2019 Contrada Porcaria
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Tasting notes
With fruit from 80-year-old vines in the Contrada Porcaria, the Vini Franchetti 2019 Contrada P shows more concentration and fruit weight compared to some of the other wines in this series of single-vineyard wines. Blackcurrant and dried cherry segue to cola, spice and some lingering balsam herb. The tannins are also tighter here, and this wine has more power and extract all around. Only 3,744 bottles were made.
Critic scores
Average Score
Walter Speller, jancisrobinson.com
Monica Larner, Wine Advocate
More reviews and scores
A dusty and inviting mix of dried roses and cherries is contrasted by hints of ash and smoke as the 2019 Contrada Porcaria (P) blossoms in the glass. This is undeniably elegant in feel, with velvety textures that coast across its medium-bodied frame, delivering mineral-tinged red berries and sweet herbal tones that arch across the palate. It’s lightly structured with grippy tannins that tug at the cheeks, yet the mouth is left watering for more, as hints of pomegranate and plum slowly fade. The Porcaria vineyard stands at 650 meters, with soils that are described by Passopisciaro as, “A frail sheet of lava that splinters under one’s feet.” Give this beauty another year of cellaring to come fully into focus.
100% Nerello Mascalese grown in Contrada Porcaria at 650 m above sea level. Fermented in stainless steel and aged for 18 months in large oak casks. Lustrous and just mid ruby. Deeper nose than the Contrada C with perfumed concentrated raspberry and hints of crushed black pepper and stones. Racy acidity cleaves through savoury-sweet raspberry fruit. Very firm but polished tannic spine ending in a chewy raspberry fruit finish. Firm structure. (WS)
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.