Lagrein 2011

"Lagrein is doubtless one of the local heroes of South Tyrol and today, thanks to a combination of fruity aromas and spicy flavors plus velvety tannins, it is enjoying a veritable renaissance. This indigenous variety has its roots in the South Tyrolean town of Bolzano but it has been a regular on the Terlano wine list for several decades now, too."
Rudi Kofler

More vintages available

Wine

  • Doc denomination: Alto Adige
  • Variety: 100% Lagrein
  • History of the variety:
  • Year: 2011
  • Bottles produced: 80,000
  • Yield: 63 hl/ha
  • Quality line: The classics

Vinification

  • Description:

    Manual harvest and selection of the grapes; destemming followed by slow must fermentation at a controlled temperature and gentle agitation of the must in stainless steel tanks; malolactic fermentation and aging in big wooden barrels for 7-10 months.

  • Bottling date: 2012-03-28

Production area

  • Name: Terlano
  • Municipality: Terlano
  • Altitude: 250 - 500 m a. s. l.
  • Slope: 5 - 35 %
  • Orientation: South - Southwest

Wine character

  • Color: dark garnet red
  • Smell: The wine has an intensive aroma comprised of dried cranberries and morello cherry highlighted with a floral note of lilac and hints of laurel. Notes of flint and a restrained chocolate aroma are also present.
  • Taste: Very juicy and harmonious, with a delicate texture and silky tannins, the Lagrein develops a rare opulence and is rich and velvety on the palate.

Simple pairings

A good combination with beef olives with creamed potatoes, or braised haunch of venison with red cabbage; also with hard cheeses like mature Parmesan.

  • Vintage

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    • The climatic conditions we experienced in 2011 presented us with considerable challenges. That is because especially in the case of wines produced in years characterized by extreme weather conditions, the points in time of harvesting is of utmost importance and must be decided on by each vineyard individually.
      After an extraordinarily warm and dry April and a summery May, there followed a June with average temperatures and considerable percipitation. The very mild spring resulted in sprouting about a week earlier than usual.
      "As a consequence of the ideal autumn weather, too, this vintage can be regarded as 'good' to 'very good'," according to enologist Rudi Kofler.

  • Soil

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    • Terlano is a wine-growing village located halfway between South Tyrol’s main towns of Merano and Bolzano where the Adige flows through a wide valley in a south-easterly direction. The village and vineyards nestle against the red porphyry rock of Monte Tschöggl on the orographically left side of the valley.

      With sites located at elevations between 250 and 900 meters above sea-level, choosing the right variety is a challenge. The lower sites are better suited to Lagrein, Cabernet and other heavy reds, while Pinot Noir and the white wines are more at home at the higher and therefore cooler levels.

      Soils: sandy-stony, well-drained soils
      Site area: 150 ha
      Vine age: 8-60 years
      Vine density: 3,500-7,000
      Yield: 42-63 hl/ha
      Number of vintners: 130

  • Climate

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    • The high peaks of the main Alpine chain protect South Tyrol from the Atlantic winds and cold northerlies, while the region benefits from the Mediterranean climate from the south. That explains the pronounced differences between day- and night-time temperatures, which are the key to full maturity and elegant wines.

      To the south, a number of mountain massifs like the Adamello also have a protective function. As a result, annual precipitation is only about one third of the average for the southern Alpine foothills, and the number of hours of sunshine is higher. The climatic conditions are not unlike those to be found in wine-growing areas like the Swiss Canton Valais.

      When the sun rises behind the mountains east of Terlano on one of the year’s 300 sunny days, it is already high in the sky as the wine-growing area has a westerly to south westerly exposure. The lower atmospheric density permits more direct solar irradiation with less diffuse sunlight. That increases the difference between the slopes on the sunny and shady sides of the valley.

      Microclimate in Terlano
      Continental climate (Cfa Köppen-Geiger)

      Annual sunshine hours: ø 2135
      Maximum temperatures: 36,7 °C
      Average temperatures: 12,9 °C
      Minimum temperatures: -10,7°C
      Annual percipitation: ø 558 mm
      Average global radiation: 150,1 W/m²
      Winds:
      - North foehn: cool and dry down-slope wind
      - Ora: valley wind system from the south, bringing in air from the Po Valley

Lagrein

Prizes

  • Le guide de L'Espresso - I Vini d'Italia 2013: 3 bottles
  • I Vini di Veronelli 2013:
  • Duemilavini/Bibenda 2013: 4 grapes
  • ViniBuoni d'Italia 2013: Crown and 4 stars

Technical data

  • Alcohol content: 13.0 % vol
  • Residual sugar: 2.8 g/l
  • Acidity: 5.0 g/l

Aging

  • Storage advice: Cool storage at constant temperatures, high level of humidity, good ventilation and as little light as possible
  • Cellar temperature: 10 - 15 °C
  • Minimum maturity: 1 years
  • Serving temperature: 14 - 16 °C

Suggested glass

Bordeaux glass

Bordeaux glass