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 2024 VINTAGE DIARY

The year 2023 left us without the slightest hint of the very cold winter that would reach us a bit later, and it really did! Until the end of February, clear, bright and cold winter days allowed us to work in the vineyards without losing a single hour of productivity.

Spring unfolded in the most classic and positive way as the warm days lengthened and the cool nights left us free from the fear of late frosts . Then came the flowering of our both abundant and beautifully formed clusters between late May and early June. Everything was wonderful. The fear of downy mildew from the previous year lingered, but the vineyards, well cared for, continued their vegetative cycle undisturbed. Everything seemed to shine emerald green before our eyes!

Then came the hot season, with scorching, intense, and unrelenting heat, both day and night. It forced us, where possible, to irrigate during the warm, starry nights. In early August, a restorative rain arrived, accompanied by some hailstones that inflicted serious damage to the grape clusters in the lower vineyards. While monitoring the vineyards to plan the thinning process, we even recorded instances of plants which had not made it due to the prolonged drought.

On the 3rd of October we were ready to harvest the red grapes, which, particularly in the higher-altitude vineyards, gifted us with rich and generous clusters. These grapes give us hope for wines that will achieve a perfect balance of body, tannins, acidity and alcohol. The last grapes for Passorosso 2024 were brought to the cellar on 11th of October.

IN THE CELLAR

The extraction from skins and seeds was kept to a minimum with 8 to 9 days of maceration, while fermentation temperatures never exceeded 26-28° C/79- 82 °F. The ageing process took place mainly in large oak barrels to encourage the evolution of tannins, with a small portion aged in concrete vats. Passorosso 2024 was bottled during the waning moon of September 2025. We produced 60.000 bottles of 0,75L and 450 Magnum.

THE WINE

The wine opens with a deep, elegant bouquet of fruit and spice. On the palate, it’s lively and savory, where bright acidity perfectly balances the alcohol and silky tannins. Thanks to the quality of this vintage, it’s already a pleasure to drink now, yet built to age gracefully over time.