Elena Walch Lagrein Alto Adige 2024

Elena Walch Lagrein Alto Adige brings Alto Adige's native Lagrein grape into sharp focus, with dark wild berries, ripe cherry, cocoa and gentle spice wrapped around a fresh, medium-bodied palate. There is plenty of colour and flavour here, but the firm tannins stay polished and the juicy acidity keeps everything moving towards a long, savoury finish. Fruit comes from warmer vineyard sites on calcareous soils, while maturation in large oak helps round out Lagrein's naturally sturdy structure. A cracking choice for anyone after an Italian red with character beyond the usual suspects, especially alongside venison, roast beef, slow-cooked meat or mature cheese.

What the winery says:

The 2024 is 100% Lagrein, entirely hand harvested from warmer southeast and southwest facing sites with calcareous soils containing clay and sand. The fruit undergoes a traditional 10-day temperature-controlled fermentation on skins in stainless steel, followed by malolactic fermentation in 70hl and 22hl French and Slavonian oak barrels, then further maturation in large wooden barrels. The finished wine is 13.5% alcohol with 3.9 g/L residual sugar. Elena Walch describes the vintage as showing excellent quality, with balanced grapes retaining good acidity after a dry, sunny midsummer, and suggests a cellaring window of five to seven years.

What the experts say:

Alison Napjus, Wine Spectator, 91 Points (2024 Vintage)
“Brambly herb, spice and mocha aromas lace the dark and juicy core of blackberry and mulberry fruit flavors in this vivid red. Concentrated and focused in a balanced, medium-bodied frame, with lively, plum skin acidity and light, supple tannins. Drink now through 2034.”