Andrea Franchetti arrived on Mt. Etna in 2000 as one of the first of the modern wave of producers arriving on the volcano. There he found seventy to one hundred year-old, bush-trained vines across the northern side of the volcano across a variety of optimal sites between 550 and 1,000 meters (1,800 to 3,300 feet) above sea level. The grapes are taken from various contrade (crus) of Malpasso, Guardiola, Santo Spirito, Favazza and Arcuria; generally, the higher crus are on a more gravelly soil, the lower ones in a deeper powder made with more oxidized, older lavas.

Viticulture on Mount Etna has extremely ancient origins and winemaking in the region is now experiencing a phase of renaissance. The wines are made with nerello mascalese, the grape that grows all over the mountain, and there only. It is grown in many different mixes of lava from the old eruptions and at impossibly different elevations. These vineyards are quite separate from each other and are Mount Etna’s distinct - and accurately mapped - crus, here called Contrade.

The 2020 Passorosso is spicy, showing dried flowers, hints of cardamom and white pepper before its dusty cherry fruit comes to the fore. Soft and enveloping, this impresses with a pure mix of red fruits and inner rose tones guided by cooling acidity. It finishes lightly structured and with a bitter twang of sour berry concentration. While the Passorosso is typically a more forward expression, the 2020 could use another year of cellaring before showing its best. That said, it’s a very pretty wine that is packed full of potential. Drinking Window: 2023–2028; Rating: 93 Points; Eric Guido; Vinous