2022 Passopisciaro Contrada R Rampante Rosso

Passopisciaro produces six unique Nerello Mascalese wines, the idea being to showcase the profound differences in the terroir; lava flow, aspect, and altitude, of the various Contrada (single vineyards) that they work with.

Contrada Rampante is the highest vineyard at 1000m - at this elevation the lava is quite sandy, with the ancient lava having turned to dust. The latest ripening of their cru wines, this is the most elegant and aromatic of their offerings.

Highly fragrant, and loaded with finesse, it’s full of red berries and spice, with smooth talc like tannins and bright acidity. Light and lithe, this wine is racy, with great length.

97 Points
"Beguiling nose of red fruit and pistachios, with flowers and black pepper enhancing the aromas. The attack is a bit raw, with edgy tannins and crisp acidity. It’s medium- to full-bodied and chewy, with a balanced finish. It needs time to soften the structure, but displays a tight, crunchy youthful style that will match well with food and has the potential for aging. This high-altitude vineyard delivers greatness. Drink after 2028."
- James Suckling

95 points
"Juicy raspberry and cherry, vanilla and almond essence, blue flowers, iron. This has flesh and flavour, and the quality of tannin here is probably the best of the bunch and sits well within the wine, there’s a cranberry crunch to acidity and a general sense of vigour, and the finish is long and replete with silty tannin. This is the wine I most like drinking of the quintet, and while it’s a more robust expression of the vineyard, it still has that *thing*."
- Gary Walsh (The Wine Front)