Passopisciaro Terre Siciliane IGT Franchetti 2021 (750ml) *
Product price
$218.99
Description
Most wines on Etna are built around the native Nerello Mascalese, which makes this one a deliberate outlier. Andrea Franchetti set out to do something else entirely with fruit from the high-elevation Contrada Guardiola, blending Petit Verdot with Cesanese d'Affile, a nearly lost variety pulled back from Lazio. The 2021, bottled under the Terre Siciliane IGT designation, leans about 70 percent on the Petit Verdot. It is fermented in steel, then given a short stay in French oak before finishing in cement, an approach that keeps the fruit forward and the framework precise.
The perfume arrives first and doesn't let go: violets, lavender, dried herbs and sage over a wash of macerated wild berries, with sweet smoke and a faint chalky lift in the background. On the palate it feels dense and velvety, creamy in texture yet cut through by bright, red-fruited acidity that keeps the whole thing taut. Blueberry and blackberry deepen into licorice, a touch of sweet chocolate and a savory,
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)