Passopisciaro Passorosso Etna Rosso 2023

Passopisciaro Passorosso Etna Rosso 2023

Passopisciaro went to great lengths to craft a successful lineup of 2023 Etna Rossos. The estate suffered losses of up to 60% across much of its holdings. The Porcaria vineyard, always somewhat vulnerable to humidity, even in ideal conditions, was hit the hardest. There is no Porcaria in 2023. The spring outbreak of downy mildew took a major toll, though ideal conditions in September offered some reprieve. Even so, the team faced challenges with uneven bunch ripening. Fortunately, Passopisciaro had already begun shifting toward a gentler winemaking approach to enhance freshness in response to global warming. These techniques proved valuable in 2023, with shorter macerations and fewer pumpovers employed in order to achieve gentler extractions. The resulting wines are lifted and graceful, less typical of the house style, but all the more compelling for it. The Sciaranuova stands out in particular, showing impressive poise and depth, though production is down 50% in 2023.

Manual harvesting took place in two main takes, from October 1st to 8th in the vineyards ranging from 550 to 700 meters / 1804 to 2296 feet and from October 27th to 28th in the higher-altitude ones. All grapes come from old vines, between 80 and 110 years of age.
 
In the cellar, extraction from skin and seeds was minimized to 8/9 days of maceration, and fermentation temperatures never exceeded 28 degrees. The aging process, lasting 18 months, took place mainly in large oak barrels to favor tannin evolution and partly in concrete tanks. Bottling took place during the waning moon of February 2024.

Incredibly fragrant with violets, peonies, wild strawberries and lovely dried savoury wood herbs dominating the nose, there’s so much energy here for such a difficult vintage – Passopisciaro have been moving to more delicate intervention in the winery to combat global warming and you can see it here. It’s lifted and red fruited, super crunchy and immensely delicious, full of cranberries, sapid energy and swathes of beautiful, ferric tannin. This is an absolute knock out drink and should be on everyone’s list!!

"The 2023 Etna Rosso Passorosso is designed not as an entry wine but to represent the totality of what the vintage has to offer. It opens with pretty and mineral-driven notes of dusty earth, savory, peppery spice, ripe raspberries, and orange. Medium-bodied, it has fine tannins, a zesty lift of orange peel, and notes of cranberries and smoky earth. Drink 2025-2037. " 94 Points - Jeb Dunnuck, #25 Top 100 of 2025