COLOUR
Red
TYPE
Still
VINTAGE
2024
GRAPE
Nerello Mascalese
PRODUCER
Vini Franchetti
REGION
Sicilia
CHARACTERISTICS
Body
Medium - Full
Sweetness
Dry
Acidity
High
Finish
Long
Intensity
Pronounced
Tannins
Medium - High
AROMAS & FLAVOURS
ABOUT THIS WINE
Passorosso is the flagship wine of Passopisciaro, an estate founded in 2000 by the visionary winemaker Andrea Franchetti on the slopes of Mount Etna. Franchetti was a pioneer in recognizing the potential of Etna's ancient, high-altitude vineyards. Passorosso acts as an orchestral blend of the estate's holdings, sourcing Nerello Mascalese from ancient bush-trained vines across five distinct contrade: Malpasso, Guardiola, Santo Spirito, Favazza, and Arcuria. This multi-terroir approach captures a holistic and complex portrait of the volcano's unique, high-altitude microclimates and diverse lava flows.
ALCOHOL
14.5%
AVG. PRICE
€28
STYLE
Classic
SULPHITES
YES
When to drink
Now or Later
Ideal temperature
16-18°C
INTERESTING FACTS
Fact 01
Sourced from ancient, bush-trained (alberello) old vines with an average age of 100 years, growing up to 800 meters above sea level.
Fact 02
Passorosso is a blend of five distinct contrade, with nearly 40% of the 2024 fruit coming from the prized Contrada Guardiola.
Fact 03
The estate was founded by legendary winemaker Andrea Franchetti, a pioneer in mapping Etna's unique lava-flow terroirs.
FOOD PAIRING
Read more
WINE MAKING PROCESS
The grapes are hand-harvested from old vines, some up to 100 years old, situated between 550 and 800 meters above sea level. In the cellar, maceration is kept relatively short at 8 to 9 days to avoid over-extracting harsh tannins from the Nerello Mascalese skins. Fermentation takes place in temperature-controlled stainless steel vats below 26-28°C. The wine is then aged primarily in large neutral oak barrels (botti grandi) to allow the fine tannins to integrate and soften, with a small portion aged in concrete vats, before being bottled.
