Zonte’s Footstep Canto Di Lago Sangiovese Lagrein 2021

We are big fans of Lagrein here at WD and have been ever since we latched onto the magnificent Geoff Hardy 2013 Lagrein. It's taken us until now to find another one which we love as much – the 2016 Silhouette Lagrein…

History

Lagrein is one of those varieties which can produce exceptional wines in a wide variety of different climates. Its home is in the Alto Adige/ South Tyrol in Northern Italy, which is bordered by Austria, Lichtenstein and Switzerland… a properly cold place to grow grapes. In spite of this the fruit also gets some decent pulses of hear in the ripening period … and produces complex and long lived red wine with plenty of tannin and acid, low ph, minerality and huge flavours. They can tend toward rusticity with furry tannins.

In Australia

Lagrein can also excel in the Murray Darling and Riverland which are pretty much at the opposite end of the climate spectrum to the grapes' homeland. Australia’s production of the variety is only very recent, with few if any growers

Sangiovese (san-jo-veh-zeh) is a red Italian wine grape variety whose name derives from the Latin sanguis Jovis, "the blood of Jove". Known throughout most of central Italy, outside Italy it is most famous as the main component of the blend Chianti, Carmignano, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano and Morellino di Scansano, although it can also be used to make varietal wines such as Brunello di Montalcino, Rosso di Montalcino or Sangiovese di Romagna, as well as modern "Super Tuscan" wines like Tignanello. Young Sangiovese has fresh fruity flavours of strawberry and a little spiciness, but it readily takes on oaky, even tarry, flavors when aged in barrels.

In Australia

Sangiovese is becoming increasingly popular as a red wine grape here in Australia, having been introduced by the CSIRO in the late 1960s. This is part of a growing trend in Australia to use a wider range of grape varieties for winemaking. As in California, Australian winemakers have begun seeking out the best vineyard location for