Lagrein is the historic red grape of Trentino-Alto Adige, documented in the Tyrol since the late Middle Ages. Its most celebrated zone is Gries, on the edge of Bolzano, but it is also grown in Trentino, and that is where most of the bottles we track come from.
It exists in two traditional versions worth telling apart on the label: Lagrein Dunkel, the red, and Lagrein Kretzer, the rosé made by brief contact with the skins. These are not two quality levels; they are two different wines from one grape.
It is a demanding variety. Deep in colour, scented of black cherry and violet, high in acidity, and carrying a robust tannin that finishes bitter if the fruit falls short of full ripeness. That is why Lagrein rewards warm vintages and patient growers, and why the successful bottles keep far better than a first encounter would suggest.
