Passorosso 2013
As opposed to the 2012 vintage, which was a hot and dry year, 2013 was quite cold and rainy throughout the growing season. We waited until the middle of October to start tasting the red grapes in the vineyards, but everything was still quite unripe: there was still a taste of greenness in the grapes after the cold summer. However, at the end of October, we had almost a week of warm weather, which helped the grapes to reach maturation. The berries were small but healthy, with dark skins. We started harvesting on the 25th of October in the lowest vineyards, finishing on the 10th of November in Rampante.
Once in the cellar, the musts had an acidic quality, with intense and dark fruits, very different from the bright, round, and rich 2012. For Barolo lovers, 2013 is a vintage not to miss, because of its austerity and elegance, freshness and intensity.
Vineyard age: 70-100 years
Vineyard density: 8,000 vines/Ha
Vineyard altitude: 500-1,100 m asl
Yield per hectare: 40 Hl/Ha
Fertilization: None
Spraying: Propolis, grapefruit seed extract, clay
Vinification: Alcoholic fermentation for 15 days in steel vats
Aging: Malolactic fermentation, aging in 18 months in large oak barrels
Production: 39,000 bottles
REVIEWS
“The 2013 Passorosso is a pure expression of Nerello Mascalese from one of Etna’s most prolific and visionary producers. This wine was named Passopisciaro in the past, but its name has since been changed to Passorosso to avoid confusion with the geographic location Passopisciaro. The wine shows a light and luminous ruby color and it offers a tonic and bright quality of primary fruit. It is aged in large oak casks for 18 months and the oak imprint is minimal. The finish is flinty and dry. Some 38,000 bottles were produced.” (Drinking window: 2017 – 2025)
— Monica Larner, Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate, 92 points
“Bright red. Pungent aromas of red berries, violet and fresh herbs. Fresh and crisp in the mouth, with dominant flavors of sour red cherry and red berries. Finishes very long, with a lacy mineral overlay but slightly tough tannins. A lovely wine in a higher-acid, more austere style than most from Passopisciaro.” (Drinking window: 2017 – 2024)
“Smoke, earth, dark spice and berry are some of the aromas you’ll find on this. The linear, rather lean palate displays raw cherry, mineral and Mediterranean herb alongside vibrant acidity and tightly wound tannins.”
— Wine Enthusiast, 88 points
100% Nerello Mascalese
