Here's a classic "old school" Etna red. From the Contrada Rampante in Castiglione di Sicilia, the Passopisciaro Vini Franchetti 2018 Contrada R opens to a lean garnet color and light ruby highlights. There is a lot of energy and punchy brightness in this wine, mostly fueled by those distinctive white pepper aromas that come across strongly in this bottle. Carrying a shy 12.5% alcohol content, this red is lean and delicate to the palate, with more spice, ash and savory flavors than fruity tones. In fact, the wine's dark currant and tart berry tones take a back seat in this vintage of 3,240 bottles. Contrada Rampante is located at 1,000 meters altitude, which is the highest elevation allowed in the official appellation (although many vintners are aiming to make wines even higher up the volcano). This estate farms a 1.7-hectare parcel here, and like the other wines in this series, winemaking starts off with a quick fermentation in steel (usually 15 days) and ends with 18 months in oak casks.

Andrea Franchetti's 2017 Contrada R (from the Contrada Rampante) is the most volcanic and mineral-driven of these single-vineyard expressions. You taste the dusty volcanic soil as if you were holding it in your hands. Delicate berry and blueberry aromas fill in the rear. The wine shows some dryness with powdery tannins and a mid-weight but very compact mouthfeel. Of these wines, I would drink this bottle soonest. Production is 2,700 bottles small.

The 2016 Contrada R (the "R" stands for Rampante) delivers a glossy dark ruby appearance much like the Contrada P. The wine emits straight-shooting aromas with dark berry and wild cherry framed by smoke, tar, cigar smoke and scorched earth. You get some floral tones, like red rose petal as well. This wine is balanced and powerful, yet the tannic presence is more moderate, making this wine slightly more accessible. I'd suggest a near to medium-term drinking window. Some 3,300 bottles were made.

With only 3,000 bottles made, the 2014 Contrada R offers characteristic tones of dried berry fruit, road paving, crushed mineral and grilled herb. Fruit is sourced from the Contrada Rampante and the wine is later aged in large oak casks for 18 months. The wine presents a smooth and silky mouthfeel with long and polished tannins.

The 2013 Contrada R (with fruit from the Contrada Rampante) is a pure expression of Nerello Mascalese that ages in large oak barrels for 18 months. Compared to the other single-vineyard expressions from Passopisciaro, this wine is a bit simpler and more streamlined overall. It offers aromatic tones that are characteristic of volcanic soils with ash, dried fruit and crème de cassis. But the wine is a bit shorter and not as impactful as the others. The finish is dry and dusty.