2023 Dindarello

Maculan continues to impress. The house is most notable for its sweet wines, produced using Vespaiola and Moscato. These wines have the ability to age for the long-term and depth that can compete with some of the great dessert wines around the world. Sadly, we now live in a time where the category has lost favor in many markets. That said, Maculan also excels with its lineup of Bordeaux blends, which are on the same level as the best that Italy has to offer. The winery and vineyards are located in Breganze, a small town in the Province of Vicenza, northeast of Verona. The vineyards are planted on hilly terrain with volcanic soils, a strong confluence of cooling effects from the mountainous north, and warm currents from the south and the Adriatic Sea. This region is littered with vineyards, yet most producers choose to sell their fruit or remain purely local. Maculan, on the other hand, saw the potential here very early and began an international marketing campaign decades ago. Today, their Crosara, a single vineyard varietal Merlot, and Fratta, a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, impresses vintage after vintage. What’s more, Maculan’s, a blend of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, remains one of the great values in Italian-grown Bordeaux varieties. Not only is it a pleasure on release, but in some vintages it can also be cellared up to a decade.