Today’s wine doesn’t look or sound particularly ‘Italian,’ but it’s not an exaggeration to call it one of the greatest underground finds in all of Italy. Established SommSelect subscribers may instantly recognize the distinctive label announcing Heinrich Mayr’s Nusserhof estate, but if you are not yet familiar with this impeccable producer and his family’s wines, I can’t stress enough what a special offer this is.
Not only is this 2010 Lagrein one of the very best evocations of this native red grape variety, it has enjoyed enough bottle age to place it firmly in its peak drinking window. A paltry number of cases of this wine come to the US each year, and most disappear into restaurant cellars almost immediately. Grown and made in Bolzano, the capital of Italy’s German-speaking Alto Adige (a.k.a. Südtirol) region, this is a layered, brooding, evocative red of world-class quality, crafted from an indigenous variety that few (if any) of Mayr’s contemporaries manage to coax this much complexity from. Reminiscent of top-flight Northern Rhône Syrah while singing its own unique and melodic tune, this is simply one of the most intriguing (and under-valued) Italian reds one could hope to drink. It also has one of the most fascinating stories—and vineyard sources—in the world of wine.
Bolzano is a small city in a narrow valley in the Dolomites, 45 minutes south of the Austrian border in Italy’s Alto Adige region (once part of Austria’s Tyrol, or Tirol, it was ceded to Italy after WWI). This is Italy in lederhosen, and the local culture and Alpine geography feels far more Austrian than Italian. Upon exiting the city’s utilitarian train station and making your way past numerous warehouses en route to Heinrich and Elda Mayr’s front door, you wouldn’t be faulted for doubting your proximity to a famous vineyard. But suddenly you round a corner and before you lies a breathtaking and verdant biodynamic farm with ancient stone walls, chirping birds, wildflowers, and rows of vines and fruit trees. This is Heinrich and Elda’s farm and walking through their door is like stepping through a portal into the past. Nearly everything remains as it was 400 years ago when Heinrich’s ancestors began farming here. Today, as tall buildings, the Autostrada, and a high-speed rail line (separated by a river on the vineyard's eastern border) creep up on it, this sacred 2.4-hectare parcel of land stands locked in time and remains carefully looked after by the local citizenry.
It’s not a coincidence that this property is fiercely protected. One of Heinrich Mayr's ancestors who worked the land nearly a century ago was a conscientious objector in WWII and a vocal opponent of Nazi and Fascist regimes. He used the property’s small cellar as a haven for those escaping the treachery to the north and was eventually caught and imprisoned in a concentration camp where he died as a Catholic martyr. So today, as the city of Bolzano rises and the modern world creeps in around it, Heinrich and Elda’s farm remains untouched as a landmark and reminder of the past. It’s fascinating to stand on the property and imagine how 400 years ago it was surrounded by vineyards and farms—but today, it is the only one left. Here’s an aerial
photo, as you can see the property is truly an endangered species of the wine world.
All farming on Heinrich and Elda’s property is organic (certified by Bioland). The family farms vegetables, fruit trees, and a few different local grape varieties: Teroldego, Blaterle, Schiava, and the family’s pride, Lagrein. All fruit is harvested by hand, fermented in small steel tanks, and ultimately aged in tiny 250-liter neutral oak barrels before bottling. This is one of the smallest commercial cellars in the region, and the family makes a minuscule amount of wine. You simply do not see the wines on retail shelves or wine lists in Europe. Even in the US, they are extremely rare and seasonal treats that arrive and disappear in an instant.
In the glass, the 2010 Nusserhof Lagrein Riserva bears a striking resemblance—aromatically and visually—to the great wines of the northern Rhône Valley. It offers up some of the purple florals of Côte-Rôtie and some of the roasted meat bass notes of Cornas, all while remaining buoyant and refreshingly low-alcohol. The extra years in the bottle have only added depth and mystery to what was a blessed vintage in 2010. Truly, I’ve never had a single Lagrein-based wine of this quality. It stands alone, with dark notes of blackberry, Turkish coffee, oil-cured black olive, fine leather, red tea and fresh wild lavender and sage. The wine’s tannins are fine and perfectly integrated, and the finish is exceptionally (and uncharacteristically for Lagrein) long. Decant it for 30 minutes before serving in large Burgundy stems at 60-65 degrees. One of the signature foods of the Alto Adige is speck, a prosciutto-like ham that is both cured and smoked, and given the flavor profile of this wine I’d find a way to use some. Cheers and happy holidays!
