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The evolution of Lagrein in ten vintages of Taber Riserva
An almost unique vertical tasting of a varietal that is one of the symbols of winemaking in Alto Adige and the showcase wine of Cantina Bolzano.
Lagrein is the “male” lead, along with Schiava, in the production of red wine in Alto Adige. It is a vigorous and strong grape even if it was traditionally used to make pleasing versions of kretzer rosé. Today, it is increasingly being used to red wines that have a strong and elegant character with a significant propensity to age.
Stephan Filippi, the Cantina Bolzano enologist, is one of the leading experts on this grape and he describe Lagregin as “a difficult varietal because it has to be monitored closely in all phases of production because it is a very generous and robust grape and the bunches risk becoming too big and tasteless. Even if I am an enologist, I have to admit that the most important phase in producing a Lagrein wine takes place in the vineyard. Thus it was not by chance that Lagrein Taber was the ‘pilot’ wine in the Progetto Qualità program that focused on the vineyard and which the estate embarked upon in 1988 and today includes the entire lines of Riserva and Cru wines. Today it involves 83 wine growers who own a total of 118 hectares of vineyards that abide by strict standards in regard to position, vine density and age.
Set in the heart of Gries with its 1.7 hectares, Maso Taber is the estate’s oldest vineyard with vines that can be as much as 100 years old and grow in an alluvial soil with a sunny exposure at an altitude if 250m above sea level. “The first vintage produced was 1988,” Filippi explained, “and it was an experiment to understand the vineyard. The following year we began to significantly reduce yield that today it has levelled out to 60 hectoliters per hectare, or some 13,000 bottles of wine”.
By tasting ten vintages, starting with 1998 to then jump to 2004 and 2005 and then from 2010 to 2016, it was possible to appreciate how this wine aged, something rare for this varietal, and how the estate’s style evolved with each vintage. All the wines were made the same way in the winery, fermenting in wood barrels, punching down by hand and maturing for around a year in French barriques, 1/3 of which were new wood, 1/3 used once and 1/3 twice.
A.A. Lagrein Taber Riserva 1998
90/100 - Not on the market
Seasonal conditions: average temperatures, around 12°C; a particularly mild winter, a spring that was not very warm with little rain while the summer was very wet.
A red-garnet color with a decidedly orange edge. The aroma is mature, centered on spice and ethereal notes with those of red fruit both as jam and under spirits followed by sensations of roasted coffee and blond tobacco, humus and graphite on a background of dried meat. The mouthfeel shows its age a bit and above all reflects a year that at the time was probably less interesting to bring out the structure of Lagrein, even if it maintains a vibrant freshness and tannins that are still perceivable in the finish.
A.A. Lagrein Taber Riserva 2004
92/100 - € 32
Seasonal conditions: an exceptionally warm and dry year, with an average temperature of 12.7°C. The winter was particularly cold, temperatures were below average in spring while those in summer were average and mild in autumn. Rainfall was below the average for the previous 40 years.
A compact, ruby-red color with a nuanced edge. The deep aroma has ethereal notes of varnish and macerated red fruit preserved in alcohol that blend into sensations of underbrush, dark spice and hints of coffee. The mouthfeel has a full and bold body, with evident and thick tannins and an alcohol component that comes out towards the finish that is slightly almond. (Tasted from a magnum bottle).
A.A. Lagrein Taber Riserva 2005
96/100 - € 32
Seasonal conditions: Mostly favorable weather with relatively low temperatures in both autumn and winter and an average temperature of 12.4°C. Rain was scarce, especially in the first half of the year. Harvest was perfect, the grapes high in sugar for fermentation and malolactic fermentation fully competed.
A ruby color with a nuanced edge, slightly more tenuous than the 2004. The elegant aroma is initially hesitant before releasing scents of black cherry and toasted cacao and coffee followed by notes of wilted flowers, dried raspberry and a sensation of blood and meat extract. The mouthfeel is agile and fresh, pleasing and elegant, with thick tannins providing structure. The finish is warm, clean and subtly saline with floral and fruity hints.
A.A. Lagrein Taber Riserva 2010
92/100 - € 36
Seasonal conditions: cool winter and spring, a hot and dry summer and a wet autumn with above average rainfall and average temperatures 0.1°C below normal.
A very consistent, compact and luminous ruby color. The aroma still has evident fruity and floral notes including black cherry, plums and wisteria together with delicate spice sensations of vanilla, nutmeg and blond tobacco. The mouthfeel is balanced, not particularly voluminous but agile and fresh, with very lively, persistent and thick yet sweet tannins and a clean finish of medium persistence with hints of red fruit.
