Paul Howard Articles, Blog, Italy, Sustainability, Veneto

Maculan Reds

Maculan – Three Red Wines from Breganze in the Veneto

The Veneto in North Eastern Italy is one of the powerhouses of Italian wine.  After all, this region has been making wine for three or more millennia. Today, it contains many famous appellations, such as Valpolicella and Soave, and even more famous wines, such as Amarone, Prosecco and Pinot Grigio. Then there are those stylish cities full of history, culture, and romance, such as Verona, Vicenza, Padova and Venice.  However, such a vast region offers much more than just these jewels. One such is the Maculan winery. This is in the Breganze DOC, a small appellation in the Veneto, a few kilometres north of Vicenza.

Maculan was the first producer in Breganze to focus on quality winemaking, an approach we often take for granted nowadays. Maculan produces twenty wines, but the sweet whites are the best-known: Dindarello, Acininobili, and Torcolato.

Indeed, much has been written about Breganze’s Torcolato wine. This is unique to the Breganze DOC, using air-dried grapes from the local Vespaiola variety. This wine stands shoulder to shoulder with any of the world’s most outstanding sweet wines, and Maculan’s version is, shall we say, immaculate.  However, I have written about Maculan’s Torcolato before, which you can find highlighted in my Christmas wine recommendations in 2019 and again in 2024.

This article provides an alternative perspective because Maculan’s wine range offers much more to explore. Instead, it features three of Maculan’s classic red wines.

Why feature their Red wines?

Firstly, Though these red wines are less well known, they deserve a feature of their own, not least because red wine represents 50% of Maculan’s production. All three are excellent wines in their own right.

Secondly, these three red wines are made with International grape varieties, namely Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, rather than local or indigenous grapes.1 This represents a relatively unusual selection on these pages, where local or rare grape varieties frequently take centre stage.

However, these two international varieties have been grown in the Veneto for centuries, probably arriving after the Napoleonic conquest of 1797. Their vineyard plantings subsequently expanded post-phylloxera.

For example, Cabernet Sauvignon in Italy dates back to 1820 and was grown in Vicenza by 1855. Merlot was also grown in the Veneto by 1855. This is ironic, as it coincides with the world-famous 1855 Bordeaux classification, which is still used today!

Meanwhile, phylloxera arrived in Italy in 1875 and devastated Italian vineyards in the early 1900s, increasing the demand for replanting, often with international varieties. Who could argue with those choosing to replant with proven, higher-value grape varieties such as Merlot? Commercially, the importance of these grape varieties has been vital. Over time, they have created their traditions in Italy. And, of course, they can make world-class wines in the right place and with the right hands.

And so to Breganze.

Breganze and Terroir

Breganze

Breganze

The Breganze DOC was established in 1969. It covers only 324 hectares and has 17 producers, of which Maculan is the primus inter pares.

Meanwhile, Breganze lies in the foothills of the Alps, so the northern part of this area (about 70%) is a higher and hilly plateau reaching 1,000 metres in altitude. Further south, it transforms into the low-lying flat plain, the remaining 30%.

As for the soils, those with volcanic origins are in the northern part (basalt and tuff), while river gravels dominate the southern plain.

Climatically, the Alps provide protection and southerly breezes at night, reversing from the Mediterranean during the day. Temperatures are primarily benign, while altitude and aspect in the northern part of the region offer both respite from summer heat and the diurnal variation that vines love. All this ensures freshness and vibrancy in the wines.

Maculan

Maculan winery

Maculan winery

Giovanni Maculan founded Maculan in 1947. The winemaking business was initially established using purchased grapes, and the wine was made for local consumption. At this time, quantity was still more important than quality.

In 1973, his son, Fausto Maculan, having studied oenology at nearby Conegliano, took over and pioneered quality over quantity. He saw that Breganze could never compete on volume or price with the other great Veneto appellations and giant companies. Therefore, their future would be to represent a high-quality niche using the right mix of international and native grape varieties.

