Passopisciaro
About Passopisciaro
Andrea Franchetti does not like to take the easy route when it comes to winemaking. Founding the Tuscan estate Tenuta di Trinoro from essentially nothing, the incredibly diligent and ambitious winemaker planted entirely new vineyards and built terraces amongst the rolling hills. Following a similar pattern of monumental hard work, Franchetti put as much effort into his remarkable estate high on the slopes of Mount Etna.
A project of total resurrection as opposed to starting from scratch, Tenuta di Passopisciaro resides in the ominous, and frankly precarious, shadow of the mighty Mount Etna volcano – and yet, it is this very situation which makes its wines all the more astounding. At the very top of the property, there is a large hump of black gravel where a lava spill courtesy of a large eruption in 1947 stopped flowing, just before engulfing the vines, terraces and winery. This is winemaking on the edge!
Passopisciaro's volcanic soils add a minerality which, combined with the high-altitude, imparts a distinctive personality and complexity to its wines. Franchetti's 2018 releases available today are a “revelation” in the words of Eric Guido (Vinous) and are without a doubt some of the best wines from Sicily. Monica Larner (Wine Advocate) believes that “no other vintner, not even his frenemy Marco De Grazia, can boast such a collection of wines”.
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Prices:
| Product Name | Region | Qty | Score | Price | |||||
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Sicily | 1 | - |
Inc. VAT
£132.25 |
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Sicily | 1 | 95+ (WA) |
Inc. VAT
£110.77 |
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Wine Advocate (95+)Violets, tar, asphalt, black cherries and plums all come alive in the 2010 Franchetti. Wonderfully alive and vibrant in the glass, the 2010 shows an unusual level of ripeness and juiciness for the year. Ideally, the 2010 needs a few years to shed some of its baby fat, as it is almost too intense today. Still, it is impossible to miss the wine’s detail, nuance and transparency. This blend of Cesanese and Petit Verdot should be a stunner in another few years’ time. The flagship Franchetti remains one of the most distinctive wines of the Etna, although in spirit and interpretation it is quite far from every other wine I have tasted. Anticipated maturity: 2014-2025. |
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Sicily | 1 | 95+ (WA) |
Inc. VAT
£548.69 |
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Wine Advocate (95+)Violets, tar, asphalt, black cherries and plums all come alive in the 2010 Franchetti. Wonderfully alive and vibrant in the glass, the 2010 shows an unusual level of ripeness and juiciness for the year. Ideally, the 2010 needs a few years to shed some of its baby fat, as it is almost too intense today. Still, it is impossible to miss the wine’s detail, nuance and transparency. This blend of Cesanese and Petit Verdot should be a stunner in another few years’ time. The flagship Franchetti remains one of the most distinctive wines of the Etna, although in spirit and interpretation it is quite far from every other wine I have tasted. Anticipated maturity: 2014-2025. |
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Sicily | 2 | 92 (VN) |
Inc. VAT
£698.69 |
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Vinous (92)(15.5% alcohol): Inky ruby. Superripe aromas and flavors of black cherry syrup, red cherry jam, chocolate and minerals. Spicy, peppery tannins and bright acidity provide plenty of backbone to this opulent, ultra-suave wine, which tastes like it was made with air-dried grapes. Extremely long on the finish, closing with a strong note of sweet pipe tobacco and a hint of volcanic ash. In fact, the smoky note was so evident that I couldn’t help thinking that this is what it must be like to drink a cigar. |
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Sicily | 1 | - |
Inc. VAT
£776.69 |
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Sicily | 1 | 96+ (VN) |
Inc. VAT
£110.65 |
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Vinous (96+)The 2019 Franchetti is like a dark stallion, muscled and sleek. It opens slowly in the glass, inward yet viral, with dusty dried flowers giving way to nuances of plum, brown spice, cardamom, savory herbs and hints of cocoa. The textures here are like crushed velvet, prominent, almost weighty, yet with a balance of brisk acidity and tart fruits that add contrast. The 2019 leaves a subtle staining of harmonious tannins, along with dark inner florals and hints of black currant that linger incredibly long. The vines for the Franchetti were planted in 2000 within the Guardiola cru. In 2019, the blend is Petit Verdot-dominated, with only 3% Cesanese d'affile. |
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Sicily | 12 | - |
Inc. VAT
£456.29 |
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Sicily | 4 | - |
Inc. VAT
£192.29 |
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Sicily | 13 | - |
Inc. VAT
£223.49 |
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Sicily | 2 | 93 (VN) |
Inc. VAT
£385.49 |
