Merlot in Veneto

Dry · Medium-bodied · Medium tannin · High acidity · Savoury · Rustic

The Le Fontane (the springs) red from Corte Gardoni is a Garda DOC Cabernet-based blend aged in oak. The Garda DOC permits Bordeaux varieties and the morainic soils of Valeggio sul Mincio give the Cabernet a mineral freshness that distinguishes it from warmer Veneto reds.

Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · High acidity · Contemplative · Bold

Quintarelli's Bordeaux varieties treated to the Valpolicella appassimento method: dried Cabernet and Merlot producing extraordinary density, graphite-inflected fruit and a seamlessly long finish.

Dry · Medium-bodied · Medium tannin · Medium acidity · Easygoing · Rustic

Gorgo's Garda DOC Merlot provides a red wine counterpart to the estate's primary Bianco di Custoza focus. Lake Garda's moderating effect on the climate produces a well-rounded Merlot with soft tannins and ripe fruit.

Dry · Medium-bodied · Medium tannin · Medium acidity · Easygoing · Rustic

The Piave plain Merlot DOC from Italo Cescon is a classic Trevisan everyday red. Merlot on the alluvial Piave soils produces a plum-forward, medium-bodied wine with soft tannins suited to simple food pairings.

Dry · Full-bodied · High tannin · High acidity · Contemplative · Bold

Fratta is Maculan's Bordeaux-inspired flagship red, one of northeastern Italy's landmark wines. A Cabernet-Merlot blend aged 18 months in new French oak, it rivals top Veneto reds in complexity and ageing potential. Fausto Maculan was among the first producers in the Veneto to vinify Bordeaux varieties at serious quality levels.

Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · High acidity · Contemplative · Elegant

The flagship of the Montello DOCG, one of northeastern Italy's most serious Bordeaux-blend reds. Serafini and Vidotto pioneered quality Bordeaux-variety production on the Montello hills in the 1980s when the zone was considered secondary. Il Rosso dell'Abazia has become the reference point for the designation.

Dry · Medium-bodied · Medium tannin · High acidity · Easygoing · Rustic

Phigaia is the accessible second wine from Serafini and Vidotto, allowing the estate to express the Montello terroir at a lower price point. The Cabernet Franc and Merlot blend is lighter, fresher and more immediately enjoyable than Il Rosso dell'Abazia.

Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · High acidity · Contemplative · Elegant

Gemola is the flagship red of Vignalta and one of the Veneto's most distinctive non-Valpolicella reds. The volcanic basalt soils of the Euganean Hills give a distinctive mineral thread to this Merlot-Cabernet Franc blend that is unlike the softer alluvial reds of the plain.

Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · High acidity · Bold · Funky

A 15-variety blend in the Veronese IGT classification, Harlequin is Gaspari's conceptual statement: every grape variety grown across Zyme's vineyards co-fermented after partial drying, producing a complex, layered wine with extraordinary aromatic diversity.