Colle Gioie. Passerina 'Col le Ali'

Passerina del Frusinate IGT
Grape  Passerina

2023 was a very difficult year for all the producers in Ciociaria; powdery mildew was widespread and Gioie were part of a minority who made any wine.  The quality of the surviving Passerina was excellent: lovely concentration with floral, apricot and mineral flavours, a delicious, thirst-quenching wine.  12%

Colle Gioie producer page

Gioie are fortunate to have old Passerina vines aged between 70 and 75, all Guyot trained and planted on sandy, volcanic soils.  The vineyards are farmed without synthetic chemicals, just copper and sulphur, all the work is done by the family with some help at harvest-time.

This Passerina inhabits the natural sphere: using native yeasts to ferment hand-picked and selected grapes, the juice remains on the flavour-rich skins for just 10 days, this adds a layer of texture without harshness.  After this maceration, the wine is decanted into a steel tank where it ages on the lees over the winter months; the ambient winery temperature cold-stabilises the wine and it is bottled after 6 months, without filtration or sulphur.