Vineyards were gradually bought as opportunities arose. They run from Breganze for about 5km northward to Fara Vicentino. For example, Maculan purchased a hillside vineyard at Ferrata and planted it with Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, and Sauvignon Blanc. It also invested in modern wine-growing technologies and techniques, being the first in Breganze to use French oak for maturation.

Today, Fausto Maculan runs the company with his daughters, Maria Vittoria (winemaker) and Angela (sales director and export manager). Maculan owns 48 hectares of vineyards and olive groves; grape purchases add 10-15%. They produce around 650,000 bottles annually and export to 25 countries, including the UK.

Regarding sustainability, Breganze is at risk of fungal diseases such as powdery and downy mildew. Hence, Maculan minimises spray use and retains natural grass and weed cover in the vineyards. In looking for alternative solutions, they have also introduced PiWi vines,  modern crossings bred for natural disease resistance. They make two wines with these, a Bianco and a Rosso2.

Red Wines

 

BRENTINO

Brentino

Brentino,  Breganze DOC Rosso,  Veneto,  Italy,  2022.  13.5%
Technical

Brentino is a blend of 55% Merlot with 45% Cabernet Sauvignon. The wines ferment in stainless steel. Then, two-thirds ages in stainless steel, and one-third employs older French oak barrels.  The first vintage made was in 1981. Brentino represents the most significant wine by volume in their wine range, with 90-100,000 bottles annually, with a cork closure.

Tasting

Brentino is an unashamed “people-pleaser.” It performs its commercial duty as the entry-level Bordeaux blend incredibly well and is the gateway to the other wines shown below, so it needs to be good!

A deep ruby, there are aromas of plum and cassis, along with hints of cedar from the wood ageing. The wine is dry, fruity and full-bodied, with fresh acidity balancing harmoniously with its relatively light and well-managed tannins—excellent persistence with just a hint of cedar complexity on a long fade. Merlot brings fruit, while Cabernet Sauvignon brings structure. While it’s made to be drunk young, it also ages well over a decade or more, as the Library bottles at Maculan demonstrate.

Food suggestions

This wine also offers versatility; the moderate tannins and fruit make it a fine aperitivo, where, unusually, a slight chilling is a welcome summer attribute. Try Ragù with pasta, roasted veg or Shepherd’s Pie.

UK Stockist and price: All About Wine, £19.99

 

Maculan PALAZZOTTO

Palazzotto

Palazzotto,  Breganze DOC Cabernet Sauvignon,  Veneto,  Italy,  2021.  14.5%
Technical

Palazzotto is the vineyard’s name, with the first vintage being made in 1982. However, the 100% Cabernet Sauvignon grapes for this wine are now from a hand-harvest selection from some 25 different plots. There’s a grape selection made in the vineyard at picking, followed by a further selection on a triage table. After an 8-day maceration, fermentation is in stainless steel. The plots vinify in separate small tanks to blend back later. These tanks are also easy to keep cool, so fermentation can be warm and hence rapid, taking only 7 days. Punching down rather than pumping over the grape skins occurs mainly in the early stages of fermentation.

The best Cabernet is for Fratta (see below). The rest ages for 12 months, with 50% in stainless steel and 50% in French oak barrels. The wood is 50% new and 50% second use. Cork Closure. 35,000 bottles per annum.

Tasting

This example had only been bottled for a month, so it was decanted as a precaution, but there was little need for that.  Its brilliant ruby colour looks big and muscular in the glass. However, the wine is harmonious, smooth and subtle. There is intensity and depth of aroma and flavour without heaviness, rich spiciness, liquorice, red berries, violets and cassis. The balance is impeccable, the alcohol never intrusive, the tannins smoothed away and fine-grained.  Excellent length and persistence, with some cedar and wood spice notes on the dry finale. Elegance and finesse, no aggression. It’s a Venetian classic, drinking now and over the next decade or more.

