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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 91.2 pts. and median of 91 pts. in 190 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by hkbob on 12/25/2023 & rated 93 points: Light strawberry red. Fragrant nose of red cherry, strawberry, summer flowers, and Mediterranean herbs. Light to medium-bodied red-fruited palate with refreshing acidity. Wonderful pairing with turkey dinner. A small pouring left in the bottle still drank well 2 days later. (1458 views) | | | Tasted by Ebrim on 9/22/2023 flawed bottle: short note - slight aceton, balsamico, damaged (1868 views) | | | Tasted by RGCM Gananda on 7/8/2023 & rated 91 points: Prior bottle was almost 15 months ago and this wine remains in a good spot. Red cherry, earth, spices and minerals on the nose. Between medium and full bodied with red cherry upfront, deepening to darker red cherry through the middle with a touch of black cherry and plum behind. Tart red cherry and strawberry on the backside and finishes with tannins, acidity and minerals. The fruit notes are a touch more expressive than my prior bottle, but the biggest change was on the backside. The tannins, acidity and other structural qualities are in better balance with the fruit so the finishing transition is more harmonious. Should continue to show incremental improvements along these lines and I'll plan to open my next bottle in Summer 2024. (2143 views) | | | Tasted by nectar14 on 6/21/2023: Still a very good wine. The color has faded to Amber, and the fruit is now a dried character, but the acid and length is still there. Some tannin is also present. I think this will be best over the next five years. (2246 views) | | | Tasted by Devlon Moore on 6/14/2023: This wine was disappointing. It was on the downward slope with a little fruit left and a little leaf left but it wasn’t where it should be… Drink up. (2094 views) | | | Tasted by hargy on 6/11/2023 flawed bottle: this too was buggered (1599 views) | | | Tasted by Bonesetter on 4/29/2023 flawed bottle: Buggered (1717 views) | | | Tasted by afot on 1/21/2023: Round and balanced slightly tannic in the finish and I had the impression that there was a hint of VA. Everyone liked the wine. (1961 views) | | | Tasted by pinoteer on 1/8/2023 & rated 91 points: Decanted for two hours and rebottled. Drank around an outdoor fire (30 ℉), so the 15% ABV wasn't as noticeable and the fruit was much more pronounced. Everyone really enjoyed this wine...lovely fruit and softness. (1883 views) | | | Tasted by Rywyine on 10/29/2022: popped it open, a bit restrained, into the decanter. an hour or so later this was generous with vibrant/bright red fruit and minerality. definitely get the volcanic influence here. in the background you get some subtle earthy note. Good acidity and tannins that are definitely present but not distracting. This wine still has a way to go. I bought it retail about a year before I drank it and I'd since stored it perfectly. Wish I'd picked a few more of these up as I still think it has more than a few years to go. Also, not a hint of EtOH. Great bottle. (2005 views) | | | Tasted by buckeye76 on 4/28/2022 & rated 93 points: Similar notes as our last tasting in Feb 2019. Still drinking very well. Really nice accompaniment to an Italian Sausage appetizer and short rib cannelloni (3056 views) | | | Tasted by RGCM Gananda on 4/14/2022 & rated 91 points: Prior bottle was nearly 14 months ago and while the wine has moved forward along the lines of what I'd expected, the actual result was a bit different and a slight letdown. Red cherry, light spices, earth and mineral notes on the nose. Between medium and full bodied with the red cherry upfront showing more rounded qualities and felt more open than previously, with just a touch of brightness for contrast. Mid-body continues to show good depth along with a background plum note. Strawberry and red berries come in towards the back, along with tart red cherry, balanced tannins, acidity and minerals through the finish.
