Ben Ryé, the non plus ultra of passito wine

 

Pantelleria is a truly wonderful island, a place of wild and unspoiled beauty, a point of contact between Europe and Africa, between East and West.

But it’s also a territory in which the fusion of particular climatic conditions - dry but windy heat - with volcanic soils makes it the best expression for Moscato di Alessandria (better known as Zibibbo), the grape from which it is obtained the famous Passito di Pantelleria DOC.

There are several wineries that over the years have sublimated the greatness of this small but great terroir through territorial and traditional wines, and making a list would mean leaving out some producers of value and interest.

But if we were really obliged to choose a label that can be considered the most known of the appellation (also due to the notoriety of the company that produces it) we could not help but indicate him, the "son of the wind", that is Ben Ryè by Donnafugata.

An iconic passito, which since its first vintage (dated 1989) has been able to amaze critics and enthusiasts, thanks to its perfect – and in some respects incredible – combination of sweetness and freshness, between richness and drinkability, between exuberance and harmony.

I have had the opportunity to taste many versions during these years of wine passion: several very good, others excellent, some exceptional (I remember 2008 and 2016 vintage).

Only one, however, was able to involve me and upset me to the point of changing my references on the subject.

I am talking about the stratospheric 2012 version, a passito of incredible complexity and length, a vintage that I like to define "balance over madness", which every time I found it in front of me was able to surprise and involve me, even for different reasons.

Cheeky and delightful the first time, perfect and imperious the second, elegant and thoughtful the last, few nights ago.

Always and in any case, a great meditation wine, a perfect friend to accompany cheeses but also (and above all) to the most important desserts of Sicilian pastry.

Ben Ryé Passito di Pantelleria DOC 2012 (tasting of 21/07/2018)

Personal rating: 96/100

Grapes: 100% Zibibbo (with partial drying of the grapes on traditional racks)

Aging: 7 months in the tank + 12 months in the bottle

Price range: 22-25 € (375ml bottle)

 

 

TASTING

👀 Superb. Intense amber, very consistent and with a wonderful transparency

👃Clean, intense and varietal. Less “aggressive” than the first time but equally subtle and more complex. Dried apricot, oregano, honey, candied fruit, rum and dried tomatoes are the aromas that outline the rich and articulated profile.

👄Full-bodied, almost oily in contact with the palate, reflective but still in balance between the marked sweetness and an important freshness, moreover enlivened by a marvelous saline note. Grip typical of the greatest sweet wines and impressive persistence, with an extremely composed - almost delicate - finish on notes of sultanas.