About this wine
Vineyard and terroir
The fruit comes from the Manincor estate and Panholzerhof, south-east-facing vineyards overlooking Lake Kaltern at 250 m. Their warm sites have substantial soils of sand and clay mixed with limestone gravel and other morainal deposits.
Grapes
Blend proportions vary by vintage. Latest published vintage (2024): 41% Lagrein, 29% Merlot, 17% Cabernet Franc, 5% Petit Verdot, 4% Tempranillo and 4% Syrah.
Vinification
Fruit from each parcel was crushed and fermented separately in a combination of oak vats, cement vats and stainless-steel tanks, using indigenous vineyard yeasts. Ten days of carefully controlled skin contact included daily punch-downs to extract ripe, assertive tannins while retaining fruit and elegance.
Ageing
The young wine matured for twelve months in oak barrels of varying sizes.
Technical data
The 2024 wine has 13% alcohol, 5.7 g/l total acidity after malolactic fermentation and 0.9 g/l residual sugar. Production comprised 84,000 standard bottles, 1,380 magnums, 112 jeroboams and 23 five-litre bottles. The wine is biodynamic and vegan.
Tasting profile
Concentrated, bright ruby. Rich berry fruit and spice lead into a succulent, well-structured palate marked by white and black pepper, dark chocolate, liquorice and damson. The tannins are silky, and the wine combines substance with notably fluid drinkability.
Serving and pairing
Serve just below room temperature, at 16–18 °C. Optimum maturity runs from 2026 through the end of 2031. Pair with well-seasoned Mediterranean first courses, peppered lamb steaks, or fried and grilled red meats.
Vintage notes
Exceptionally wet weather in May, June and July 2024 created severe downy- and powdery-mildew pressure. A short hot period from mid-July through August was followed by favourable autumn weather until late September. Conditions remained demanding for the late-ripening varieties in the blend. Rigorous selection and the deliberate exclusion of fuller-bodied Castel Campan and Rubatsch components produced a distinctly different blend for the year, with tension, crisp acidity and moderate alcohol.