Food suggestions

This wine pairs with grilled, braised, or stewed meats or roasted vegetables. Simple grilled rare Lamb chops hit the spot for me.

UK Stockist and price: Coming to the UK in 2025, the Italian retail price is €20, so I expect this will be around the £30 mark.

Maculan FRATTA

Fratta

Fratta,  IGT Veneto Rosso,  Veneto,  Italy,  2019.  14.5%
Technical

A “Cru” wine. Made by blending the best Cabernet Sauvignon set aside from Palazzotto and the best Merlot, according to the conditions of the vintage year. The first vintage was in 1977, with just 3,298 bottles. Its name comes from the hilltop vineyard in the village of Fratta, and initially, the grapes only came from it. In addition, this was the first wine in Breganze to use French oak, which helped establish Maculan’s reputation for quality.  However, since 1997, the base wine blending is by blind tasting. Hence, the ratio of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot changes with each vintage, though Cabernet Sauvignon is the dominant partner. Previous vintages have ranged from 80/20 to 50/50. For 2019, it’s 65% Cabernet Sauvignon and 35% Merlot, aged 18 months in French Oak, of which 80% is new and 20% second use. There’s a cork closure. 7,000 bottles each year.

Tasting

This was decanted for an hour before serving, which was beneficial in getting air into the young wine and helping it open up. The best red wines of Bordeaux inspired it; there’s finesse, not power, with seamless integration of the components.

This intense ruby wine still retains purple flecks, showing its youth. It offers raspberry, blueberry, and cassis aromas mixed with cocoa and coffee. It’s all elegance and finesse in the glass, a balanced expression of fine-grained tannins, juicy acidity, and full-bodied alcohol. In addition, earthy notes appear, with liquorice and mint on a long, slow fade. There are still youthful tannins (a wine for further development), but it’s already drinking perfectly well with food.

Food suggestions

Not surprisingly, big roasts and big flavours suit this wine well. Roast Lamb is a great match, but so are Ciambotta (a kind of Italian ratatouille), mushrooms, or a classic Osso Buco.

UK Stockist and price: Vino.com £47.30

 

And Finally

Suffice it to say here that despite the enormous wealth of Italian native grape varieties, these Maculan reds prove that there is room in Italy for International varieties, too.

In particular, these Maculan reds demonstrate how Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot can be unmistakeably Venetian, not generic. This not only means that they are different from the best Bordeaux blends of Bolgheri, Trentino, or even other Veneto DOCs but also distinctive from those of Bordeaux, California, South Africa, and South America. Let’s celebrate that – lunga vita alla differenza!

UK importers Berkmann

 

Location

Maculan srl
Via Castelletto, 3
36042 Breganze (VI)
Italia

What3words Location

Notes

  1. The principal varieties allowed in Breganza DOC are as follows. White: Chardonnay, Friulano (Tai), Pinot Bianco, Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc, Vespaiola. Red: Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenère,  Merlot, Pinot Nero, Marzemino. (Indigenous varieties are shown in Italics.) Other varieties are also in this area, given that it’s part of the Prosecco, Delle Venezie, and Serenissima DOCs, which double the local area under vine.
  2. PiWi is a more positive term than the previously used word “hybrid”, which has become unjustly pejorative in some circles. These are specifically bred modern vine crossings with higher resistance to common diseases. PiWi is an abbreviation of the cumbersome Pilzwiderstandsfähige Rebsorten. In the UK, Rondo, Regent and Solaris are familiar examples growing in English vineyards. Maculan has Sauvignon Rytos (w), Cabernet Volos (r), and Merlot Khorus (r) and buy in Souvigner Gris (w). In Italy, DOC wines cannot use them, but IGP can. I have not tasted the Maculan Bianco and Rosso wines, but I look forward to that in the future.
  3. Thanks go to the Consorzio Tutela Vini DOC Breganze for background DOC information.

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