ALOIS LAGEDER An agent of creative change in the Alto Adige
The history of Alois Lageder goes back to 1823, when Johann Lageder created his wine trade business in Bolzano. His descendants eventually started producing their own wines and acquired a number of vineyards across the Alto Adige. Johann’s great-grandson, Alois III, realised the unique potential of the region’s different terroirs and, in 1934, decided to invest in a winery, the Löwengang estate in Magrè, setting the foundation of what Alois Lageder is today.
Anna, Clemens and Helena, the sixth generation now at the helm of the family business, have renewed their ancestor’s passion for the landscape and grapes of Südtirol, while consolidating one of the estate’s fundamental pillars: a conscientious approach to farming based on a holistic understanding of sustainability.
Courage to question
The Lageder family had, early on, the courage to question the operational principles behind a monoculture such as winegrowing. With this in mind, the family embarked on a journey of research and discovery alongside multiple local partners, seeking ways of working with minimum exhaustion of resources and while promoting biodiversity.
In the 1990s the estate started the transition to biodynamics, with all the area under vine, a total of 55 hectares, now managed under this approach. Lageder’s more than 90 partner growers are also either already certified or in conversion to organic and/or biodynamic. The change, however, does not merely apply to the vineyards – it has informed all aspects of the business in a ‘closed loop’ philosophy in which each element is understood as a resource invested rather than a resource spent. The estate has thus become an autonomous, self-regenerating organism that nourishes and renews itself with each natural cycle.
Paradeis, the organic certified restaurant operated under a farm-totable concept, uses fruit from the estate’s orchards, vegetables from its ‘GrandOrto’ and the meat of oxen and pigs that live a happy and long life at Magré, naturally fertilising the soils.
Committed to change
As a company, Alois Lageder has placed itself as an agent of change within a community of like-minded farmers, winemakers and craftsmen that dare to look at the present with a critical but fundamentally positive outlook, in order to make the future a viable and desirable destination.
Each grape that goes into the making of Alois Lageder wines is testament to that.
Every year this community meets at Magré for Summa, a wine fair that celebrates wine as the product of mindful, integrated farming and as a cultural asset inscribed in the wider historical, economic and environmental context.
Discover more: https://aloislageder.eu/ @alois.lageder
13. Tikveš, Barovo Single Vineyard, Tikveš, Macedonia 2019 92
£24.99-£28.25 All About Wine, Hallgarten Wines, Hic, Slurp, Strictly Wine
A winter warmer, all right! In fact, it’s more of a winter power station of a wine. Enormous, deeply coloured in the glass with gusts of sweet heavy spice – everything from cinnamon to vanilla pod, sweet coffee and a dusting of cocoa. Blended from local Kratošija (65%) and Vranac
(35%), massive fruit, highly textural: imagine a thousand plum skins united in a single caress of your palate. From volcanic soils and 80% aged in new French oak barrels for 18 months. A spicy, bold concoction, this high-impact wine is very spicy on the finish: an imperious and characterful red. Drink 2022-2025 Alc 15%
14. Undurraga, TH Terroir Hunter Carmenère, Peumo, Cachapoal Valley, Chile 2018 92
£17.75-£20.50 Fintry Wines, Hallgarten Wines, Shelved Wine, Strictly Wines, Uncorked, Vinvm,
Wine Republic
Does what Carmenère does brilliantly well, delivering similar sensibilities to evolving Bordeaux from a warm vintage but amped up in a quintessentially Chilean style. Lots of deep, dark fruit, plenty of tobacco, blackcurrant fruit pastille, rippling with intense charisma. A gorgeous, seamless crackle of pepper through a silky, voluptuous palate which feels really alive. A good price for a great wine, harnessing a
‘I wanted to include a range of production methods from ripasso to extended maturation, bottle age to rampaging levels of youthful fruit’
low-yielding plot of ungrafted vines planted in 1998. Great work from talented winemaker and prime vineyard hunter Rafael Urrejola. Drink 2022-2026 Alc 14%
