Passopisciaro

ABOUT THE VINTAGE

Passorosso offers a journey through the Contrade of Passopisciaro. It is crafted with Nerello Mascalese grapes selected from vineyards at different altitudes, ranging from 550 to 800 m / 1,804 to 2,624 ft asl and from diverse volcanic soils, some rich in volcanic ash and some with lava stones of varying grain sizes. It is produced exclusively from old vines, with an average age of 100 years.

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 drought-stricken 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 affecting the earlier-ripening varieties. The summer was marked by 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 harvest of Passorosso began on October 10th and proceeded rapidly due to the relentless summer heat, which lasted until October. The last grapes were brought to the cellar on October 24th. Despite the very low yields and a 60% loss in production, we are comforted by the quality of the wine – a real source of satisfaction after all the hard work of this growing season.