Nose

Color: deep impenetrable ruby with violet reflections
Smell: This Lagrein selection is a multifaceted wine. It reveals aromas reminiscent of morello cherry and bilberry, with notes of licorice, coffee beans, vanilla, clove and black tea, which makes it spicy and fruity at the same time.
Taste: The wine is harmonious on the palate with very compact and concentrated, multilayered flavors combining juicy fruit with spicy, peppery elements and a slightly sweet note of dark chocolate rounded off with silky tannins.

Growing Conditions

The year began with a dry mild winter, and the first heavy rains did not fall until March. Somewhat early but uniform budding of the vines set in at the beginning of April. May was warm and mostly very sunny, and the young shoots developed particularly well, with the first signs of flowering visible on the earliest sites by the middle of the month. A cold spell at the beginning of June and several days of rain significantly slowed shoot development and also delayed flowering on the late sites. The following months of July and August brought a good balance of precipitation and pleasant temperatures, with nighttime temperatures always remaining on the cool side.

Harvest

On the early sites harvesting began in good weather on August 26. Towards the end of the month, however, the harvest was interrupted by heavy rainfall, and unstable weather at the beginning of September was a major challenge for many winegrowers. In some cases, it was necessary to bring in the harvest in two phases so as to ensure that only the fully ripe grapes were picked and the required grape maturity and quality could be achieved. Overall, the 2020 vintage was challenging and called for strong nerves, but consistent yield control and patience during the harvesting finally led to a good result in terms of the quality of the wine.

Winemaking

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 barriques for 18 months using one third new barrels; blending three months before bottling.

Aging

Cool storage at constant temperatures, high level of humidity and as little light as possible
Cellar temperature: 10 - 15 °C
Good ageing potential > 5 years

Food Pairing

Perfect with pink roasted saddle of venison in a walnut crust with root vegetables and red cabbage, rib of beef braised in Lagrein with mixed polenta and baby vegetables, or braised calf’s cheek with Lagrein sauce on celeriac foam.