The 2010 Breganze Cabernet Sauvignon Palazzotto gives you a generous taste of Fratta’s bounty at a much lower price. The wine showcases the volcanic soils of the Breganze DOC. Indeed, the mineral dryness is truly exceptional: It runs down the back of the wine like a long zipper on a tight black dress. Palazzotto is layered and rich with territory-driven notes of dried earth and garden herb that give it extra liveliness. This wine offers a clean and well-made portrait of Cabernet Sauvignon: You’d never tire of drinking it. Drink 2014-2020. There are wine regions that make brands, and brands that make regions. Maculan (the brand) put Breganze (the region) on the world enological map. One of the most significant winemaking forces in the Veneto, Maculan eventually grew bigger than the territory that shaped it. At odds with the winemaking guidelines of the Breganze DOC, this historic estate decided to segment its production into two schools of wine: The lower-priced DOC products and the higher-priced IGT offerings. “This was an obligatory step,” says Maria Vittoria Maculan, one of Fausto’s daughters. The good news for consumers is that both are excellent despite the huge, surreal differences in price. I’m also told that Maculan will soon introduce two new wines made with the Recantina and the Marzemino grapes respectively. I look forward to tasting them very soon. Importer: Winebow, www.winebow.com