Varietal
Lagrein is a little known red wine variety native to northwestern Italy’s Trentino region. Relatively rare, even in Italy, in California it is almost non-existent: fewer than 100 producing acres are currently planted. In Italy, Lagrein is made both as a rose and a red wine and both are considered two of Trentino’s best local specialty wines. Generally, Lagrein produces darkly colored red wines which are fruity in flavor and not as heavy as their color suggests they might be.

Vintage
The season began on a wet note - we got almost a year's average rainfall in December 2002 – but an unseasonably warm spring gave us an early bud break in March. The vines began to grow and the weather turned cold and wet again in April; depending on location we had rain between 20 to 26 days of the month. This cool overcast weather virtually stopped vine growth and filled the soil with water. As it turned out, April rains and soil moisture ended up being the big story of 2003. Warm weather in May got things going again with explosive growth, then June cooled off and it became apparent that it was going to be a late harvest. There were rumblings about similarities with 1998, but with record heat in July, the situation looked hopeful. August cooled some but brought a tropical weather pattern and the fear of rain. The weather warmed in late September and it became a challenge to control sugars while waiting for flavor maturity. Once harvest began in mid-September, but thanks to a cooling trend, we were able to bring in fruit with great ripeness and maturity through October. 2003 was unique and weather-wise all over the board. But we got what we needed at critical times and most varietals fared beautifully.

Vinification
The grapes were cold soaked for 3 days, then fermented on the skins for 9 days. After pressing, the wine was racked to a combination of American and French oak and aged for 18 months. 430 cases were bottled in May 2005 and released in November 2005. Alcohol 13.9%, Total Acidity 6.3, pH 3.88, Residual Sugar .03%.

Tasting Notes
JUST RELEASED! This bottling is full flavored (red currant, blueberry, plum), full bodied, and long and lightly oaky on the finish.

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