| Producer | Alois Lageder |
| Country | Italy |
| Region | Trentino |
| Subregion | Alto Adige |
| Varietal | Schiava |
| Vintage | 2018 |
| Sku | U1009091 |
| Size | 750ml |
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Until the 1970s, this native grape variety was central to wine-making in Alto Adige, which is why it was long considered a red wine region. As the grapes prefer the shade, we continue to train the Schiava vines with a pergola trellis system. The wines have freshness, light and rounded tannins and a moderate alcohol content and are ideal companions to light fare.
The 2018 Vernatsch (Schiava) is drop-dead gorgeous. It lifts from the glass with an alluring display of crushed stone, ripe strawberry with green stems, exotic spice, and a balancing note of floral undergrowth. It's juicy to the core, with zesty red and black fruits, complicated by salty minerals and nervous acidity, coming across as energetic and ripe yet also grippy. There's a sour citrus twang on the close that punctuates the experience perfectly as violet florals slowly taper off. Wow. This is an amazing value. —E.G.
