Lagrein
Encyclopedia
Lagrein is a red wine grape variety native to the valleys of South Tyrol
, northern Italy. Along with Marzemino, it is a descendant of Teroldego, and related to Syrah, Pinot noir
and Dureza
.
The name suggests its origins lie in the Lagarina valley of Trentino. It was mentioned as early as in the 17th century, in records of the Muri Abbey
near Bolzano.
The variety is ferociously vigorous, with drooping canes and a tendency to grow lateral shoots, making canopy management a key issue in cooler areas. It is a generous yielding variety, so overcropping can also be a problem. In the Peter May/Victoria cultivar at least, the variety is deeply coloured, tannic and has very good acidity at ripeness. Unusually, even the free run juice is tannic.
Lagrein produces wine which has high acidity
and low pH
, and is also highly tannic, which is why blending with less tannic varietals works so well. Eric Asimov
says Lagrein produces "congenial, straightforward wines that can be deliciously plummy, earthy and chewy, dark and full-bodied but not heavy, with a pronounced minerally edge."
As a single varietal wine, Lagrein can be extremely astringent. To manage this, winemakers give the wine long periods of barrel maturation (>18 months) or for younger fresher wines, pre-fine the juice
to remove tannins before fermentation. Lagrein produces a very deep yet intense red color in wine, with notable hues of purple which can be seen especially in the macerated juice. The variety typically shows a rich berry-fruit mid palate, savoury tobacco/leather/mushroom notes and some sour cherry astringency on the finish.
wines Lagrein Rosato, or Lagrein Kretzer. In recent years, winemaking
techniques have changed, with shortened maceration
periods and used oak to achieve less aggressive flavours.
Outside Italy’s South Tyrol region, the variety is rare to the point of obscurity. In Australia
it is limited to some 15 producers, mostly in the cooler parts of the south-eastern states, although most are still at the trial-block stage and are yet to release wines labelled as Lagrein or as Lagrein blends. There are some plantings of the vine in California as well, mostly in small vineyards or blocks; almost all this production goes to blending. There is an additional production vineyard in the Umpqua Valley AVA
which has 5 acres (2 ha) planted.
Lagrein was pioneered in Australia by Peter May of Melbourne University’s Burnley Campus
who discovered a couple of vines in the "vine library" of the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation
at Merbein in northeast Victoria
, and in part influenced by research by Richard Smart
and Peter Dry, planted the variety in his garden-sized vineyard at Kyneton in 1988. He later provided cuttings and advice to a number of Victorian producers.
Producers in South Australia have propagated cuttings from mother vines grown in the South Australian Government facility at Nuriootpa, and it is possible that these are a different cultivar from that grown by Peter May in Victoria. From the small number of producers and the descriptions of plantings available on their respective websites, the total area of Lagrein cultivated in Australia is likely to be less than 50 hectares (123.6 acre), compared with approximately 43000 hectares (106,255.2 acre) of Shiraz/Syrah.
South Tyrol
South Tyrol , also known by its Italian name Alto Adige, is an autonomous province in northern Italy. It is one of the two autonomous provinces that make up the autonomous region of Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol. The province has an area of and a total population of more than 500,000 inhabitants...
, northern Italy. Along with Marzemino, it is a descendant of Teroldego, and related to Syrah, Pinot noir
Pinot Noir
Pinot noir is a black wine grape variety of the species Vitis vinifera. The name may also refer to wines created predominantly from Pinot noir grapes...
and Dureza
Dureza
Dureza is a dark-skinned grape variety from the Ardèche region in France. It has been used for production of red wine, but is hardly grown any more; it is not part of the list of the allowed grape varieties of any French wine appellation, and in 1988 only 1 hectare of Dureza remained, while there...
.
The name suggests its origins lie in the Lagarina valley of Trentino. It was mentioned as early as in the 17th century, in records of the Muri Abbey
Muri Abbey
Muri Abbey was a Benedictine monastery dedicated to Saint Martin of Tours. It flourished for over eight centuries at Muri, in the Canton of Aargau, near Basle in Switzerland...
near Bolzano.
The variety is ferociously vigorous, with drooping canes and a tendency to grow lateral shoots, making canopy management a key issue in cooler areas. It is a generous yielding variety, so overcropping can also be a problem. In the Peter May/Victoria cultivar at least, the variety is deeply coloured, tannic and has very good acidity at ripeness. Unusually, even the free run juice is tannic.
Lagrein produces wine which has high acidity
Acids in wine
The acids in wine are an important component in both winemaking and the finished product of wine. They are present in both grapes and wine, having direct influences on the color, balance and taste of the wine as well as the growth and vitality of yeasts during fermentation and protecting the wine...
and low pH
PH
In chemistry, pH is a measure of the acidity or basicity of an aqueous solution. Pure water is said to be neutral, with a pH close to 7.0 at . Solutions with a pH less than 7 are said to be acidic and solutions with a pH greater than 7 are basic or alkaline...
