2023 Passopisciaro Passobianco Terre Siciliane
This is 100% Chardonnay grown between 850 and 1,000 meters above sea level. Forget oaky, buttery Chardonnay; this is liquid
Producer
Passopisciaro
I have reviewed seven wines from Passopisciaro, from the 2022 to 2024 vintages, across Etna and Terre Siciliane. Most are Nerello Mascalese. Scores range from 94 to 98, averaging 96; the highest is the 2023 Passopisciaro Contrada G Etna Rosso (98 points). Passopisciaro also features in one journal article on this site.
When Andrea Franchetti arrived on Mount Etna in 2000, the mountain was a forgotten frontier of abandoned vineyards and crumbling stone terraces. Franchetti, who had already created a cult wine in Tuscany with Tenuta di Trinoro, saw what others did not: the contrade. Long before the idea was written into the DOC rules, he understood that a lava flow from 1947 makes a different wine from one of 1614, and that 500 metres of altitude makes a different Nerello Mascalese from 1,000. Bottling by contrada, he effectively drew the cru map of Etna we use today. He died in 2021; his vision remains in every bottle.
The Contrada wines are a study in lava. C, the lowest at 550 metres on a thin layer of lava over limestone, is the fullest and most generous. S, from Sciaranuova — “new lava” — at 850 metres on a 17th-century flow, is dark, ferrous and firmly structured. G, from Guardiola between 800 and 1,000 metres, is lean and razor-sharp, all crushed rock and smoke. R, above 1,000 metres at the limit of where Nerello can ripen, is pale, ethereal and electric. The Passopisciaro Etna Rosso, a blend of old vines from several altitudes, is the snapshot of each vintage.
Franchetti also planted Chardonnay on high, steep terraces, convinced the volcano could rival Burgundy’s limestone. Passobianco, from 850 to 1,000 metres, is sharp and saline, and Contrada PC, from a tiny terraced parcel at 900 metres, is richer, denser and longer — among the most singular whites in Italy.
Wine Reviews for Passopisciaro
2022 Passopisciaro Contrada Pc Terre Siciliane
If Passobianco is the village wine, “PC” is the Grand Cru. Sourced from a tiny parcel of Chardonnay on a
2023 Passopisciaro Contrada G Etna Rosso
This is one of the highest red wine vineyards in Europe, sitting between 800 and 1,000 meters. Guardiola is all
2024 Passopisciaro Etna Rosso
This is the wine that introduced the world to the modern elegance of Etna. A blend of old-vine Nerello Mascalese
2023 Passopisciaro Contrada R Etna Rosso
The highest of them all, pushing the absolute limit of where Nerello Mascalese can ripen (over 1,000 meters). “R” is
2023 Passopisciaro Contrada C Etna Rosso
The lowest of the crus at 550 meters, sitting on a thin layer of lava over a bed of limestone.
2023 Passopisciaro Contrada S Etna Rosso
“Sciaranuova” means “New Lava.” Located at 850 meters on a flow from the 1600s, this vineyard produces wines of dark,
Passopisciaro: The Vision of Andrea Franchetti
When Andrea Franchetti arrived on Mount Etna in 2000, the mountain was not the glamorous wine destination it is today.