Lagrein

Lagrein is the native red grape variety of Alto Adige, an area now generally suited to international grapes. Its name apparently derives from the toponym Vallagarina, and the grape has been present in the area since the Middle Ages. In the Bolzano plain, towards Gries and its famous abbey, it has been exalted by monks since the seventeenth century as the best red wine of that time. Late in ripening, lagrein gives a deep ruby red wine, with fruity scents, notes of violets and vegetal echoes, aromatic, balsamic and spicy herbs, which are enriched with ageing. In fact, in addition to the fresh and fragrant only steel version, lagrein has been discovered to be a good wine for ageing in wood. Dry and sapid, with tannins that are never aggressive, it has an elegant structure, and is also well expressed in rosé wine (called kretzer).