This wine grows at an absolute high altitude on Mount Etna in the Contrada Guardiola. It consists of just over 70 percent Petit Verdot and just under 30 percent Cesanese d’Affile, which were planted here on 1.5 hectares more than 20 years ago. Andrea Franchetti grew up in Rome, and Cesanese is a grape variety that connected him to his homeland.
Cabernet Franc was actually Andrea Franchetti’s absolute favorite grape variety, but Cabernet Franc simply would not ripen at this high altitude. Therefore, in addition to the Petit Verdot he also highly values, he decided to use Cesanese. The locally typical Nerello Mascalese, from which the other Etna wines of Passopisciaro are made, simply does not have enough power and structure to compete with Petit Verdot. The grape varieties are fermented separately in stainless steel tanks and then aged separately. First four to six months in French barriques, then for another 18 months they alternate every two months between large concrete tanks and large wooden barrels, similar to the Contrada wines of the winery.
The nose of this almost black wine is a small sensation. Incredibly dark, dense, and spicy. Juicy black cherry, blackberry, and blueberries, leather, bay leaves, and violets. Even the scent is enticing and seductive. On the palate, it is a juicy, velvety seduction! Ripe blackberry, black cherry, juicy plums, and lavender. Everything is so ripe and juicy. At the same time, the wine is over-complex – like unpacking a treasure chest, the aromas unfold one after another. Bittersweet chocolate, cloves, dried flowers, potpourri. On the palate, the tannins are ultra-fine and ripe. The grapes here are only harvested at full phenolic ripeness, which is clearly noticeable in these charming tannins; everything is in phenomenal balance. Andrea Franchetti is honored here by his winemaker Vincenzo, who has been making the wines at Passopisciaro from the start, and his daughter Oreana. Both rave about the man who was more a good friend than their boss. Franchetti is a special wine and, despite the Petit Verdot introduced here by Andrea Franchetti, also a reflection of these volcanic soils. Power, structure, length combined with expressiveness.