15. Beronia, Reserva, Rioja, Spain 2017 91
£15-£17.99 Cambridge Wine Merchants, Cheers, Drink Finder, Majestic, Ocado, The Drink Shop
For consistency as well as value, Beronia’s Rioja Reserva is one of those rare, widely available wines that exceeds expectations and also conjures delight. With a sheen of voluptuous purity, the 18 months in barrels of French and American oak coaxes a plush velveteen cushion for the fruit to retain a focused core. With sweet spices evident and just a whisker of mellow warmth, I’m happy to call this wine a modern classic. Sourced from vines more than 40 years of age, pour this for a midweek treat or for a special occasion dinner – roast lamb is top of the list as a pairing. Drink 2022-2025 Alc 14%
16. Craggy Range, Te Kahu Single Vineyard, Gimblett Gravels, Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand 2019 91
£25.50 Christopher Keiller, Specialist Cellars 54% Merlot, 27% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Malbec, 7% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot – Bordeaux with its tail up! Vigour and verve along with deep fruit – serious with a fun personality. Lovely cigar box aromas, a little prune, cherry blossom, but just wait for the elegance on the palate. Winter warming comes from the more savoury side, that alluring warmth of dusty earth, the feeling of stretched-out heat under the vineyard that the fruit clings to. Absolutely of its place, this is well thought-out and another solidly splendid wine from Craggy Range. Drink 2022-2029 Alc 13.5%
17. Domaine de Verquière, Plan de Dieu Côtes du Rhône Villages, France 2020 91
£15.45 Haynes Hanson & Clark
Stunning fragrance here: the warmth of summer in a scented garden, between lavender and rose, and then really ripe strawberry fruit laced with some heady spice. Complex and alluring, this has voluptuous fruit tied together with a thread of fine grippy tannin. It’s impressive. Alongside a good price for the quality, this wine really shows, rather than just being burly and big in an obvious manner, that seductive scents and fragrance are all part of the charm. I’m pairing this with a cottage pie, and it’s proving irresistible. Organic. Drink 2022-2024 Alc 14.5%
18. Mas Gabinèle, Faugères, Languedoc, France 2019 91
£19.99-£21.99 All About Wine, Great Wines Direct, Hallgarten Wines, Strictly Wine, The Wine Library This peppery red with striking garrigue fragrance is evolving beautifully. With its firm, fine grainy tannin it’s worth decanting to gently soften. From a mosaic of plots of low-yielding vines at about 25hl/ha, there’s a nuanced cocoa-fringed sweetness around its black olive core thanks to 12 months’ maturation in second- and third-fill 225-litre French oak barrels. Expect plenty of plum and cherry fruit as well as lots of unctuousness. Powerful and aromatic, a compelling bottle with wide, hearty appeal. Drink 2022-2026 Alc 14.5%
19. Pasqua, Cascina San Vincenzo Amarone della Valpolicella Valpantena, Veneto, Italy 2017 91
£55 Jeroboams, The Society of Vintners
Very lively, bright and silky as diamondpolished cherry. Organically grown Corvina, Corvinone and Rondinella grapes are dried for three months, intensifying the flavours. Post-fermentation, the wine spends 18-20 months in French oak giving a pale garnet gleam in the glass with aromas of bay and spice with sweet chocolate and cherry. High-impact purity with elegant intensity and a soaring upbeat finish. Wait for the oak tannin to give a tactile warming effect on the palate before you dive in for the next sip. And pair it with ossobuco – scrumptious! Drink 2022-2029 Alc 15%
20. Dominio Basconcillos, Viña Magna Tempranillo, Ribera del Duero, Spain 2020 90
£15.80 Tanners
Behold a quintessential winter warmer! Immense ripe fruit, still graced by a little hint of youthful cherry blossom but lots of very ripe strawberry, raspberry and blackberry prevail, wafting up from the glass. It’s brilliantly big. Warmth from the alcohol, yes, but in a pleasing way, along with prune-like intensity. Lavish texture with a bundle of spice on the finish. A wine that without question needs food – lamb tagine would work with all that pruney opulence. Or, if you’re considering a glass of Port at the end of an evening, maybe just have this instead. Feels like a real indulgence. Drink 2022-2024 Alc 15%
