Passopisciaro Passorosso 'Etna Rosso' 2018
SKU
PAER201810 UCAU
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From vineyards of between 70 and 100 years of age
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Robert Parker: 91/100 "The 2017 Etna Rosso Passorosso is a mid-weight wine with added succulence and concentration that comes naturally to this vintage."
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Wine Enthusiast: 93/100 "Crushed raspberry, strawberry compote, licorice and notes of exotic incense framed in taut, fine-grained tannins."
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1 or more bottles$65.00
Editors notes
An assemblage of ancient vines of Nerello Mascalese coming from different vineyards situated at different altitudes on the northern side of Etna. In general, the highest Contrade lie on more gravelly soils with a larger grain, while the lower ones on finer and deeper soils composed of older lava flows, now oxidized and reduced to lava powder. This wine concentrates the characteristics of different terroirs in a single bottle to offer a global idea of a territory.
The red wine of Etna is of nerello mascalese, an ancient grape, rare except on this volcano, where it is still splendidly cultivated like a mountain grape in old and ancient bush vines. It has little color, large bunches with strong, thick skins, and it ripens late – for the vines planted at 800 meters and above, as late as November. The light red color of the wine is from the variety, not from dilution; the berry is large, and instead of using the bitter skins, the wine is made from the juice, which is best when plants are not too stressed.
During fermentation, the nerello has notes of marzipan and a boorish, carnal quality, which are so pagan that the embarrassed winemakers let it fade; often, there’s a hint of nail polish when the yeasts are disturbed, but in every other sense, the fermentations on Etna happen easily because of the lack of pesticides, up to now, on the mountain. Notes of citrus and camphor come into the wine from the lava flows, and an aromatic acidity gives the impression of a sort of reddened white. When well made, nerello mascalese improves over eight years, then begins to age slowly, gaining hints of a sweet smokiness.
Details
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Wine Type
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Vintage
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Variety
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Brand
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Location
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Cellaring
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Closure
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Alcohol Percentage
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Bottle Size
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Oak Type
Tasting Profile
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Light (Light)Full (Full)
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Low Tannin (Low Tannin)Tannic (Tannic)
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Sweet (Sweet)Dry (Dry)
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Low Acidity (Low Acidity)High Acidity (High Acidity)
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Aroma
- Earthy
- Red Fruits
- Smoky
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Palate
- Earthy
- Savoury
- Smoky
Food Pairings
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Game -
Pork -
Red Meat
Critic Scores & reviews
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Gary Walsh
91+"Light and tangy. Fresh raspberry, mint, dried herbs and ash. Only just medium-bodied, etched with acidity, dusty pumice stone tannin, mulch, pomegranate, orange and spice. Dry, but bright, with a sappy crunch to the finish. Wet and cool year feel, though I reckon there’s some further potential with a little bottle age. Drink 2023-2028+"
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Wine Enthusiast
91"Red berry, baking spice and a balsamic whiff of camphor lead the nose. On the racy, linear palate, firm acidity and polished tannins accompany sour cherry, orange zest, mineral and aniseed. Taut refined tannins balance the vibrant energy. Drink through 2026."
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Vinous
90"The 2018 Passorosso transports you to the ashen slopes of Etna with a display of crushed rocks, black raspberry, wild brush herbs and hints of smoke. It’s soft and understated, impressing more with its purity of fruit and lifting acidity, as a subtle layer of fine tannin collects upon the senses. This concludes structured with rosy inner florals and hints of strawberry. It may not be the most vibrant or flashy vintage of Passorosso, but it is remarkably pretty. Drink Drink 2020-2025"
Other vintages
Love this wine? Here's a list of other vintages we have in stock if you'd like to try them as well.
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- Variety Nerello Mascalese
- Vintage 2017
- Brand Passopisciaro
- Cellaring 10-15 Years
- Wine Type Red
- Alcohol Percentage 14.0% Alcohol
Passopisciaro Passorosso 'Etna Rosso' 2017-
Robert Parker's91 points
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Wine Enthusiast93 points
$65.00
Current auction
All current auctions for this wine & any different vintages.
