TN: 2007 Ignaz Niedrist Lagrein "Berger Gei"

WINE TALK
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2007 Ignaz Niedrist Lagrein “Berger Gei”
When I was younger, I used to get generally pissed off when a here-to-fore unknown region, varietal or winery got “discovered” by the mainstream wine press. That’s no longer the case for several reasons, such as the irrelevance on wine critics in general; the “halo” effect of more wines being imported to ride the coattails of success as well as the complete bastardization of wine scores; so while I have enjoyed this wine on several occasions over the last decade, the over the top review of the 2006 version of this wine did not lead to any run on the latest vintage. I love Lagrein and Ignaz Niedrist is one of the best producers. While he may use a bit too much oak for some, I always find his wines refreshingly balanced upon release and easily capable of evolving over 5 years or some. The 2007 is a worthy successor. On the nose you get that classic espresso roast, with a hint of herbs and earthiness. On the palate it has a more tannic structure than earlier versions, but it quickly dissipates over an hour or two (And trust me we had plenty of time to savour it). A wine like this has a enough backbone to satisfy the Aussie Shiraz lover (my wife) and is interesting enough to be enjoyed by an esoteric Italophile like me. Nice tea aromas came out through dinner and the finish was perfectly balanced.

Crossposted from a review of Eno Terra.

JJB

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thanks for the note JJ. A friend of mine introduced me to Lagrein about a year ago, and I’m completely smitten. It really is a beautiful grape, and bottlings can usually be found for relatively cheap. [basic-smile.gif]