Passopisciaro Bianco Contrade PC Chardonnay 2022

Sage, mint, apricot skin and lime marmalade scents pull you in to an intense, juicy and wonderfully sapid palate, with a lovely lick of tropical fruits and some floral white peach. Poised and zesty, with a stoniness on the mid-palate, it's an inspired bottling from high up on the Etna's north slope. Estate director Vincenzo Lo Mauro believes that the Chardonnay Passopisciaro grows in Passochianci – a subzone of Guardiola reaching up to 970 metres above sea level – is the highest in Europe. Contrada PC is 100% Chardonnay from this plot, and is almost reminiscent of grand cru Chablis. (JB) 94, Decanter

Made with Chardonnay that is cultivated at an extreme 900 to 1,000 meters above sea level, this is a very special wine. The Passopisciaro 2022 Contrada PC is very attractive off the bat with a beautiful combination of white flower, candied pear, spice and crushed stone. The wine offers intensity and brightness with a firm, almost salty finish. This 5,600-bottle release is fermented in oak casks and aged in wood for 10 months (with six months on the lees). (ML) 94 pts, Wine Advocate

The 2022 Bianco Contrada PC lifts from the glass with an air of sweet spice, giving way to nuances of kiwi, lime zest and white smoke. It sweeps across the palate with soothingly round textures and ripe orchard fruits, taking on a gentle mineral tension toward the close. This is understated yet refined throughout, leaving a twang of sour citrus and a salty sensation to fade slowly on the finish. (EG) Vinous 93 pts