An IGT Terre Siciliane wine, the 2012 Passopisciaro is 100% Nerello Mascalese aged in botte grande for 18 months. The wine opens to a light garnet hue that is characteristic of the grape and the hot vintage. This Etna grape can easily bleach out its color. The wine's bouquet reveals volcanic tones of brimstone and ash with pretty contours of wild berry, cassis and blue flower. There's a pretty sense of lift and buoyancy in the mouth thanks to the pure energy and intensity of its fruit. Despite the wine's light color, this is a firecracker red in terms of its appeal to the nose and palate.

The 2011 Passopisciaro is Nerello Mascalese aged in large oak casks for 18 months. It shows soft spice and good tannin management with evolved aromas of pressed fruit, ash and smoked bacon. The mouthfeel is streamlined, fresh and elegant. Drink 2015-2025. Andrea Franchetti is the original “man against the volcano.” This eccentric and utterly charming nobleman from Tuscany fell in love with Etna and decided to set up shop in the sleepy town of Passopisciaro following his success at Tenuta di Trinoro in Sarteano, Siena Province. As Andrea tells it, the Etna challenge was anything but easy. He fought with local sheepherders for control of his own property and is often under the threat of forest fires (from both arsonists and volcanic molten lava). For years, he was seen as an outsider within the closed and insular Etna community. But Andrea Franchetti’s contribution to the wine culture that now flourishes on Etna cannot be overstated. He is one of the founding fathers of this pioneering appellation. I once asked Andrea if he preferred making wine in Tuscany or Etna. “Sometimes I consider leaving Tuscany and coming to Etna full time,” he replied. Importer: T. Edward Wines, www.tedwardwines.com

The 2010 Passopisciaro is deceptively mid-weight, but behind the light color and seeming fleeting structure lies a deeply expressive core of perfumed red berries, crushed rocks, flowers and mint. A burst of deep salinity frames the bracing finish. Quite simply, this is a stunning wine. Think of the Passopisciaro as a cross of Chambolle-Musigny and Gevrey-Chambertin and Gattinara. The Passopisciaro bottling is made from parcels in Guardiola and smaller pieces that aren’t large enough to be bottled separately. Anticipated maturity: 2013-2020. Andrea Franchetti describes 2010 as a cold year on the Etna that yielded wines of energy and cut. That is certainly the recurring theme in this set of new releases. Once again, Franchetti has produced a number of wines that set the bar for what can be achieved on the Etna. This is a stunning set of new releases. Importer: T. Edward Wines, New York, NY; tel. (212) 233-1504

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

The 2008 Passopisciaro emerges with gorgeous textural richness in its elegant, silky tannins. Despite its considerable concentration, the wine literally floats on the palate with layers of perfumed red fruits. Everything is perfectly balanced in this harmonious, utterly impeccable wine. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2022. The Etna is one of Italy's most fascinating emerging wine regions and Andrea Franchetti is arguably the area's most fanatical, driven producer. High altitude vineyards, volcanic soils, ancient indigenous grape varieties in Nerello Mascalese and Nerello Cappuccio and a rediscovery of the uniqueness of these vineyards are among the reasons for the spectacular growth in interest the Etna has seen in recent years. In 2008 Franchetti bottled his single-vineyard Nerello Mascaleses separately, resulting in four new wines, all of which are well worth discovering. The regular Passopisciaro bottling doesn't seem to have suffered, as it is magnificent in this vintage. Importer: T. Edward Wines, Ltd., New York, NY; tel. (212) 233-1504