In the glass
Aroma: apricot jam, honey, orange marmalade, vanilla, dried fig
Palate: intense sweetness, dried apricot, botrytis character, caramelised citrus, lively acidity
Italy's most celebrated passito-style dessert wine from Vicenza. Vespaiola grapes are harvested late and dried on twisted cords (torcolato means 'twisted') for months before pressing. The result is a wine of remarkable intensity, with botrytis-influenced apricot honey character balanced by the grape's naturally high acidity.
What it pairs with
-
Torta di mandorle (almond tart)
Honey and apricot in the wine are amplified by almond pastry without becoming cloying. -
Gorgonzola and dried fruits
Classic sweet-salty pairing: the wine's sweetness contrasts with pungent blue cheese. -
Foie gras terrine
The traditional Sauternes-foie gras match applies equally to Torcolato's richness.
History
Fausto Maculan revived Torcolato as a serious dessert wine in 1974, rescuing a traditional Breganze style that had nearly disappeared. The Vespaiola grape was grown historically in the Vicenza hills and dried on twisted ropes (torcolati) to concentrate sugar. Maculan's Torcolato established the wine as Italy's answer to Sauternes and inspired the formal Breganze Torcolato DOC.
- 1974 — Fausto Maculan releases the first modern Torcolato, reviving the near-extinct Breganze passito tradition.
- 1995 — Breganze Torcolato recognised as a specific DOC sub-type within the Breganze DOC.
Facts
- Producer
- Maculan
- Grapes
- Vespaiola (85%), Tocai (10%), Garganega (5%)
- Classification
- Breganze Torcolato DOC
- Oak
- 12 months in new and used French oak barriques
- ABV
- 13.0%
- Price
- EUR 30-55 at retail (375ml)
- Drinking window
- 5-20 from vintage
- First vintage
- 1974