Review: PassioneSentimento Bianco

Let’s get right to the point, this is a really cool wine. It’s made from Garganega grapes that are partially dried (i.e., like raisins) in a technique called appassimento. And it’s believed to be the only dry white wine produced in the Veneto region using this technique.

Veneto, and Italy in general, has a lot of regulations in its wine industry, specifying types of grapes and production techniques that need to be followed in order for a wine to be labeled with specific designations. In many ways I appreciate these regulations as they help ensure some level of consistency and provide guidance to consumers of what to expect from a wine. On the other hand, they can be obstacles for creative winemakers who want to try something different… like a dry white wine made with an appassimento technique.

Those creative winemakers are rule breakers, which I can also appreciate as long as the right rules are being broken. In this case, I fully approve. And Italy has even created a category for those rule breakers, IGT or Indicazione Geografica Tipica and that’s the designation this wine bears.

The Garganega grape is one you may be familiar with from another Venetian wine, Soave, in which it is the primary grape used.

This wine is produced by Famiglia Pasqua, which has been producing wines in Veneto since 1925. The name of the wine, PassioneSentimento, translates to mean “passion feeling” and is a play on the word appassimento, hinting at the technique used to produce this wine without stating it outright.

There’s a very interesting, complex and enjoyable nose on this wine, offering aromas such as peach, pear, almond extract and honeysuckle. The palate is super rich, with a silky mouthfeel you notice before you even process the flavors. And those flavors are delicious and in line with the aromas — peach, pear and almond. The acidity is sufficient to add freshness to the fruit. The finish is fairly long, with lingering stone fruit flavors.

Wine: Romeo & Juliet PassioneSentimento Bianco
Varieties: 100% Garganega
Vintage: 2018
Alcohol: 13%
Rating: 88
Average price: $16
Disclosure: This wine was received as a media sample.