Australian Lagrein wine regional and flavour profile

RED | MEDIUM BODY

Lagrein taste and aromas

Sour plums with a touch of grass and bitter cherries some dark chocolate, with spicy, tobacco, black plums, grassy, herbaceous and earthy notes

Lagrein mouthfeel

High tannins, high acidity at ripeness, medium bodied

Facts about Lagrein

• Lagrein is originally from Northern Italy and has shown great promise in Australia, with over 30 producers growing and making wines from the grape
• The variety is ferociously vigorous, with drooping canes and a tendency to grow lateral shoots, making canopy management a key issue in cooler areas.
• The grape is renowned to be incredibly high in tannins. Unusually, even the free run juice is tannic.
• Lagrein produces wine with high acidity, a low pH, and high tannic, which is why it is so often blended with less tannic varietals such as Dolcetto.
• As a single varietal wine, Lagrein can be extremely harsh. To manage this, winemakers give the wine long periods of barrel maturation (up to 18 months) or for younger fresher wines, pre-fine the juice to remove tannins before fermentation.

Australian regions that produce Lagrein

Within Australia, Lagrein is produced in over 15 regions, including Murray Darling, Barossa Valley, Langhorne Creek Riverland and McLaren Vale.

Outside of Australia, Lagrein dominates the South Tyrol landscape in Italy, particularly the Adige River.

What food to pair with Lagrein

Being of Italian origin, Lagrein pairs well with hearty Italian dishes such as carbonara, osso bucco, or perhaps with steak and anchovy butter. It is also a suitable match for a sharp cheese.