winemaking here have extremely ancient origins, with the first written reports dating from the third century BC, yet Franchetti’s arrival on Etna helped to initiate the renaissance of quality viticulture on the mountain. According to Jancis Robinson, “the Etna wine revolution began with 2001, the first vintage for Passopisciaro, a small estate founded on ancient, high-altitude vines by Andrea Franchetti.”
Around the winery, located in the contrada of Guardiola, Franchetti decided to plant a small amount of the varieties Petit Verdot and Cesanese d’Affile at a density of 12,000 vines per hectare on thin lavic soil to produce his flagship wine at the estate, aptly named Franchetti. The blend varies with each vintage, and while rare, the result is sometimes a 100% Petit Verdot, as in 2006 and 2010. On Etna, due to the volcanic soil, Petit Verdot becomes more peppery and spicy, leaner and stiffer in body. Cesanese d’Affile, a grape from Lazio that Franchetti first planted in Tuscany, is a more gentle, aromatic counter to the structure of the Petit Verdot, although it has great aging potential. The wine represents Franchetti’s attempt to create a completely different wine on Etna, more evocative of the thick plumes of smoke the volcano emits than the lighter, indigenous variety Nerello Mascalese. In addition to this proprietary blend, Franchetti also produces an elegant, mineral-driven Chardonnay Guardiola Bianco and a series of six wines that express the effects of different altitudes and lava flows on the local grape Nerello Mascalese: Passopisciaro Rosso and five individual Contrada wines.
In addition to Passopisciaro, Andrea Franchetti also owns another unique winery—Tenuta di Trinoro, located in the confluence of southern Tuscany, Lazio, and Umbria. The wines of both estates are astounding examples of the benefits of the relentless pursuit of quality and distinctiveness in extreme growing environments.Chardonnay The Chardonnay GrapeItaly Italian Wines (ItalianMade.com, The Italian Trade Commission) | Italian Wine Guide on the WineDoctorSicilycossyraTerre SicilianeEtna |
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