, and is also highly tannic, which is why blending with less tannic varietals works so well. Eric Asimov
Eric Asimov
Eric Asimov is an American wine critic for The New York Times, with articles subsequently published in the International Herald Tribune.-Biography:...
says Lagrein produces "congenial, straightforward wines that can be deliciously plummy, earthy and chewy, dark and full-bodied but not heavy, with a pronounced minerally edge."
As a single varietal wine, Lagrein can be extremely astringent. To manage this, winemakers give the wine long periods of barrel maturation (>18 months) or for younger fresher wines, pre-fine the juice
Clarification and stabilization of wine
The clarification and stabilization of wine in winemaking involves removing insoluble and suspended materials. The insoluble material causes a wine to be cloudy. These processes may include fining, filtration, centrifugation, flotation, refrigeration, barrel maturation, pasteurization and racking...
to remove tannins before fermentation. Lagrein produces a very deep yet intense red color in wine, with notable hues of purple which can be seen especially in the macerated juice. The variety typically shows a rich berry-fruit mid palate, savoury tobacco/leather/mushroom notes and some sour cherry astringency on the finish.
Production
Cultivation of Lagrein in South Tyrol usually results in the tannic red wines Lagrein Scuro, or Lagrein Dunkel, or the fragrant roséRosé
A rosé is a type of wine that has some of the color typical of a red wine, but only enough to turn it pink. The pink color can range from a pale orange to a vivid near-purple, depending on the grapes and wine making techniques.- Production techniques :There are three major ways to produce rosé...
wines Lagrein Rosato, or Lagrein Kretzer. In recent years, winemaking
Winemaking
Winemaking, or vinification, is the production of wine, starting with selection of the grapes or other produce and ending with bottling the finished wine. Although most wine is made from grapes, it may also be made from other fruit or non-toxic plant material...
techniques have changed, with shortened maceration
Maceration (wine)
Maceration is the winemaking process where the phenolic materials of the grape— tannins, coloring agents and flavor compounds— are leached from the grape skins, seeds and stems into the must. Maceration is the process by which the red wine receives its red color, since 99% of all grape juice is...
periods and used oak to achieve less aggressive flavours.
Outside Italy’s South Tyrol region, the variety is rare to the point of obscurity. In Australia
Australian wine
The Australian Wine Industry is the fourth largest exporter of wine around the world, with 760 million litres a year to a large international export market and contributes $5.5 billion per annum to the nation's economy...
it is limited to some 15 producers, mostly in the cooler parts of the south-eastern states, although most are still at the trial-block stage and are yet to release wines labelled as Lagrein or as Lagrein blends. There are some plantings of the vine in California as well, mostly in small vineyards or blocks; almost all this production goes to blending. There is an additional production vineyard in the Umpqua Valley AVA
Umpqua Valley AVA
Part of the larger Southern Oregon AVA the Umpqua Valley American Viticultural Area is located entirely within Douglas County, Oregon. The official boundaries of the AVA are detailed in the United States of America Title 27 Chapter I Part 9 section 89. Grapes grown here include Pinot Noir, Pinot...
which has 5 acres (2 ha) planted.
Lagrein was pioneered in Australia by Peter May of Melbourne University’s Burnley Campus
Burnley College (Australia)
Burnley College, Melbourne, Australiais one of the oldest Colleges in the country and it specialises in horticulture.The site of Burnley College began as the Richmond Survey Paddock in 1850...
who discovered a couple of vines in the "vine library" of the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation
Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation
The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation is the national government body for scientific research in Australia...
at Merbein in northeast Victoria
Merbein, Victoria
Merbein is a town outside Mildura, Victoria, in the Sunraysia region of Australia. At the 2006 census, Merbein had a population of 2526.The area was known as White Cliffs until 1909 when the township was established, the Post Office opening on 16 August 1909.The name was intended to be Merebin,...
, and in part influenced by research by Richard Smart
Richard Smart
Dr. Richard Smart is an Australian viticulturalist and leading global consultant on viticulture methods, who is often referred to as “the flying vine-doctor”. He is considered responsible for revolutionising grape growing due to his work on canopy management techniques.-Biography:Dr...
and Peter Dry, planted the variety in his garden-sized vineyard at Kyneton in 1988. He later provided cuttings and advice to a number of Victorian producers.
Producers in South Australia have propagated cuttings from mother vines grown in the South Australian Government facility at Nuriootpa, and it is possible that these are a different cultivar from that grown by Peter May in Victoria. From the small number of producers and the descriptions of plantings available on their respective websites, the total area of Lagrein cultivated in Australia is likely to be less than 50 hectares (123.6 acre), compared with approximately 43000 hectares (106,255.2 acre) of Shiraz/Syrah.
External links
- Detailed info on Lagrein from lagrein.it (PDF)