2016 Cantina Terlan "Porphyr" Lagrein Riserva

Cantina Terlano's "Porphyr" is one of the finest examples of Lagrein produced. Its name refers to the local alpine bedrock the vineyards reside upon and the grapes for this wine are carefully selected from three sites with vines nearly one hundred years in age. It's a deeply colored red with aromas of smoky black fruits, violets, earth and dark chocolate. Rich, luxurious black fruit melds with rustic tannins and fresh acidity and forms a long-lasting impression.

Not a grape varietal that gets much due, but Lagrein can be quite enticing when done well. And let's just agree that Terlan does it well. The Riserva is a wine to behold though, in it's full glory, it is redolent of black cherry and boysenberry flavors with aromas of grilled meats and smoky spices. It is a saturated wine that might make you shake your head and little to remind you that yes, you are in fact in Italy. But that's when the structure and balance of the wine come forth. Acid is there, tannin is there, both giving the supporting framework to keep this beast at bay. It's time to give this wine it's due for certain.

This Lagrein is made in the Alto Adige. This wine has an elegant perfume, subtle even, with fruit, vanilla and violet notes. On the palate it is a touch austere and quite full bodied, just the thing to match the rustic, rich foods of the mountainous region like lamb with rosemary and hard cheeses.

Absolutely delicious! I love Lagrein. Blackberry and dried blueberry fruit marry well with smoky, meaty aromas that always tease northern Rhone to me. However, Lagrein is wholly its own animal (pun intended). It can make really nice fresh styles of table wines, or it can be Porphyr: A powerful, elegant, complex wine. It has firm grippy tannins, soft ripe fruits, dark spice, a dense core to a round and full body. This is a complete wine that's only missing one thing: a rich meal centered around a slow cooked meat dish.

Many of you might not be familiar with Lagrein as a varietal, and I always get asked: is it more like Cabernet or Pinot Noir? Well it’s really more like Lagrein, it has its own identity. More often than not, I find Syrah-like characteristics, yet not enough to say this is like Syrah. The wine’s aromatics are a smoldering mix of smoke, meat, brandied cherries, tobacco and … well you get the picture--it's not like anything else. Cantina Terlan’s Porphyr is one of the region’s best illustrations of this varietal, and in this vintage perhaps one of its best examples. On the palate the wine is soft, supple, seductive, filled with complex, fruit, earth, spice, and truthfully a category I label as “exotic aromatics” because I’m not really sure what they are, but they are captivating. I remember having a previous vintage of this wine with gnocchi with a wild boar ragu--simply a thrilling match, but every time I’m in the Alto Adige I surrender to goulash, that paprika kick just bonds with Lagrein in a way that takes my breath away every time. If you like wine you owe it to yourself to try this; it is an experience you won’t regret.