1985 Acininobili

Fausto Maculan is one of the great characters in the world of wine. His larger than life personality, wicked sense of humor and charm are all reflected in these gorgeous wines. Much of Maculan's vision is clearly informed by a huge passion for the finest wine and food money can buy. The eye-popping collection of lovingly cared for icon bottles in Maculan's personal cellar is but one sign of the heights this driven producer strives for. Maculan is best known for his dessert wines, and rightly so, as they represent a glorious pinnacle of achievement. That said, Maculan is proving to be equally skilled with his dry red wines. This incredible tasting covered a number of older vintages of Maculan's top reds, Fratta and Crosara, and sweet dessert wines Torcolato and Acininobili. The Maculan estate is located in Breganze, just north of Vicenza. The vineyards are sprawled throughout the surrounding hills and are some of the most meticulously cared for vines I have ever seen. Though fairly non-descript on the outside, the winery is impeccably appointed inside. Maculan's Fratta is a Bordeaux inspired blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, with the Cabernet typically making up 70-80% of the blend. The wine spends 12 months in new French oak prior to being bottled without fining or filtration. Over the last few vintages, Fratta has emerged as one of Northern Italy's most compelling reds. This vertical was fascinating as it traced an arc of development shared by so many Italian red wines. During the mid to late 1990s, Fratta was made in the style of the time, which is to say with an eye towards achieving as much color and intensity as possible through the heavy use of small French oak barrels. Today's wines are made with a lighter touch with regards to cooperage and as a result a remarkable purity of fruit has begun to come through.