I’m preparing to jump into some extended coverage of California’s Livermore Valley (with which I have a fairly long history at this point), but before that goes down, I though that I’d drop a quick post about tasting some recent samples (via Zoom) with Veneto producer Maculan. You know, because it’s been something like six minutes since I’ve had Italian wine coverage on here, right?
This was an interesting tasting, and not just because I was technically the only Dude in the group [Editor’s note: Joe grew up in a family predominated by strong, kick-ass women, so he felt right at home]. Leading the effort was Angela Maculan, Maculan’s 4th generation Sales Director and Export Manager. Maculan was founded in the 1940s; scion Fausto Maculan is frequently viewed as a pioneer for quality wine production in the Breganze area; according to Angela, he was among the first to put a grape variety name on his front labels. Breganze, for those of you who, like me, had never heard of it, is located about an hour outside of Venice (“right in the heart of the region” as Angela put it), and still houses fewer than 10,000 residents. Her great-grandfather had an osteria in the early 1900s, and made wine to sell there. In 1943, her grandfather made wine to provide to the army in the region. After the war, they pivoted to make wine the main business of the family. “We are right in the center of the town,” Angela explained, “because we don’t have the background as farmers. [My grandfather] built the business close to the house, because he liked to have control of everything.” Her father traveled to other wine regions to gain knowledge to improve the quality of the family’s wines, leading him to purchase land and planting vineyards in the hillsides.
More on the interesting front: Maculan are the second largest producer in the area after the reginal co-op, making about 650,000 bottles/year. Pretty much all of the DOC producers are family owned, and many are not even distributed outside of the area. Maculan’s vineyards are exclusively on volcanic hillsides, with everything hand-harvested.
Today, Maculan have about 21 wines in their portfolio (a number that is, in Angela’s view, “way too many!”), eight of which are available in the USA. The lineup below is “the most representative for us, for sure,” as Angela put it.
2023 Maculan ‘Pino & Toi’, Veneto, $18
First made in 1999, this white is specifically crafted for the U.S. market, blending Pinot Bianco, Pinot Grigio, and Tai (Tocai Friulano), all in stainless steel. Reticent and reduced at first, it opens up into a presentation that is citric, floral, and quite fresh. Very light on its feet, delicious, and quite charming throughout, it shows itself on the palate as mineral, floral, and fruity with grapefruit, blossoms, and a medium+ finish.
2022 Maculan ‘Brentino’, Veneto, $22
This is their largest production at about 100K bottles. Brentino is a fantasy name reminiscent of the name of the river on the border of their DOC, but also calls to mind the names of baskets and containers once used in the region. Roughly a 50/50 blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, it’s fermented in steel with half aged in older oak for 12 months. “This wine really is the expression of everyday wine in the area,” noted Angela. It’s mineral, plummy, and bright, with darker red fruits, savory and meaty hints, and some herbal and black olive notes. The fruitiness is the real focus, and it comes through fresh, pure, and full of flavor.
2020 Maculan ‘Palazzotto’ Cabernet Sauvignon Breganze, Veneto, $30
Named after the street where the vineyard is located, this is 100% Cab, stainless steel fermented and aged 12 months in half new and half used French oak (they were pioneers in using that in the region as well, according to Angela). Tangy red and black currants, a bit of licorice, wood spices, and savory herbs show on the nose. The palate is quite direct in its freshness and linear focus, with the tannins being more supple, and with black cherry fruit providing the roundness. On the finish, though, the grip starts to show, hinting at some good aging potential. Warning: tasting this will make you HUNGRY.
2019 Maculan ‘Fratta’, Veneto, $NA
“From every parcel of vineyard, we can get two or three selections, and we vinify them separately. This gives us the ability to work with small tanks. At the end of the harvest, we will have up to 25, 30 different plots of wine” in the cellar, noted Angela. The best of those plots of Cabernet and Merlot go into this flagship red, made since `77. Aromatically, there is a lot going on here. Plenty of raspberry, black cherry, blueberry, cassis, coca, coffee bean, and a bit of wood spice. You can pick up the freshness and depth on the nose immediately. The palate is juicy and deep, but is also tight with almost punishing tannins right now. It’s concentrated, but also elegant; dark, serious, and precise in all of the palate punches that it’s throwing. About 7K bottles made each year, and Angela considers this one to be one of their very best vintages.
2023 Maculan ‘Dindarello’ Vino Dolce Bianco Passito, Veneto, $36
While the Northern Italian take on Cab is interesting, this is where shizz really starts to get next-level with Maculan. They have built up quite a bit of experience crafting passito style dessert wines, with this 100% “orange blossom” Moscato (picked for passito style treatment from the outset) being their entry-level offering. It definitely has orange blossom action on the nose, with pleasant lemon drop and honey aromas as well. It’s fresh as a daisy in the mouth, with sweet orange and honey flavors that are enticing, fun, and delicious.
2022 Maculan Dolce ‘Torcolato’ Breganze, Veneto, $80
Made from 100% Vespaiola (a local grape), dried for about 4 months in large, open rooms, and fermented for 1.5 months, then aged for one year in French oak barriques (1/3 new and 2/3 second use). It’s a brilliant, distinctive golden color in the glass, and is brimming with spicy honey notes, as well as straw, sultana, dried white flowers, potpourri, vanilla, and cedar. It’s sweet, of course, but very fresh, with lovely dried orange, mango, and honey flavors. The depth of sweetness is countered by the grape’s natural acidity, so the mouthfeel is impeccably balanced. There is power here, too, but it all feels almost… effortless…
Cheers!