A.A. Lagrein Taber Riserva 2011
97+/100 - € 36
Seasonal conditions: a benchmark year for the estate, warm and relatively dry with an average temperature of 13.3°C, due to a very hot spring and summer. The little rain there was took place mostly in the first part of the year.
A luminous and compact ruby color that still has some purple reflections. The bouquet is clear, complex and elegant on a harmonious floral and fruity background with notes of currant, rose, black cherry syrup and wisteria on top of spice sensations of nutmeg and vegetal ones of fern followed by deeper tones of cinchona and rhubarb. The mouthfeel has excellent persistence and dynamic yet structured, thanks to copious and rounded tannins that are thinned out by a fresh and saline finish that adds persistence and invites another sip. The clean aftertaste has notes of ripe fruit, medicinal herbs and black tea. A great Lagrein.
A.A. Lagrein Taber Riserva 2012
94/100 - € 36
Seasonal conditions: a hot and wet year with a relatively high average temperature of 13.5°C due to higher temperatures in the middle part of the year. Although the season began dry, it became a rainy year (363mm).
A lively, ruby color with purple reflections. The pleasing aroma is not particularly broad and has notes of ripe fruit and flowers, sensations of strawberry syrup and hints of vanilla. The full mouthfeel is decidedly more compact ad vertical than the previous vintage and still very fresh. The tannins are rich and nicely formed, pleasingly diluted in a juicy and very saline finish. The aftertaste has hints of black tea and red fruit. More simple and subtle than the 2011 but still pleasing and drinkable.
A.A. Lagrein Taber Riserva 2013
97/100 - € 36
Seasonal conditions: a year of great satisfaction for the estate, warm and wet with an average temperature of 13.7°C with the highest temperatures during the latter half of the season. Rainfall surpassed 1,000mm with heavy rain in May, June and October. Harvest was later than usual.
A transparent and bright ruby color. The bouquet is different from the other vintages thanks to a more distinct vegetal and balsamic component with sensations of medicinal herbs, fern and juniper. These are followed by hints of spice and fruit, darker and less sweet than usual, along with an elegant nuance of iron and graphite. The mouthfeel is consistent and sinuous, juicy with fluid tannins and a pleasing, long and saline finish. A long aftertaste of currant, black tea and herbs. An unusual version, more fine and less muscular Lagrein but one that will rival 2011 in regard to elegance.
A.A. Lagrein Taber Riserva 2014
89/100 - € 36
Seasonal conditions: a difficult and inconsistent year with heavy rain above all during the winter and a particularly mild summer with memorable rains in regard to quantity and intensity (1,151mm).
A transparent, luminous and lively ruby color. A dark and compact aroma with sensations of dried flowers, leaves and underbrush, all together a bit dusty. The fruit component is very ripe but upheld by a pungent note of blood orange and chili pepper jam. The tight mouthfeel is fresh and saline with rounded and mature tannins, despite the inclement weather, providing body and structure. The finish is fresh and clean with a citrusy, orange aftertaste. Certainly less rich and intriguing that the other wines but commendable for demonstrating how the estate dealt with an inclement year for almost all of Italy.
A.A. Lagrein Taber Riserva 2015
96/100 - € 36
Seasonal conditions: one of the three best years for the estate, with less rainfall (539mm) and a particularly hot and dry summer, ideal for the varietal. The average annual temperature was 14°C.
A dark, ruby color with purple reflections. The compact bouquet is still young and centered on notes of currant, blueberry and raspberry. It later opens slowly to fine vegetal tones of fern and bramble, accompanied by a slightly wilted floral hint and those spice, above all tobacco. The mouthfeel has an excellent consistency and is very structured and full, flavorful and juicy, with rich tannins full of grip. A warm sensation accompanies the finish, which is slightly bitter and dry, with a vegetal aftertaste of tea. This appeared to be the youngest version tasted and still not ready to drink but with a great propensity to age well.
A.A. Lagrein Taber Riserva 2016
95/100 - € 36
Seasonal conditions: this year was in certain ways similar to the previous one and also relatively dry (660mm) with very mild temperatures (an average of 13.8°C) but subject to unexpected drops, above all in spring.
A ruby-purple color with a bright edge. The bouquet is elegant and very delicate with whispered notes of ripe and fresh red fruit, a pleasing floral component and a quid of blood orange and caramel. The excellent mouthfeel is rounded and full, flavorful and juicy with gentle and wrapping tannins and a finish with an after-aroma of toasted graphite and caramel. Despite its youth, it is distinguished by the accessibility of the mouthfeel, already elegant and balanced and yet with an interesting propensity to age, further evidence that the estate has found the key understanding Lagrein.
