Open Mike: Alois Lageder/Alto Adige.

It`s been a while since we had the chance to partake in a new Open Mike, so finding some Alouis Lageder whites in a local winestore, plus the warmer weather has made me a tad twitchy to try something new. Robin seems to be a supporter of the region so look around and see what is available! If you cannot find a Lageder wine try something else, red or white.

This weekend I will be focusing on the `05 Pinot Bianco/Weissburgunder. (I should add that this wine made the Top 100 in the WS). Here`s the website if you are interested!

http://www.lageder.com

I'm in with a Tòr Löwengang Pinot Bianco 2005. And anything else I can find from them - but I think that's all we have available. Yummy stuff. I've posted several notes on it already, but I suppose I can always scribble one more!

-O-

That will be great Otto. I have so little experience with whites from this area, plus have researched Lageder, so looking forward to opening my PB after a night helping out at the Grill.

Bob, FWIW I might be able to get a Pinot Grigio from them also!

I just opened up my Alois Lageder Pinot Bianco Haberlehof Tòr Löwengang 2005 for a casual sip while writing up notes and waiting for my chunk of meat to turn into dinner.

I have usually appreciated Lageder to some degree (I guess for the purity of expression) but have also usually thought them to be a bit simple and frankly a bit boring. I don't know what they did differently with this wine, but this wasn't boring at all and had all that purity that I like. Extremely mineral nose, reminding me of Muscadet with its sea-breeze, rocks and limpid fruit, yet it still is typical PB in its appley flavours. It is obviously from a warm year because the acidity is a bit less zippy that I hoped, but there is enough acidity to keep the wine very fresh and to reign in the juicy fruit. Lovely, mineral aftertaste. I don't think I've ever been so excited by a Lageder. Now I need to get this in a cooler vintage to get the zippiness level to my liking.

-O-

Great notes, Otto.

Pinot Bianco from the Alto Adige is very different from the same variety grown in Alsace, and I think the 'wet stone' mineral quality you describe is very important. I love the wines, and the best examples will age for at least a few years very nicely (I had the Terlaner 'Vorberg' '02 a year ago and it was deeelicious).

The smaller producers may label PB with the German name, Weissburgunder.

I too am a big fan of Lageder, particularly the single vineyard offerings, and especially the Pinot Bianco. I've also tasted the Vorberg from Terlaner (probably 2004) and been impressed.
Charles

• 2004 Alois Lageder Pinot Bianco Alto Adige - Südtirol Haberlehof - Italy, Trentino-Alto Adige, Alto Adige, Alto Adige - Südtirol (8/14/2006)
  I really do like this wine. It has all one wants in an Italian white with food---ripe fruit, loads of minerals, and a bitter twist at the end to make the mouth water. Drinking very well but likely will for 2-3 years.
  
• 2004 Alois Lageder Pinot Bianco Alto Adige - Südtirol Haberlehof - Italy, Trentino-Alto Adige, Alto Adige, Alto Adige - Südtirol (2/24/2006)
  Straw-colored, yellow fruits including a little pear on the nose. Lush glycerine-laden mouthfeel together with enough acidity makes for a terrific palate impression by the yellow fruits and moderate minerality. I really like this wine in all of the few years I've tasted.

Great participation everyone!! Seems to be some keen interest in this region.

Great notes, Otto.

Pinot Bianco from the Alto Adige is very different from the same variety grown in Alsace, and I think the 'wet stone' mineral quality you describe is very important. I love the wines, and the best examples will age for at least a few years very nicely (I had the Terlaner 'Vorberg' '02 a year ago and it was deeelicious).

The smaller producers may label PB with the German name, Weissburgunder.

The Lageder label reads Pinot Blanc.Weissburgunder. Think most Canadians will understand that!!!!!

