2020 Passobianco
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Tasting notes
Chardonnay. Pale straw. Soft peach and apple nose with saline hints. Salty liquorice and white-fruit palate that makes you sit up. Delicious but not exactly cheap. (WS)
Critic scores
Average Score
Walter Speller, jancisrobinson.com
Monica Larner, Wine Advocate
More reviews and scores
This is Chardonnay from Etna with vines planted up to 1,000 meters in elevation on the steep flanks of the mighty Sicilian volcano. The 2020 Passobianco is glossy and bright with generous tones of orchard fruit, almond marzipan and saffron. There are also distant mineral tones. This is a production of 36,000 bottles, and you get great value in this mid-weight white that offers both substance and freshness.
Crushed rocks, sea spray, lime skins and hints of nectarine create a savory and spicy bouquet as the 2020 Passobianco opens in the glass. It’s lifted and finessed, focused on purity, with white pit fruits accentuated by saline-mineral tones. This leaves a salty flourish, along with nuances of lime, while finishing incredibly fresh. While I prefer the energy in the 2019 Passobianco, the 2020 impresses with more of a sultry nature.
About the producer
Tenuta di Passopisciaro is the Etna estate owned by Andrea Franchetti, one of Italy’s pioneering winemakers who founded the Super Tuscan estate Tenuta di Trinoro, before becoming instrumental in Mount Etna’s wine renaissance with his Passopisciaro estate.