After seven vintages of making Lagrein as a rosé, last year we made our first red from the site, and this year we couldn't wait to do it again. Lagrein is an alpine variety best known in Italy's Alto Adige, where mountain air and cool nights preserve its acidity and character. We find those same conditions at Lone Pine Vineyard in El Dorado County, perched at 1,700 feet in the Sierra Foothills on volcanic rock, shale, and decomposed granite. We harvested in mid-September, mostly destemming with a little whole cluster layered in, then gave it twice-daily punch-downs for three weeks before basket-pressing into neutral French oak barriques, where it aged for 11 months.
FUN FACT: The inspiration for working with Lagrein comes from our enjoyment of Nusserhoff Lagrein and Legrain Rosé from Bolzano, Italy.