The relationship of the Lageder family with wine begins in 1823, with the decision of Johann Lageder to start the its sale. Over time his heirs came to the decision to produce their own wine to be marketed, but it was only with Alois Lageder III that, finally, the first plot of land was purchased, in 1934, in Lowengang, in the southern part of Alto Adige. Under the guidance of Alois III and, later, of his son Alois IV, the winery has expanded to own 50 hectares, currently supervised by the young oenologist Georg Meißner (succeeded in 2018 to the legendary Luis von Dellemann). The viticulture practiced is inspired by the principles of biodynamics and provides, in addition to the techniques of cultivation in the vineyard, the autumn and winter pasture of oxen in vineyards (“Progetto Buoi”) and the cultivation of vegetables, fruit, herbs and cereals always in the middle of the vineyards (“Progetto Grandorto”).
The Krafuss Maso, on the hill of San Michele Appiano (known since the Renaissance), is also characterized by the concomitance of vines and orchards with, after its conversion to biodynamic in 2013, the presence of sheep grazing. From its vineyards, raised on a morainic-calcareous clay soil at about 450 meters above sea level, the homonymous Pinot Noir is born. After the manual harvest, the grapes are gently pressed and left to ferment spontaneously in steel tanks under the action of their indigenous yeasts. The malolactic fermentation, always in steel, precedes ta one year aging, in French oak barriques of 225, 300 and 500 litres, followed by some months of bottle refinement.
The 2016 vintage, light, transparent and shiny ruby, opens with notes of vinyl and humus, which precede a wild blackberry and an acidulous raspberry, and then veer on leather, Sichuan pepper and 90% dark chocolate, with echoes of roasting, flint and exhausted yeast. The sip is played on the alternation between fresh and acidic sensations and dark hints of coffee and incense, all embellished by abundant and silky tannins that guide the sip towards a cinchona closure.
Rating: 92/100
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