Passopisciaro Terre Siciliane IGT Franchetti 2021 (750ml) *
Product price
Description
A blend of Petit Verdot and Cesanese d'Affile (a nearly forgotten variety rescued from Lazio) is not what most people expect from Etna, and that is exactly the point. This Terre Siciliane bottling from Passopisciaro comes off high-altitude ground on the volcano's slopes, around 70% Petit Verdot to 30% Cesanese in 2021, vinified in steel and then raised in a combination of French oak and cement. The result sits apart from the Nerello-based reds the region is known for, a full-bodied Sicilian red built to show what these elevations can do.
The perfume arrives first: violets and lavender, meadow flowers and sage, a lick of chalk dust and sweet smoke. It is deeply textural on the palate, creamy and velvet-weighted, yet cut through by vibrant acidity that keeps everything lifted. Ripe wild berries, blackberry and licorice fill out the middle, with a fine web of sweet tannins settling in and a finish that trails off dry and dark, echoing black tea and spice. Concentrated and powerful, but never heavy.
Expert Reviews
Franchetti is something completely different on Etna. First released in the 2005 vintage, Andrea Franchetti (master of doing things his own way) aimed to express the terroir of Contrada Guardiola (at 820m) in a full-bodied wine. Vinified in steel vats, the blend of Petit Verdot and Cesanese d'Affile – a nearly extinct variety he rescued from Lazio – is then matured in French oak barrels for six months followed by a further 12 months in cement vats. Stunning aromatics – perfumed, super-floral scents of violets, lavender, summer meadow flowers and macerated red fruits, with some curranty notes in the background. Concentrated and tannic, with a silky mouthfeel amongst the grainy tannins, and red-fruited acidity, this is a sculpted wine which shows the sapidity developed from these soils. Flavours reminiscent of blueberry jam are backed by liquorice, sweet milk chocolate and dried herbs. This packs a punch, but remains super-fresh in the mouth. Wow! At around £80 a bottle, it's surprisingly good ‘value’ given the quality on offer. 4,000 bottles produced. (Decanter, June 2023)
In 2021, the Franchetti is a gorgeous blending of 70% Petit Verdot and 30% Cesanese d’Affile, opening with a seductive cascade of violets, lavender, sage, chalk dust and sweet smoke. This is elegant and deeply textural, like weighted velvet and creamy in feel, energized by vibrant acidity that creates a sensation of contrasts that must be experienced to be believed. Ripe wild berries, blackberries and licorice envelope the palate. A web of sweet tannins gently settles on the palate as the 2021 leaves a resonance of black tea leaves and spice, tapering off dry and hauntingly dark. This may not have the energy of the 2020, but it impresses with its textural girth and understated power. (Vinous, September 2023)