Here is the latest dessert wine from Falesco. The 2013 Passiro Passito (375 ml) is a pure expression of Roscetto, a grape with thick skins and a dark golden color. Half of the grapes harvested are air-dried for additional concentration. The remaining wine is vinified from fresh fruit (not air-dried grapes) and the two parts are blended as one. For this reason, the wine offers fresh aromas of pear and melon backed by heavier tones of honey and apricot. It shows great a fruit dynamic and loads of delicious, creamy consistency.

Falesco's 2012 Passirò Passito (375 ml) is an air-dried expression of Roscetto, a lost variety that winemaker Riccardo Cotarella has re-launched. This is a gorgeous expression with bright fruit aromas of candied orange peel and dried apricot that rise with intensity from the glass. There is is also a romantically musky aroma of button mushroom or damp forest floor that gives this wine an almost Sauternes-like personality. The finish is thick, creamy and viscous.

The 2007 Passiro is a sweet dessert wine made from air-dried Roscetto, one of Lazio’s native varieties. The 2007 is particularly successful, with graceful layers of apricots, lightly dried figs, orange peel and flowers that come together beautifully in the glass. Soft, sweet tannins frame an impeccable finish. This beautiful wine keeps getting better and better as it sits in the glass. It is a wonderful effort from Riccardo Cotarella. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2015. Proprietor Riccardo Cotarella is a fountain of energy. Cotarella is best known for his numerous consulting projects, but in recent years he has devoted considerable attention to reviving some of the indigenous and obscure varieties found in Lazio and Umbria.A Leonardo Lo Cascio Selection, Winebow, Montvale, NJ; tel. (201) 445-0620

Passiro is a gorgeous dessert wine from Lazio in central Italy that shows enormous beauty and harmony. The wine is thick and creamy and brightens the palate with its bouquet of honey, creamy vanilla, candied fruit and apricot. Pair it with pate or aged cheese.——M.L.(12/31/2010)—— 95