WTN/Passito di Pantelleria

Donnafugata Ben Ryé Passito di Pantelleria 2004: The wine shows a rich golden color. The nose is assertively aromatic, with musty notes of apricot, peach, fig, date, and walnut. The super-concentrated palate yields up more fruit, including pronounced pineapple notes, and intense sweetness is carefully balanced with vivid acidity, which means that even with all the powerful fruit flavors and sugars, the wine is not at all cloying. Unlike a lot of muscat wines, the finish goes on and on and on. I don't know the price, but I'm guessing it comes in around $40 or so retail.

I had a glass of this once at The Park Restaurant in San Luis Obispo... .and loved it. Thanks for reminding me of the name, as I meant to look for it and now I can!!!

Even better, if you like this style, and we do, is the Hauner Malvasia delle lapari. Well worth trying.

Your quite right this is a great product from donnafugata, other interesting ones from the same area would be Passito from Gandolfo or Az Agr Michele(who also do a lovely Dry Moscato from Pantelleria called YRNM).

Yes, I'm always amazed that an island as small as Panelleria can have so many producers. I've never had it, but Nicolas Belfrage has lavished superlatives on "Bukkuram," a passito made by Marco di Bartoli.

Sorry to be a pedant, but I think the Island and wine are "Pantellaria" rather than "Panellaria".

Nice place to holiday by the way...

regards

Ian

Indeed the Bukkuram is excellent stuff. Rich, complex, and amazing acidity that one wouldn't expect that far south (Pantellaria is between Sicily and Libya). Also, Dave, thanks for posting this, as I was not aware a Sicilian producer made a wine from this island.

Allot of the major Sicilian Vinyards have small estates on Pantelleria its a plus or an accessory for them!!

Sorry to be a pedant, but I think the Island and wine are "Pantellaria" rather than "Panellaria".

Nice place to holiday by the way...

regards

Ian

Nothing pedantic about it! Correction noted and made. Thanks!

Sorry to be a pedant, but I think the Island and wine are "Pantellaria" rather than "Panellaria".

Nice place to holiday by the way...

regards

Ian

Nothing pedantic about it! Correction noted and made. Thanks!

Sorry to be another pedant, but isn't vocalisation still a bit off? Isn't it Pantelleria, not Pantellaria?

Sorry to be a pedant, but I think the Island and wine are "Pantellaria" rather than "Panellaria".

Nice place to holiday by the way...

regards

Ian

Nothing pedantic about it! Correction noted and made. Thanks!

Sorry to be another pedant, but isn't vocalisation still a bit off? Isn't it Pantelleria, not Pantellaria?

Pantelleria! I'm going to go out and shoot myself now....

Sorry to be a pedant, but I think the Island and wine are "Pantellaria" rather than "Panellaria".

Nice place to holiday by the way...

regards

Ian

Nothing pedantic about it! Correction noted and made. Thanks!

Sorry to be another pedant, but isn't vocalisation still a bit off? Isn't it Pantelleria, not Pantellaria?

Otto
"vocalisation" is in fact very much in this year and has replaced italics as the emphasis of choice
oops emoticons are sooo last week!
regards
Ian

Sorry to be a pedant, but I think the Island and wine are "Pantellaria" rather than "Panellaria".

Nice place to holiday by the way...

regards

Ian

Nothing pedantic about it! Correction noted and made. Thanks!

Sorry to be another pedant, but isn't vocalisation still a bit off? Isn't it Pantelleria, not Pantellaria?

Otto
"vocalisation" is in fact very much in this year and has replaced italics as the emphasis of choice
oops emoticons are sooo last week!
regards
Ian

Ooops. Keeping up with the pedantry, I should of course have written the vocalisation, not just vocalisation. And as can be inferred from my italicising and frequent use of emoticons, I am behind my times.

Since you are in the EU, Otto, we'll let you get away with that `vocalisation' variation in spelling.. not to be either pedantic nor ethnocentric...

Since you are in the EU, Otto, we'll let you get away with that `vocalisation' variation in spelling.. not to be either pedantic nor ethnocentric...

Would it be better if I wrote that ending from now on -s/zing?

Indeed, Otto...