1996 Breganze di Breganze Bianco

For value, Maculan's finest offering is white. The 12,000+ cases of Breganze di Breganze, a 85% Tocai/15% Pinot Bianco blend, offers a crisp, delicate, aperitif-styled dry white with a steely personality, and vibrant, zesty, subtle fruit flavors that will complement a variety of fish dishes. Drink it over the next 1-2 years. Maculan is best-known for his sweet white wines that are meant to be Italy's answer to Chateau d'Yquem. Maculan also has a history of making vegetal, herbaceous red wines. Based on recent vintages, it appears this trend has continued, although a barrel sample of the 1996 looked like the first vintage where Maculan managed to obtain plenty of extract without the overwhelming vegetal characteristics of the past. A Leonardo Lo Cascio Selection, Winebow, Hohokus, NJ; tel. (201) 445-0620