JAMES SUCKLING 94 POINTS - "Bright and shining ruby, showing aromas of wild strawberries, almond paste and smoky minerality. It is firm on the palate, with the dusty texture of nerello mascalese grapes, but also with quite a full body. Sternness on the finish is balanced by crisp acidity. Will soften with four to five years of aging." Best from 2028.
KERIN O'KEEFE 93 POINTS - "Blue flower, Mediterranean scrub, red berry and a strong whiff of the sea form the nose on the 2022 Passorosso. On the full-bodied palate, taut, fine-grained tannins and bright acidity accompany tart cherry, cranberry, blood orange, white pepper and star anise before a saline, almost salty finish. Drink 2026–2032. Abv: 14.5% Kerin O'Keefe August 2024 ©kerinokeefe.com"
Franchetti arrived on Mt. Etna in 2000 as one of the first of the modern wave of producers arriving on the volcano. He found seventy to one hundred year-old, bush-trained vines across the northern side of the volcano across a variety of optimal sites between 1,800 to 3,300 feet above sea level. The grapes are selected from several vineyards including Malpasso, Guardiola, Santo Spirito, Favazza and Arcuria. Generally, the higher crus are on a more gravelly soil with the lower ones in a deeper powder made with more oxidized, older lavas.
The expressive aromatics of this wine are impressive with purple flowers, deep red fruit, spice and unmistakable minerality derived from the volcanic soils. The wines are aged in large, neutral oak barrels and are unfiltered presenting an unadulterated interpretation of Nerello Mascalese.
KERIN O'KEEFE 93 POINTS - "Blue flower, Mediterranean scrub, red berry and a strong whiff of the sea form the nose on the 2022 Passorosso. On the full-bodied palate, taut, fine-grained tannins and bright acidity accompany tart cherry, cranberry, blood orange, white pepper and star anise before a saline, almost salty finish. Drink 2026–2032. Abv: 14.5% Kerin O'Keefe August 2024 ©kerinokeefe.com"
Franchetti arrived on Mt. Etna in 2000 as one of the first of the modern wave of producers arriving on the volcano. He found seventy to one hundred year-old, bush-trained vines across the northern side of the volcano across a variety of optimal sites between 1,800 to 3,300 feet above sea level. The grapes are selected from several vineyards including Malpasso, Guardiola, Santo Spirito, Favazza and Arcuria. Generally, the higher crus are on a more gravelly soil with the lower ones in a deeper powder made with more oxidized, older lavas.
The expressive aromatics of this wine are impressive with purple flowers, deep red fruit, spice and unmistakable minerality derived from the volcanic soils. The wines are aged in large, neutral oak barrels and are unfiltered presenting an unadulterated interpretation of Nerello Mascalese.
