I know you’ve got your tried-and-true sources for serious Cabernet Sauvignon, and they probably don’t include the Veneto in Italy, but hear me out: This wine would mow down countless Bordeaux wines costing twice as much. As for California, well, it would be next to impossible to find a Cabernet Sauvignon at this price that delivers at the level of Maculan’s “Palazzotto.”
But let’s go back to Bordeaux for a second: We sell quite a lot of truly excellent Bordeaux in this price range. For a Cabernet from a seemingly “non-traditional” growing zone like Veneto to merit a feature in a Daily Offer, it needs to be exceptional. As we tasted and discussed this 2016, we knew the deck was stacked against it—this isn’t the first place to look for a well-priced Cabernet (if you even know to look here at all), but when a wine is this good, you embrace it. Grown in the Breganze region of Veneto, in the foothills of the Dolomites, Palazzotto packs an impossible amount of Cabernet character into a $35 bottle: It’s as nuanced and mineral as real-deal Bordeaux while also adding a layer of concentration in a nod to the New World. I could cite many other successes with the Bordeaux varieties in this part of Italy, but when you factor in price, nothing in my recent memory comes anywhere close to this.
It should also be noted that “French” reds such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, and Carmenère have several centuries worth of history in Northern Italy, and especially the trio of regions historically known as the “Tre Venezie”: Veneto, Trentino/Alto Adige, and Friuli-Venezia Giulia. The influence of both the French and the Austrians is heavily felt in all these regions, likely going back to Napoleon’s time, if not further. Merlot has grown to become the seventh most-planted grape in all of Italy. Bordeaux-inspired “Super-Tuscans” such as “Masseto” and “Sassicaia” are listed among the greatest wines in the world. What I’m saying here is that Italy can do Cabernet, and do it very well.
It can also do it inexpensively, apparently—no small feat given the premium a 100% Cabernet Sauvignon wine typically fetches. This is a testament to Fausto Maculan, one of northern Italy’s most respected winemakers, whose fame has largely been thanks to his trio of dried-grape sweet wines: “Dindarello,” “Torcolato,” and “Acininobili.” These nectars have been staples of Italian-focused wine lists for generations, standing in admirably for Sauternes with cheeses and desserts, but his touch with dry whites and reds is just as deft. In addition to farming 40 hectares of vines and olives, the Maculans (today Fausto is assisted by his two daughters, Angela and Mariavittoria) also work with selected local growers to source some fruit for their wines.
Since the winery’s founding in 1947, Maculan has been the star attraction of the Breganze DOC, which is centered around the town of the same name. Breganze is in the province of Vicenza, roughly equidistant from Verona (land of Valpolicella) and Treviso (land of Prosecco). The mix of grape varieties used in the area very much reflects Breganze’s positioning right in the heart of the “Tre Venezie,” in the shadow of the Dolomites: There’s a nod to Friuli in the use of the white grape Friulano (formerly Tocai Friulano, a.k.a. “Tai” in Breganze) and a nod to Trentino with the red Marzemino, but really, it’s the “French” grapes that take center stage on the red side of the Maculan lineup. Breganze is in a part of the Veneto where a string of long-extinct volcanoes left behind ashy, tuffaceous soils and a mild climate ideal for delivering both richness and minerality.
The 2016 Palazzotto was fermented over the course of eight days in stainless steel tanks, where it was subjected to daily punch-downs of the cap of skins, then transferred to 50% new, 50% second-passage
barrique barrels for a year of aging. And it bears repeating: The level of sophistication, depth, and polish this wine delivers at this price point is just remarkable. In the glass, it’s a nearly opaque ruby-purple moving to a garnet rim, with seductive aromas of black raspberry, cassis, mulberry, black cherry, tobacco, ground coffee, graphite, and warm spices. It is medium-plus in body and beautifully balanced between fruity and earthy, with silky tannins that allow for immediate enjoyment. Decant this voluptuous red about 30 minutes before serving in Bordeaux stems at 60-65 degrees and I guarantee it’ll stand toe-to-toe with some of your favorites from the Médoc. Although Breganze is not far from Venice, I’d probably stick more to the Dolomites for inspiration on the food pairing: a red wine risotto would be great, or maybe some homemade gnocchi with a rich
ragù. I went with a
sugo d’anatra (duck sauce) from the legendary Joyce Goldstein. Enjoy!
