Passopisciaro

ABOUT THE VINTAGE

The wine Franchetti Andrea Franchetti’s homage t0 Mount Etna. It is no coincidence that this wine carries his name. Its concentration comes from the highdensity training system of the vineyards (12,300 vines per hectare/4,876 vines per acre) and from very low yields. The vineyards are located next to the Passopisciaro winery, at approx. 820-850 meters/2,690-2,788 feet asl on a 15,000- year-old pyroclastic lava soil. The blend of the two varietals changes with every vintage.

THE VINTAGE: The winter of 2023 gifted us with a snowfall the likes of which hadn’t been seen for years, covering the vineyards lying above 800 meters with a thick white blanket. The water reserves benefited from the melting of this precious weather event, after the droughtstricken 2022 vintage. However, 2023 was not all rosy. Spring was dry and mild until early May, when heavy rains and low temperatures persisted throughout June, disrupting the regular flowering process. Despite numerous interventions in the vineyards, organic treatments were not enough to stop the attacks of downy mildew, which reduced production across all vineyards, particularly for the earlier-ripening varieties. The summer was saw record heat, with temperatures repeatedly hitting 40°C / 104°F in July. Given the characteristics of the year, the red grapes ripened unevenly, making 2023 a true challenge. The key to quality this year was undoubtedly our manual harvest (which we have always practiced), allowing us to carefully select the best bunches to ensure the best terroir and varietal expression and integrity in our wines. The Cesanese d’Affile and Petit Verdot were hand-harvested in multiple passes between September 27 and October 16. This allowed us to preserve the freshness and character of the Petit Verdot, along with the great concentration and acidity of the Cesanese d’Affile.