I too am a big fan of Lageder, particularly the single vineyard offerings, and especially the Pinot Bianco. I've also tasted the Vorberg from Terlaner (probably 2004) and been impressed.
Charles

• 2004 Alois Lageder Pinot Bianco Alto Adige - Südtirol Haberlehof - Italy, Trentino-Alto Adige, Alto Adige, Alto Adige - Südtirol (8/14/2006)
  I really do like this wine. It has all one wants in an Italian white with food---ripe fruit, loads of minerals, and a bitter twist at the end to make the mouth water. Drinking very well but likely will for 2-3 years.
  
• 2004 Alois Lageder Pinot Bianco Alto Adige - Südtirol Haberlehof - Italy, Trentino-Alto Adige, Alto Adige, Alto Adige - Südtirol (2/24/2006)
  Straw-colored, yellow fruits including a little pear on the nose. Lush glycerine-laden mouthfeel together with enough acidity makes for a terrific palate impression by the yellow fruits and moderate minerality. I really like this wine in all of the few years I've tasted.

Charles, here are my impressions of the `05 Lageder tasted this evening.

WTN: `05 Pinot Bianco Alois Lageder Alto Adige--Sudtirol.

12.5% alc, synthetic cork, did not serve too chilled to highlight all the expected fruit.

Colour. Deepish straw, no yellow or green. Nice clarity, no viscousity.

Nose. Zippy, apple, citrus, almost hint of grapefruit or gooseberry? Some minerals, stoney.

Palate. Initial entry is dry, minerally, no residual sugar, grapefruit. Could this be a Muscadet in drag!?? Apple as it warms and pear, good acidity but not too piercing. Dry finish lingers, clean but not creamy. Could have used some herbal character, just to round it all out. Do like it however.
The wines Charles tasted seem to be somewhat richer?

Cost was $26 Cdn.
Food, sauteed shrimp in a creamy white sauce, penne pasta.

I first encountered Alois Lageder last year and have found them a fun intro to the wines of Alto Adige (to which I am also new). Had this one last night . . .

WTN: 2005 Alois Lageder Vogelmeier Alto Adige/Südtirol Moscato Giallo (Italy) 13% – appears dark gold, quite reflective, unctuous, smell huge floral, tangerine, lime, banana, dense suggestion of sweet peach, incredibly fragrant, mouthfeel dense, concentrated, taste peaches, pineapple, tart lime, perhaps kiwi, some flour, the suggestions of sweetness in this wine are balanced by some serious tartness and liveliness, just a bit of acidic spritz to it, long lime-kiwi thing on the finish, although I would expect the wine to be initially appealing and wear down my tongue, my experience was the opposite, I grew to really appreciate the wine as the bottle progressed, dense, rich, yet still lively, not sure what I’d pair this wine with, though I think certain cheeses would do wonderfully

Bob,
The Haberlehof is generally richer and deeper than the regular bottling. Typically goes for about 20$ US, while the regular goes for low teens, so I'm not sure which yours was at 26$ CDN.
Charles

Bob,
The Haberlehof is generally richer and deeper than the regular bottling. Typically goes for about 20$ US, while the regular goes for low teens, so I'm not sure which yours was at 26$ CDN.
Charles

Thinking of cost, mine at $26 Cdn was yours at $12 USA...LOL.

Some great notes on the Moscato today eh. Thanks Keith, are you a big fan of Alois?

Keith, are you a big fan of Alois?

Sure. I dropped by their wine shop last summer and had a lovely tasting--I loved the experience and really appreciated the range of wines, styles, and all that. I don't have enough experience with the Alto Adige to compare them with other producers in the region, but I'd say Lageder makes enough interesting wines to keep one busy for a while.

