2023 Ben Ryé Passito di Pantelleria, Donnafugata

• Style: Golden, concentrated Passito
• Taste: Apricot, honey, candied citrus with balsamic depth
• Food: Chocolate, almond biscuits, aged cheeses
• Occasion: Gifting, cellar worthy meditation
• Serve: Chilled, 14.5% ABV

In the Glass — Tasting Notes

Golden, concentrated, and alive with purpose: this is unforced sweetness without heaviness. Apricot and peach move into candied orange peel and honey, with a subtle balsamic shadow beneath. The palate carries all that intensity but with the kind of acidity and balance that makes you reach for another sip. No cloying length, no settling aside — just a conversation between Sicily's volcanic terroir and the sun's generosity.

The Winery — Donnafugata

The Rallo family has stewarded Sicilian wine since 1851, and when Marsala's traditional market shifted, they launched Donnafugata in 1983 to champion the region's overlooked native varieties. Today they work four estates across Sicily, each preserving character rooted in place. Their Pantelleria vineyards sit on volcanic slopes where UNESCO-recognised bush vines — some over a century old — cling to sandy, terraced ground between 20 and 400 metres elevation. The 2023 vintage demanded careful canopy work through heavy May rains and July heat; smaller berries meant lower yields but extraordinary concentration. Hand-harvested grapes were dried and re-introduced to the fermenting must in stages, then rested in steel for five months before 16 months of bottle ageing.

At Your Table — Food Pairing & Serving

Serve this chilled alongside almond biscuits, soft cheeses, or chocolate — though it demands a place in your collection as a meditation on what Mediterranean fruit can become. If you've explored our Italy collection and found yourself drawn to unexpected sweetness and regional character, this sits among Europe's most distinctive sweet expressions. Vegetarian and vegan. Scores 99 from VertdeVin and 97 from Decanter World Wine Awards for good reason.