Lagrein (Red Grape)

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Lagrein has been around for quite some time and is currently mostly planted in the Trentino-Alto Adige region in northeastern Italy. These northeast regions in Italy are often famous for their white wines but also have this often overlooked gem.  It produces strong full body wine with flavours of wild cherry and plum. It is especially famous for its deep and dense colours and is used mainly as a varietal wine in Trentino DOC but also Alto Adige DOC but also sometimes it is blended. Lagrein used to be grown as a harsh tannic wine best paired with steak but now it is being planted in warmer sites to get riper fruit and a much more consumer-friendly style. If you are a fan of Syrah or Pinot noir you will find that according to Swiss grape genetiscist Voullizamoz DNA research then “Lagrein is a cousin of syrah and the grandchild of Pinot noir, sister to marzemino and one of its parents is definitely Teroldego”.

Other areas

It is also planted in Adelaide and in the Macedon ranges of Australia. Also, it is grown in California.

Characteristics

Full body. Their grapes tend to give lower irregular yields and thus might prove difficult for the wine makers.  It is also harshly  tannic and sometimes this is offset by using other types of grapes. Also, it is often stored in an oak barrels. The best lagrein wines needs to be aged for many years. It has a very dark garnet colour with subtle violet reflexes. It often has aromas of black woodland berries such as blackberry or bilberry, violets, hints of black chocolate with a lot of spice. It has a deep long finnish and velvety tannins with medium alcohol.

Read related post  Marche (Central Italian Wine Region)

 

Grape partners.

It is often blended in Schiava and Teroldego wines in the Trentino Alto Adige belt and also with red wines like Merlot or Cabernet sauvignon.

 

Food pairings

Lagrein works with roasted potatoes, Venison and strong cheeses.

 

References and links

Alto Adige / Trentino Wine Region – North Italy

Italian Red Wines

Northern Italy White Wines (Including Sparkling)

 

External links

https://worldsbestwines.eu/grapes/lagrein/

https://www.rosemurraybrown.com/rose-uncut/articles/lagrein-grape-taste-test