2006 Maculan Marzemino Madoro Veneto IGT (750ml)

90 out of 100...Maculan-s 2006 Madoro is 80% Marzemina and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon that is made from dried grapes in a style similar to Recioto, Veneto-s great red dessert wine, and aged in stainless steel. This is a relatively easy-going wine with attractive layers of jammy dark fruit and a long, fresh finish. Madoro is a wine in evolution. The superb 2004 was a much more ambitious wine aged in French oak, but the 2006 takes a decidedly simpler direction. It will be interesting to see what style Maculan settles on over the long-term, but his 2004 was a gift to winelovers, and I would be thrilled to see him pursue that approach again. Anticipated maturity: 2008-2011. - WA

"89 out of 100...Aromas of ripe damson and blackberry, with earth and a hint of burnt caramel. Full-bodied and off-dry, with firm tannins and intense fruit and mineral flavors that leave an almost salty aftertaste. Best after 2008. 900 cases made." - WS