21. Kanonkop, Kadette Cape Blend, Stellenbosch, South Africa 2019 90
£12-£16.99 Cambridge Wine Merchants,
Drink Finder, Fintry Winers, Frontier Fine Wines, Harrogate Wines, SAWines, Tesco
A slinky, silky, deliciously balanced blend, magnificent with a roast and works superbly with turkey and all the trimmings, thanks to its graceful intensity. The previous three years of drought carried into this vintage with a smaller crop of high quality, and the expertise of winemaker Abrie Beeslaar shows in the blending of its 44% Pinotage, 29% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon and 2% Cabernet Franc, matured for 12 months in second- and third-fill French Nevers oak barriques. Drink 2022-2024 Alc 13.9%
22. Thymiopoulos Vineyards, Xinomavro, Naoussa, Macedonia, Greece 2019 90
£13.50-£17.49 Carruthers & Kent, Hennings,
Hic, Majestic, Strictly Wine, The Secret Bottle Shop, The Wine Reserve
To find a wine of this quality, widely available at around £15, is indeed a boon for wine fans. This Xinomavro has a thrilling balance between fruit, acidity and fine firm tannin, thanks to the light touch of six months in oak. Evocative of rosehip and sundried tomato with cranberry bite and pomegranate depth, there’s an allspice intrigue to this captivating wine. Picture a cherry-coloured flare trailing over a bright winter sky and you’re on the way to this wine’s vibrancy.
It’s delicious to decant with roast lamb, but serve it with any tomato-based sauce dishes from aubergines to pasta, fish to ratatouille and delight in this brilliant
Greek grape. Drink 2022-2025 Alc 13%
23. Aldi, Specially Selected Kooliburra Bin 20 Shiraz, South Australia 2020 89
£5.99 Aldi
My one-word review of this wine is ‘power’. Typical Aussie Shiraz spice and black fruit lead the charge, but what sets this wine apart is its long, satisfying tarry depth. This is better than it needs to be for this price, so if you’re after a bargain for winter parties, simple casseroles, beefy dishes, TV dinners, this is the bottle. It’s also a fab all-rounder to have to hand for festive guests dropping by without worrying too much about how much you’re pouring – so keep a few extra bottles in! Drink 2022-2023 Alc 14.5%
24. Aldi, Specially Selected Castellore Valpolicella Ripasso Superiore, Veneto, Italy 2019 89
£7.99 Aldi
Boosted in structure from the Veneto ripasso technique, this is a wine with plenty of spicy intensity – think cloves and plenty of sweet cherry with almond-like flourish. There’s just a hint of rose in bloom, and it’s great value for a red with welly without being over the top on the booze. If it’s informal burgers (gorgonzola topping for me), or better yet a cheeseboard, this is the bargain bottle for the job. Blended from 75% Corvina 20% Corvinone and 5% Rondinella, keep this congenially priced classic on standby to deploy with the next frosty blast. Drink 2022-2023 Alc 13.5%
25. Delicato, 3 Finger Jack Old Vine Zinfandel, Lodi, California USA 2019 89
£15.99 Majestic
Harvested principally from the east of Lodi
‘It’s the kind of wine that we all ought to gather round this year and merely marvel at, such is its beauty’
on stony low-vigour soil, which produces concentrated fruit. Winemaker Alicia Ysais chose to ferment at cooler temperatures to preserve fruity vim and aged this Zinfandel in both French and American oak to season. With blueberry fruit boldness and power rippling through the wine, there is a certain jammy appeal here that works very well with charry flavours in dishes such as smoked or roasted meats – bangers and mash is a slam-dunk for the full hearty effect. Drink 2022-2024 Alc 14.5%
26. M&S, Found Alicante Bouschet, Alentejo, Portugal 2021 89
£8 Marks & Spencer
Plush round fruit with a warming core and contrasting tang in the tail, good value and great fun red. From limestone and schist soils, this is mostly fermented in stainless steel with a small portion in marble lagares. A deftly constructed, modern wine with a certain heartiness built in. Steak sandwich territory for a pairing and, with attractive pricing like this, it’s good to see the Alicante Bouschet grape getting a bit of high street exposure – historically used for boosting colour in blends, here as a varietal wine it more than holds its own. Bravo M&S.
