The 2009 Passopisciaro is impressive. Sweet red cherries, flowers and spices are some of the notes that are woven into a fabric of incomparable grace and elegance. Deceptively medium in body, the wine shows surprising density over time, with layers of fruit that build towards the harmonious, enveloping finish. Soft tannins make the Passopisciaro relatively accessible early, although it should drink well for a number of years. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2021. This is another set of fabulous wines from Andrea Franchetti. This year Franchetti has changed the labels of his single-contrada Nerello Mascaleses, which now only bear the first letter of their respective contradas on the front label. The back labels list the full information of each vineyard site. As good as the 2009s Nerellos are, I see less of a difference among the bottlings than in 2008. Importer: T. Edward Wines, Ltd., New York, NY; tel. (212) 233-1504