Passobianco Passopisciaro 2023
The Passobianco is a white wine made from Chardonnay with a rich and elegant bouquet that alternates notes of tropical fruit and apricot, toasted cereals, and honey. On the palate, it reveals beautiful minerality and persistence. Aged for 10 months in cement barrels and large wooden casks
The Passobianco from the Sicilian estate Passopisciaro is a white wine from Etna, which has the unique characteristic of not being made with the indigenous grape variety Carricante, but with Chardonnay. The volcanic soils and the cool, sunny climate have proven to be perfect for the Burgundy grape, which expresses itself at very interesting levels. It is a white wine with an intense, rich, and multifaceted character, that surprises with the elegance of its aromas and the aromatic persistence of the sip.
The Passobianco was born from Andrea Franchetti's desire to test the potential of the Etna terroir with one of the most famous and beloved grape varieties in the world. The Chardonnay vineyard was planted on the terraces of Contrada Guardiola, between 850 and 1000 meters above sea level. The soils are quite loose and deep, composed of mineral-rich volcanic ash. The harvest is very careful and lasts about two weeks, with multiple passes in the vineyard to pick the grapes at full ripeness. The fermentations take place in steel tanks, lasting about 20 days. The wine ages for a period of 10 months, part in cement tanks and part in large wooden barrels, before completing the aging with a few months in bottle.
The Passobianco is the Etna wine you don't expect. Far from the sharp profile of whites based on Carricante, it rather recalls the more harmonious style of Burgundy Chardonnays. It is a label absolutely worth trying to discover a new frontier of the French grape variety. The wine has an intense straw yellow color. The olfactory profile is elegant, with notes of yellow fruit, tropical fruit, hints of honey, pastry, and delicately toasted sensations. On the palate, it has a good body, with complex aromas, very expressive fruit, and a pleasant fresh finish on savory and mineral notes typical of the volcanic terroir.