Locations
Italy
Italy has some of the oldest wine production methods in the world and almost every part of the country is planted under vine. From the Alps in the north to the very southernmost parts of Sicily where Africa is almost in sight, wine is successfully cultivated. In addition to the latitude covered, Italy's many mountains and hills provide a plethora of altitudes for grape growing in various soils and micro-climates. The extensive coastlines along the peninsula that is Italy provide maritime climates for the coastal wine-growing areas. Over 350 grape varieties are 'authorised' in Italy, though up to 550 varieties are thought to be grown.
The classification system of Italian wines has four classes, with the intention of defining a wine's origin a quality. Two of these classes are table wines, whilst DOC and DOCG fall under the EU quality wine produced in a specific region category. Vino da Tavola (VDT) means that the wine comes from Italy. Most of these wines are generally basic table wines that are consumed domestically. Indicazione Geografica Tipica (IGT) denotes a more specific region within Italy, and the resultant will be of higher quality than simple table wines, but won't conform to the rules required for higher certification. Both Denominazione di Origine Controllata (DOC) and Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita (DOCG) are regionally more specific than IGT, and have stricter rules regarding the grape varieties grown, yields per hectare, minimum alcohol levels and so on. The major difference between DOC and DOCG is that the latter has to undergo a blind-tasting session to ensure the highest quality is achieved. Italy has 32 DOCG appelations, 311 DOC appelations and 120 IGT zones.
Key regions include Piedmont, Tuscany, Abruzzo, Veneto, Sicily and Sardinia. Common white varieties grown are Pinot Grigio, Arneis, Vermentino, Verdicchio, Fiano and Moscato. The red varieties grown the most are Sangiovese, Barbera, Dolcetto, Nebbiolo, Montepulciano, Primitivo, Nero d'Avola and Corvina.
Sicily
According to Greek legend, the god of wine Dionysus was the first to have planted a vineyard in Sicily; kick-starting the viticulture of the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. It's one of the biggest wine-producing regions in Italy with Veneto and Emilio Romagna the only two Italian regions that produce more. In all, the island has an impressive 134,000 hectares under vine although this area is shrinking year by year. This region produces a wide range of wines, both table and dessert wines and the grapes most famously grown there are the Nero d’Avola and Catorrato varietals. Nerello Mascalese is used to make the Etna Rosso DOC wine from the volcanic Mt Etna and Frappato is a the main grape of the Cerasuolo di Vittoria DOCG.
Sicily is blessed with the most favourable climate. The summers are hot and it hardly rains, and the winters are not that cold and frost is rare. The Mediterranean climate is ideal for growing wine grapes as the coastal winds drying out grapes overnight. Because of the warm and relatively dry climate, there are less risk of rot and mildew among the grapes, so chemical sprays are rarely used. The soil of Sicily is rocky and enriched with minerals that absorb the heat during the day and release it at night, which helps the grapevines maintain an even temperature while the air around it gets cooler.
Etna
The wine region of Etna is located in the northeastern province of Catania, Sicily. It is also located near the biggest active volcano in Europe Mt Etna. According to ancient Greek mythology, homegrown wine of this area was said to have enchanting powers for healing, relaxation and amusement. Situated in the northern, southern and eastern slopes of the volcano, at an altitude of 450 to 1100 above sea level, the wines produced from this area creates a harmonious blend of tastes like no other which makes it no surprise that the region of Etna has been receiving a lot of keen attention of wine critics and wine lovers over the past few years. Certain examples are incredible wines, that could come from no other place than the sandy, volcanic (and thus very fertile) soils around the volcano. The Etna DOC (Denominazione di Origine Controllata) was first established in 1968, making it the first region in Sicily to receive the honor.
The climate of this volcanic region is with almost no rainfall in the summer but can be quite wet during the winter and autumn periods. The soil of Etna is volcanic, made up of lava, ashes and sand. This helps provide ample amounts of minerals and nutrients in the soils such as iron, copper, magnesium, phosphorus and others. The ruby colored red wines from this region are mostly blends of Nerello Mascalese and Nerello Cappuccio and the whites are produced from Carricante and Catarratto grapes.
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