The just-bottled 2007 Passopisciaro is a weightless yet powerful wine redolent of sweet candied cherries, flowers, herbs and minerals. The wine reveals lovely density and purity, even if a few days of rain towards the end of the growing season in November robbed it of the intensity that informs the very finest vintages. Still, there is gorgeous purity to the fruit that insures this will be fascinating wine to follow over the coming years. Anticipated maturity: 2009-2021. Andrea Franchetti wasn’t content to just make profound wines at his Tuscan estate, Tentua di Trinoro, so he set out to replicate that success at Passopisciaro, his property on Mount Etna. These new releases are nothing less than breathtaking. Importer: T. Edward Wines, Ltd., New York, NY; tel. (212) 233-1504

Vintner Andrea Franchetti (a Tuscan interloper on Mt. Etna) has successful managed that difficult balance between power and elegance. This gorgeous wine is pure, direct, focused and sharp with pretty berry and floral notes backed by smoky volcanic impulses. The wine exudes richness and opulence, but not in an exaggerated way. ——M.L.(12/1/2009)—— 93