Passuluna Rosso
⏳ Drinking Window
2021 - 2025
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Slow-cooked beef stew, grilled lamb chops, aged pecorino cheese
✨ Technical Specifications
Hailing from the sun-drenched hills of Sicily, Cantine Nicosia's Passuluna Rosso is a tribute to the ancient Mediterranean tradition of appassimento—the partial drying of grapes to concentrate their sugars, acids, and flavors. The name 'Passuluna' poetically evokes the image of grapes raisined under the warm Sicilian sun and cooled by the nocturnal breeze under the moon ('luna'). This red blend artfully combines the structure and deep red fruit character of Nero d'Avola with the plush, spicy complexity of Syrah. A portion of the grapes is left to wither on the vine before harvest, resulting in a wine of remarkable depth, velvety texture, and a rich bouquet of blackberry jam, sweet spices, and licorice, balanced by a vibrant mineral backbone derived from Sicily's unique soils.
🍾 About the Producer
Established in 1898 by Francesco Nicosia on the eastern slopes of Mount Etna, Cantine Nicosia has evolved across five generations into an ambassador of Sicilian viticulture. Today steered by Carmelo Nicosia alongside his sons Francesco and Graziano, the estate combines modern winemaking precision with deep regional tradition under the guidance of head enologist Maria Carella. Vineyards span key microclimates across the island, notably the terraced volcanic sands and decomposed lava fields of Monte Gorna near Trecastagni at roughly 700 meters elevation, as well as limestone-rich calcareous soils in Vittoria. Working through certified organic farming and vegan-certified protocols, Nicosia focuses heavily on indigenous Sicilian varieties. Their benchmark white expressions—spanning Generazione Mille898 mono-varietals like Grillo, Insolia, and Catarratto, through to volcanic Etna Bianco and aromatic Balanubi bottlings—are distinguished by mineral tension, saline clarity, and authentic varietal character.
🍇 Grapes
Nero d'Avola, Syrah
🍷 ABV
14%