24 Jun Please The Palate Wine of the Week: 2018 Eisacktaler Kellerei Cantina Valle Isarco Lagrein Alto Adige

Lagrein is an ancient grape variety indigenous to the Trentino-Alto Adige region in northeastern Italy. Producing fresh and acidic wines, Lagrein can be described as somewhere between a Pinot Noir and a Syrah. Dense in color, full-bodied on the palate with notes ranging from plum, wild berries and violets to chocolate and spices, Lagrein is a beautiful wine to pair with meats and strong cheeses and that is why the 2018 Eisacktaler Kellerei Cantina Valle Isarco Lagrein Alto Adige is the Please The Palate wine of the week. Located near the Austrian border, Cantina Valle Isarco, who also has the German name Eisacktaler Kellerei, is located in the region in Trentino-Alto Adige, also called Südtirol (South Tyrol, in German), on the southern side of the Alps. Trentinto-Alto Adige is a region with warm summer days and cool evenings and the mineral-rich soils are light and gravelly. Cantina Valle Isarco was founded in 1961. It is a co-operative made up of 130 members from 11 municipalities covering 346 acres of vineyards. The 2018 Eisacktaler Kellerei Cantina Valle Isarco Lagrein Alto Adige is fermented in stainless steel and aged in large wooden barrels. It is a garnet red color. On the nose, the wine has aromas of violet, wild berries, chocolate and spices. On the palate, the wine is beautiful and elegant with sandy tannins, 2018 Eisacktaler Kellerei Cantina Valle Isarco Lagrein Alto Adige retails for $17.99.