Drink 2022-2023 Alc 14%
27. Piccini, Memoro Rosso d’Italia, Tuscany, Italy NV 89
£8-£8.50 Morrisons, Sainsbury’s, Tesco
A warming high-street red with instant appeal thanks to the silky richness of partially dried grapes. If you’re a fan of Italian amarone or ripasso styles and looking for an affordable kitchen table alternative, this could be right up your street. It appears a touch pale in the glass, but this pan-regional red blend has plenty of sweet fruitcake aromas and is gorgeously silky to sip, showing dried cherries and cranberries, a hint of sultana and a pleasing bite to the finish that falls somewhere between a sundried tomato and a cherry skin. Thanks to its lean intensity, it’s great to pair with bold game dishes from wild boar to venison, also fab with a cheeseboard. Drink 2022-2023 Alc 14%
28. Symington Family Estates, Altano Organic, Douro, Portugal 2020 89
£10.85-£13.99 Bon Coeur, Davy’s, Harvey Nichols, Mumbles Fine Wines, Tanners, The Drink Shop, Vinotopia, Vinvm, Waitrose
Don’t for a second think you’re going to get ‘Port-lite’ here, this is a bright expression of the Douro’s capacity for intensity and elegance. A blend based on 35% Touriga Franca, 25% Touriga Nacional and 20% Alicante Bouschet, its enticing cherry, mulling spice and orange peel aromas lead to a cherry skin tang and a warming crackle of white pepper on the palate, with spice on the finish. It’s long and fine and will appeal to lovers of fine Italian wines with trademark lively acidity. Give Altano a try with some spaghetti bolognese for an offbeat pairing that works a charm. Drink 2022-2024 Alc 13.5%
29. Klein Constantia, Vin de Constance, Constantia, South Africa 2019 98
£45 (ib)/50cl Widely available
Aged for 15 months in 50% new French and Hungarian oak followed by 15 months in larger-format foudres, this immaculately vinified wine secures Matt Day’s place as a youthful winemaking legend with another near-perfect release of this iconic sweet wine. A gorgeous whirl of apricot, orange blossom, hay and lemon curd, lightly syrupy in texture with an uptick of gingery orange zest, and a lengthy spiciness to the finish which soars and surges all at once. For Muscat de Frontignan to feel this elegant and sippable so young is dreamy. If you’ve the patience to cellar it, expect great things. Otherwise this is the ultimate teatime wine to pour right now. Drink 2022-2045 Alc 14%
30. Lustau, Morrisons The Best Pedro Ximénez, Jerez, Spain 90
£6.50/37.5cl Morrisons
Wonderfully intense and sweet, a sticky dried fig the size of a planet blitzed into a thimble’s worth of juice feels about the right ratio to describe the intensity of this luxurious Sherry. Smashing to pair with mince pies, fruitcake or even chocolate brownies and just lovely chilled on its own served in small glasses, it cannot fail through the sheer sugar rush alone, to elevate a sense of warming glow through to your core. A sensational wine to find on the high street. Drink 2022-2026 Alc 17%