And, just for kicks, I threw in a tasting note below for a wine from Alois Lageder than I had shortly after my visit. And I'd love to see a tasting note from someone for the Pinot Grigio--I came home with a bottle of it, and my scribblings on the tasting sheet indicate I was somewhat fanatic about it, but the bottle has mysteriously disappeared without any trace of a tasting note, so I'd love to see someone else's!

circa July 2006
WTN: 2005 Alois Lageder Valle Isarco/Eisacktaler Müller Thurgau (Alto Adige/Südtirol, Italy) 12.5% – appears pale light wheat color, few tiny fizz clingers, smell full, very ripe fruit, apple/orange basket, with air, more rotting, nutmeg, interesting rank to it, lemon, taste silky, chewy, unfinished, unsweet banana, heaviness, dullness, overripe pears, challenging to palate, mouthfilling aspect that is not altogether pleasing, texture helps, definitely interesting in a challenging way, lingering spice

Alois Lageder Pinot Grigio 2005 12,5% 17,51€ (from the special order selection of our monopoly, which explains the higher than usual price)

The nose is reminiscent of the Pinot Bianco I tasted (see above) in its appley nuances, yet this is still a very different wine. This is red toned in its mineral-infused fruit. It is weightier, but certainly not cumbersome, and it has nice acidity and minerality. It is typical of the grape but is stylistically rather different from the Alsace examples that I am more familiar with. This doesn't seem such a powerful wine though it is a weighty one. I like this very much. Even at the special order prices, I might get another bottle. Though weighty, this is very refreshing.

-O-

Otto, I have found a source of the PG here in town so will be picking up a bottle or two!! On another subject, any 2nd hand blind tasting ideas coing up?!!!

Two labels worth seeking out: St. Michael Eppan, especially the Schulthauser Pinot Bianco; also Colterenzio, which makes a very decent PG for around $15.

And on a completely different note: Famous Austrian wine lunatic Leo Hillinger is bottling grauburgunder and selling it as "pinot grigio." (He may be a lunatic, but he's nobody's fool). Quite a different take on the wine, much bigger in body with some orange citrus notes.

Otto, I have found a source of the PG here in town so will be picking up a bottle or two!! On another subject, any 2nd hand blind tasting ideas coing up?!!!

Bob, I might have a 2nd hand coming up once I open the bottle. It could be already on Saturday if I meet up with the friend for whom I've tagged the bottle.

The PG didn't survive unscathed overnight. Though "only" 12,5% abv, the alcohol which wasn't noticable yesterday is rather too prominent today. What a shame as it was such a nice drop yesterday and I was hoping to get at least some of the same pleasure from it today. It has also become a bit flabby.

-O-

Well I just happened to notice a bottle of the '04 Lageder Pinot Bianco Haberlehof sitting in the basement that I had forgotten about. No time like the present!

Pale yellow color. At first sniff, I thought of sauvignon blanc - there was some slight grassiness there. Not something anyone else mentions, so maybe that's just me. Nice on the palate, with bright acidity, the minerality everyone's talked about, and some good underlying fruit. I'm sipping it with a little cheese on the side, but I can see how it would go very well with a meal. Seems like it could easily last a few more years. Nice stuff.


Mike

Yup, I was humming and aaaring about the grassyness when I was sampling the `05, but refrained from commenting (wink).

Bob,
I've been a fan of their Lagrein Rose. It's a wonderful dry full bodied rose with lots of strawberries, and a hint of cranberries.

I've been following the vintages for the past few years and now await the new relesase

I also brought a bottle of the '03 to Mocool in '04
http://www.wineloverspage.com/mocool/mocool082804.phtml

Had another bottle tonight:

• 2004 Alois Lageder Pinot Bianco Alto Adige - Südtirol Haberlehof - Italy, Trentino-Alto Adige, Alto Adige, Alto Adige - Südtirol (3/18/2007)
  Ripe. round pear nose, more pear fruit and somewhat less mineral on palate than I recall from previous bottles. Round and approachable but acid spine to stand up to spaghetti in white clam sauce.

Charles

Charles.

Thanks for all these excellent notes. It is a great pity we are so limited in choice up here. I intend to try the P Grigio when out in the westend, found it thro email from the rep!

John.

One of these days, I am gonna make it out there. Terrific tasting note on the rose.