2016 Franchetti

This year, the team at Passopisciaro opened more back vintages during my recent visit. I included those notes in this report. However, the big topic of discussion focused on the 2022 vintage and the new releases that were just a month away from bottling at the winery. I am stunned by the harmonious nature of these wines. The 2022 vintage was defined by drought conditions that lasted through the majority of the year. While warm and, at times, unseasonably hot, the real problem was the need for water. In the case of Passopisciaro, hail events resulted in a loss of 25% of their production. The combination of dry warmth and hail forced the team to harvest ten days earlier than usual, hand-sort the fruit berry-by-berry and shorten maceration times. However, the results are really quite special. The year's conditions did not affect the acid balance in the wines. The 2022s mix elegance and soaring aromatics with an energetic core that makes them wildly appealing today but with the balance to evolve over the medium term. I’m looking forward to tasting them again once in bottle.