Passopisciaro Contrada “P” Porcaria, Nerello Mascalese I.G.P.
Unique blend of Petit Verdot and Cesanese d’Affile grown in contrada Guardiola at 820 m asl. The winemaker’s interpretation of a full-bodied wine on Etna.
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Description
650 m asl. This famed vineyard produces one of Etna’s richest, most full-bodied expressions of Nerello Mascalese, packed with bramble fruit and mineral flavors.
Specifications
100% Nerello Mascalese
October 20
90 years
1.5 Ha
8,000 vines/Ha
650 m/2,100 feet above sea level
16 Hl/Ha
Propolis, clay, grapefruit seed extract
Alcoholic fermentation in stainless steel vats for 15 days
Malolactic fermentation followed by 18 months aging in large, neutral oak barrels
Waning moon of April 2019
2,900 bottles
The Producer
Andrea Franchetti arrived on Mt. Etna in 2000 and helped to initiate the renaissance of viticulture on the mountain and an international discovery of the region as a quality wine region. Franchetti makes eight different wines at his winery Passopisciaro, fewer than 8,000 total cases annually. Etna is the highest active volcano in Europe, given to relatively frequent lava spills. These spills devastate the landscape, yet each flow leaves a unique mineral profile, giving rise to the notion of various terroirs, here called Contrade. The borders of the Contrade reflect old feudal property lines, which are still mapped out on the local land registry. As Passopisciaro, we respect and play to the strengths of the terroir on Etna, producing wines of remarkable complexity and individual personality.
More on their website.
Awards
94 pts. Wine Enthusiast – 2019
93 pts. Vinous – 2019
97 pts. Wine Enthusiast – 2018
97 pts. Wine Enthusiast – 2017
94 pts. Wine Advocate – 2017
94 pts. Wine Spectator – 2017
95 pts. International Wine Review – 2016
94 pts. Wine Enthusiast – 2016
94 pts. Wine Spectator – 2016
I Vini di Veronelli 2019
Super Tre Stelle
Veronelli 2017, 95 points, 3stelle