A Look At Feudo Maccari

We hope you’re having a great time browsing around our website and have perhaps found a bottle of wine or two that piques your interest. At Xtrawine we not only work to ensure that all of the best Italian wine is made available to our customers, but we also endeavour to provide a little bit of information about the people behind the drinks, what makes them tick and the history of the winemakers that craft some of our favourite drinks.

With that in mind, we have decided to bring another winemaker profile to you. This time we will be taking a look at Feudo Maccari, who use vineyards that have literally thousands of years of history behind them to craft some truly spectacular wines. Not only will we look at the producer, but we will also shine a spotlight on one of their best wines, so you can see for yourself just why they have become so respected within the industry.

The History

While the Feudo Maccari story starts a mere 15 years ago, the history of the vineyards and the area in which the company works dates back many centuries beforehand. In fact, much of the area that the producer uses to create their wines has been in use for millennia, demonstrating just how important their lands are to the history of Italian wine.

The estate spans an enormous area, reputed to be equal to 1,000 tumuli. For those who are unaware, a tumulo is an ancient unit of measurement that equates to 1,744 square metres in today’s unit. Perhaps even more spectacularly, the company uses 450 of these tumuli solely for their vineyards, demonstrating a dedication to producing high quantities of their wines to be enjoyed by the masses.

This does not mean that they have sacrificed quality to do so. In fact, when Antonio and Monica Moretti first took over their first part of this enormous landscape to begin the Feudo Maccari adventure back in the year 2000, they have endeavoured to achieve and then expand at all points, rather than just create as much as they can.

It is their successes in the wine industry that has allowed them to slowly expand their business and bring together a land that has been split over the centuries into a cohesive whole that allows them to produce truly great wines for their adoring public.

This father-daughter team has endeavoured to bring the past back to life with their work, noting that more than two thirds of the vineyards in their estate have been used to create vintages in the past, meaning that they have a wonderful base to work from for their own productions.

They have also undertaken extensive restoration work to this effect, bringing some residences, a tasting room and a wine cellar back to life in the process, again demonstrating the company’s respect for the past while also highlighting their dedication to the future.

Their terrain also retains a level of humidity that makes for perfect grape growing conditions, while the wide-ranging soil types that fall within the company’s domain lend themselves to the creation of a wide range of wines, all of which have a unique personality and bring something completely different to the table.

In short, Feudo Maccari is the perfect combination of the old and the new. In an area that is historically known for the production of truly great wines, the company has injected new life and brought back many of the qualities that had previously been seen in vintages that had long fallen off the radar thanks to the disuse of the area.

Furthermore, they have combined this philosophy with an astute business acumen that has allowed for the continued expansion of the company, to the point where there are now able to claim that they are amongst the most popular in Italy. Bringing new winemaking practices and modern business ideals to their wine creation has allowed Feudo Maccari to craft something truly special, and we anticipate that they will be a prominent force in the world of Italian wine for many years to come, especially if they continue to produce the levels of quality that they have already developed a reputation for over the past fifteen years.

Feudo Maccari Sultana 2011

If you need a physical example of the sort of quality that this producer is capable of, you need look no further than their wonderful Feudo Maccari Sultana 2011, which is currently available at Xtrawine for an extremely reasonable price.

Hailing from the island of Sicily, this wine is DOC approved and is a sultry sweet white that is made using withered grapes, which lend it a level of complexity that is not often found in white wines.

Perhaps the most attractive feature of the wine is that it recalls all of the scents and flavours that you would associate with the Mediterranean, without every coming off as derivative. Instead, it maintains a flavour and personality that is all its own, while still transporting your mind to the wonderful island where it was created.

It features a beautiful gold colouring that should indicate the level of quality inherent in the drink before you even experience its wonderful aromas. To the nose you will notice scents of sultanas, dates and candied orange peels, with just the slightest hint of the salty sea air to offer a handy contrast that ensures the fruitiness doesn’t completely overpower the drinker.

This is reflected in the taste, which is certainly sweet but also has a smoothness that makes it well worth a try for people who don’t traditionally have much of a sweet tooth when it comes to their wine. This fine taste makes for a surprisingly deep texture that will allow you to experience all of the notes that you experienced when bringing the wine to the nose, all combined to create a wine that is of exceptionally high quality. The reputation that is has garnered from a number of publications only goes to further demonstrate just how good this wine is.