2012 Manincor, Rubatsch, Alto Adige Lagrein DOC, Vigneti delle Dolomiti, Italy.
This is a spellbinding purple/blue opaque Lagrein, beautiful in detail and glorious on the palate, Manincor Rubatsch Alto Adige Lagrein 2012 grown at elevation on sandy/granite ancient rock soils, is a stunning example of varietal and place! Fantastic and deep with almost Hermitage (northern Rhone Syrah) like complexity with blackberry, huckleberry, walnut oil, creme de cassis, raw pepper, iron ore, anise, game and chocolate covered bacon plus cherry pie notes, lavender salt and cedar. The Rubatsch was fermented using native/natural yeast in wood open top and was cool fermented on it’s skins for two weeks, giving lots of intense color and extraction, this is a robust and vigorous wine, but with well manged tannin and spot on balance, reaching about 13% alcohol, it was aged in small barrels of which 1 in 10 were new for just over a year. This is very impressive stuff from Manincor, in fact all their wines are stunning in current form and vintage, especially worth mentioning as well are their Pinot Bianco Eichhorn, the Pinot Nero Mason and both the Conte & Contessa cuvees, both the red and white blends which offer wonderful value. I rank Manincor right at the top for quality, style and value for this mountainous region of northern Italy, these are glorious wines. The latest Lagrein Rubatsch blends the area’s mineral and stony character with richly textured layers of black and red fruits with powerful results, this comes from Count Michael Goëss-Enzenberg’s pursuit of excellence and his devotion to his land, all certified biodynamic by Demeter, and his focus on making the finest wine he can, his family have been running this wine estate for about 400 years and he hopes in continues for another 400 years at least! His efforts in healthy and holistic food and wine are leading to ever improving quality on this estate and raising the game for the whole region of Alto Adige, if you want to sample the best from here, Foradori, Terlano and Manincor are the must try wines. 2011, 2012 and 2013 all are superb vintages for Manincor, these elegant and flavorful wines show vibrant energy, substance and poise, in particular this 2012 Manincor Rubatsch stands out and will entertain for many years to come, drink from 2015 to 2026, it really is something dynamic and special a truly world class Lagrein, don’t miss it!
($38 Est.) 94+ Points, grapelive