While the wine has clearly opened up considerably and the tannins, tart notes and spice qualities are all in much better balance, the resulting wine was actually a step down from previously. That's not because the wine isn't as good as it was previously, but rather, I'd over estimated it initially. Seeing the power and the depth of fruit this wine had, I expected it to integrate, but also to gain in complexity and show a more complete whole with more elegance and complexity in future bottles. Instead, while more balanced, it's simply a softer, more integrated version of what came before. I don't want to sound too negative as this is certainly an enjoyable bottle of wine and well worth the price. Just hard to separate really high expectations from a very good, but not a spectacular outcome. Still actually takes about 3 hours to fully show properly and I'll plan to open my next bottle as soon as Summer 2022. (2900 views) | | | Tasted by angryphoton on 4/9/2022 & rated 88 points: It was OK, but slightly on the down slope. Tannins are fully resolved but has some slight oxidized notes. (2771 views) | | | Tasted by Bonesetter on 4/7/2022 & rated 90 points: Great Passorosso. Drank in late 2021. Cherry and cola, gentle tannins. (2721 views) | | | Tasted by Outplaying on 3/25/2022: I wasn’t sure about this at first, but it grew on me. Richer and riper than I expected, with a mix of red and darker fruits. Somewhat sappy sweet. Moderate acidity with some fine chalky tannin. I find this more ashy than pumice or lava rock-like than I usually find. I wish the ripeness and sappy-like sweetness were dialed back, but still this is pretty decent. (2672 views) | | | Tasted by hargy on 1/22/2022 & rated 92 points: lovely wine - light but with a distinct character - the tannins are largely resolved so drinking nicely now (2573 views) | | | Tasted by PaulusLoZebra on 1/21/2022 & rated 95 points: This bottle (L 01/16) was more advanced and opened up much sooner after decanting than previous bottles. I attribute that to an inferior cork (allowing for faster oxidation). It broke during extraction and was generally not up to the usual standards. And it was outstanding! It had all the characteristics that I have recorded in previous tasting notes. Excellent QPR. (2406 views) | | | Tasted by Rechrom on 12/13/2021 & rated 93 points: Lovely bottle. No detailed notes, but great balance and lovely fruit. Drinking very well after a double decant. Has time left but in a great spot right now. (2614 views) | | | Tasted by smenzies on 12/7/2021 & rated 91 points: Certainly benefits from 3+ hr decant as the fruit comes up and tannins subside (2614 views) | | | Tasted by chablis28 on 12/3/2021 & rated 94 points: Open & slow-oxed for 4hrs before dinner in Riedel Burgs & btl. Wow! Has this ever improved since my last btl Aug '19. Yea! Now I think I drank my previous btls too young. Semi translucent ruby red. Very appealing red fruit, roses & underbrush aromas. The palate has really come together with harmonious, vibrant and complex layers of; red fruit, spice, mineral, herbs & forest floor elements. This is simply both a pleasure to smell and drink! My extra time in glass & btl didn't hurt. This just got more compelling as the night went on without any drop off. Wonderful, finally! 2 left that I'll likely drink by 2026. 15% alc stated on the label is scary but went completely unnoticed. 94+ (2765 views) | | | Tasted by Cote d'Or on 11/28/2021: Tasted over 3 hrs
-med dark red mild bricking
-bright candied red fruit cherry Gummy Bear
-med+ acidity, med weight candied red fruit shell wrapped around med+ volcanic chalky tannins
-excellent now probably not much upside as I suspect the remaining fruit will fade long before the tannins (2436 views) | | | Tasted by Shapnyc on 11/14/2021 & rated 92 points: Warren general store lasagna (2371 views) | | | Tasted by PaulusLoZebra on 10/31/2021 & rated 94 points: My seventh bottle, it's been over a year since the previous one. I drink one each year because I have a lot of this in my cellar and want to see how it evolves, but for those with only a few bottles my recommendations continue unchanged: drink 2025 to 2035; decant 3 hours ahead; and if you serve it at cool room temperature the alcohol will remain in check. I got my stock from several sources and at several different times, but for my previous notes I didn't record the lot number. I'll pay attention to that more in the future. This one (L.01.16) seems to me to be a bit different than the previous bottles, showing very high acid levels that presage a long life. As I have mentioned before, this wine is evolving away from its Pinot Noir-ish youth towards a decidedly Nebbiolo-ish middle age, and is reminiscent of a very good Nebbiolo from Alto Piemonte. It needs at least a three hour decant to show its stuff, and was better on night two. It has a transparent ruby color, muted aromas of raspberries, cranberries and pomegranates and very big flavors of cherry, beetroot, and plums. It has lip-smacking acidity, medium+ body, a very big acid and tannin structure, a hint of mid-palate sweetness and a big, savory, very mineral finish. Excellent QPR. (2426 views) | | | Tasted by djn63 on 10/22/2021 & rated 93 points: Lacks nose but makes upp for it on the palate so smooth with some length very very smooth. Drinking beautifully (2434 views) | | | Tasted by m.lupus on 9/29/2021 & rated 93 points: Totally yummy and ready to go. I found it on discount for around $25, which almost amounts to a steal. (2665 views) | | | Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
| By Stephen Brook
Decanter, Stephen Brook - Sicily: my top 10 (3/26/2018)
(Passopisciaro, Etna, Sicily, Italy, Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Gary Walsh
The WINEFRONT (5/26/2017)
(Passopisciaro Etna Rosso) Subscribe to see review text. | By Ian D'Agata
Vinous, Sicily: Moving Fast While Slowly Rediscovering its Past (Dec 2016) (12/1/2016)
(Passopisciaro Passorosso (formerly Passopisciaro)) Subscribe to see review text. | By Walter Speller
JancisRobinson.com (10/23/2015)
(Passopisciaro IGP Terre Siciliane Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Panel Tasting
Decanter, Etna Rosso
(Vini Franchetti, Passorosso, Etna Rosso, Sicily, Italy, Red) Subscribe to see review text. |
NOTE: Scores and reviews are the property of Decanter and The WINEFRONT and Vinous and JancisRobinson.com. (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.Italy Italian Wines (ItalianMade.com, The Italian Trade Commission) | Italian Wine Guide on the WineDoctorSicilycossyraEtna DOC The vinyards on weinlagen-info |
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