Description
Cantina Terlano Gries Lagrein Riserva
Cantina Terlano website – click here
Wine
Provenance: Alto Adige – Italy
DOC Denomination: Alto Adige
Variety: 100 % Lagrein
Vintage: 2023
Yield: 56 hl/ha
Orientation: South – Southwest
Slope: 0 – 5 %
Altitude: 250 m a. s. l.
Vinification
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 for 12 months partly in big wooden barrels (50%) and partly in barriques using one third new barrels (50%); blending three months before bottling.
Technical data
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- Alcohol content: 14,0 % vol
- Residual sugar: 1,5 g/l
- Total acidity: 4,5 g/l
Suggested glass
Bordeaux glass
Serving temperature: 16 – 18 °C
Simple pairings
Combines well with roast chamois with root vegetables and with veal cheeks braised in Lagrein and served with root vegetables.
Wine description
Color: deep ruby to garnet red with a delicate shimmer of violet
Smell: The aroma reveals earthy, minerally notes masterfully underpinned with fruit components, with morello cherry, dark chocolate and plum jam dominating.
Taste: These spicy and yet velvety fruit notes also intrigue the palate, where this Lagrein Riserva presents itself with multilayered opulence and great complexity.
Vintage
A mild winter with little snow was followed by a very dry and mild spring. Fortunately, this was followed by a cool and rainy May, so that the urgently needed water reserves could be replenished. The flowering of the vines was slightly delayed by cool temperatures in April and May.
In the warm summer months of June and July there was sufficient precipitation, which led to a slight increase in fungal pressure with peronospora and oidium. However, major losses in yield were avoided thanks to our long years of experience and professional handling. A hot spell in August briefly slowed the ripening of the grapes. Following abundant rainfall at the end of August, the weather remained stable in late summer and was very fine in the fall. The result was a good harvest, which began with the Sauvignon Blanc on September 4.
The 2023 vintage offers fresh, fruity wines with slightly lower levels of alcohol and can be classified as a good to very good vintage.
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
Soil
- The quartz porphyry bedrock is of volcanic origin.
- The light, sandy-loamy soils are the foundation for naturally limited yields.
- The soils have a 55-60% quartz content and a slightly acidic pH.
- The minerally and distinctive wines are highly prized for their outstanding longevity.
Soil samples taken from three different sites have revealed the presence of a subvolcanic body around Terlano, which differs in composition from the classic volcanic rock. The skeletal sandy loamy soils have a high quartz content. The absence of calcium carbonate explains the slightly acid pH values. These factors result in a high permeability to water, a limited nutrient supply and thus balanced growth with naturally limited yields. Exceptional soil conditions influence the terroir of Terlano, where the vines have developed a specific reaction to micro-stress and produce their own terroir-specific polyphenols, which give the Terlano wines their distinctive character. The result is particularly salty wines with great tension and depth. The special mix of crystals and minerals in the Terlano soils produces white wines whose unique longevity never fails to impress the world’s wine gurus.
Climate
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. Terlano has a remarkable microclimate, with pronounced differences in temperature between day and night caused by the cool downslope winds from the mountains.
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 southwesterly 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.
Winds
North foehn: cool and dry down-slope wind
Ora: valley wind system from the south, bringing in air from the Po Valley
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