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Vinous (93)A dusty and inviting mix of dried roses and cherries is contrasted by hints of ash and smoke as the 2019 Contrada Porcaria (P) blossoms in the glass. This is undeniably elegant in feel, with velvety textures that coast across its medium-bodied frame, delivering mineral-tinged red berries and sweet herbal tones that arch across the palate. It’s lightly structured with grippy tannins that tug at the cheeks, yet the mouth is left watering for more, as hints of pomegranate and plum slowly fade. The Porcaria vineyard stands at 650 meters, with soils that are described by Passopisciaro as, “A frail sheet of lava that splinters under one’s feet.” Give this beauty another year of cellaring to come fully into focus. |
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Sicily | 4 | - |
Inc. VAT
£306.29 |
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| Product Name | Region | Qty | Score | Price | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Sicily | 1 | - |
In Bond
£107.00 |
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Sicily | 1 | 95+ (WA) |
In Bond
£89.00 |
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Wine Advocate (95+)Violets, tar, asphalt, black cherries and plums all come alive in the 2010 Franchetti. Wonderfully alive and vibrant in the glass, the 2010 shows an unusual level of ripeness and juiciness for the year. Ideally, the 2010 needs a few years to shed some of its baby fat, as it is almost too intense today. Still, it is impossible to miss the wine’s detail, nuance and transparency. This blend of Cesanese and Petit Verdot should be a stunner in another few years’ time. The flagship Franchetti remains one of the most distinctive wines of the Etna, although in spirit and interpretation it is quite far from every other wine I have tasted. Anticipated maturity: 2014-2025. |
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Sicily | 1 | 95+ (WA) |
In Bond
£438.00 |
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Wine Advocate (95+)Violets, tar, asphalt, black cherries and plums all come alive in the 2010 Franchetti. Wonderfully alive and vibrant in the glass, the 2010 shows an unusual level of ripeness and juiciness for the year. Ideally, the 2010 needs a few years to shed some of its baby fat, as it is almost too intense today. Still, it is impossible to miss the wine’s detail, nuance and transparency. This blend of Cesanese and Petit Verdot should be a stunner in another few years’ time. The flagship Franchetti remains one of the most distinctive wines of the Etna, although in spirit and interpretation it is quite far from every other wine I have tasted. Anticipated maturity: 2014-2025. |
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Sicily | 2 | 92 (VN) |
In Bond
£563.00 |
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Vinous (92)(15.5% alcohol): Inky ruby. Superripe aromas and flavors of black cherry syrup, red cherry jam, chocolate and minerals. Spicy, peppery tannins and bright acidity provide plenty of backbone to this opulent, ultra-suave wine, which tastes like it was made with air-dried grapes. Extremely long on the finish, closing with a strong note of sweet pipe tobacco and a hint of volcanic ash. In fact, the smoky note was so evident that I couldn’t help thinking that this is what it must be like to drink a cigar. |
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Sicily | 1 | - |
In Bond
£628.00 |
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Sicily | 1 | 96+ (VN) |
In Bond
£89.00 |
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Vinous (96+)The 2019 Franchetti is like a dark stallion, muscled and sleek. It opens slowly in the glass, inward yet viral, with dusty dried flowers giving way to nuances of plum, brown spice, cardamom, savory herbs and hints of cocoa. The textures here are like crushed velvet, prominent, almost weighty, yet with a balance of brisk acidity and tart fruits that add contrast. The 2019 leaves a subtle staining of harmonious tannins, along with dark inner florals and hints of black currant that linger incredibly long. The vines for the Franchetti were planted in 2000 within the Guardiola cru. In 2019, the blend is Petit Verdot-dominated, with only 3% Cesanese d'affile. |
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Sicily | 12 | - |
In Bond
£361.00 |
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Sicily | 4 | - |
In Bond
£141.00 |
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Sicily | 13 | - |
In Bond
£167.00 |
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Sicily | 2 | 93 (VN) |
In Bond
£302.00 |
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Vinous (93)A dusty and inviting mix of dried roses and cherries is contrasted by hints of ash and smoke as the 2019 Contrada Porcaria (P) blossoms in the glass. This is undeniably elegant in feel, with velvety textures that coast across its medium-bodied frame, delivering mineral-tinged red berries and sweet herbal tones that arch across the palate. It’s lightly structured with grippy tannins that tug at the cheeks, yet the mouth is left watering for more, as hints of pomegranate and plum slowly fade. The Porcaria vineyard stands at 650 meters, with soils that are described by Passopisciaro as, “A frail sheet of lava that splinters under one’s feet.” Give this beauty another year of cellaring to come fully into focus. |
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Sicily | 4 | - |
In Bond
£236.00 |
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