Review: 2018 Alois Lageder Chardonnay Alto Adige

Review: 2018 Alois Lageder Chardonnay Alto Adige

Review: 2018 Alois Lageder Chardonnay Alto Adige

This northern Italian white — denoted unusually on the label with its grape varietal, chardonnay — is a biodynamic wine that’s part of Alois Lageder’s “Classical” line. Per the company, “Alois Lageder strives to find the best conditions for each grape variety and collaborates with partners from all over Alto Adige to highlight the diversity of the area and potential of different varietals. In January 2019, the ‘Classical’ line was rebranded with new labels to clearly express the winery’s values and create uniformity amongst all Alois Lageder wines.”

As for this specific bottling, it’s quite sour at first blush, notes of tart lime, gooseberry, and a hint of eucalyptus giving the attack a bracing acidity. Let the wine settle down, warm up, and get some air in the glass and you’ll find notes of white pepper, white flowers, and a fresh green apple note taking over more of the screen time. A tropical touch informs the finish.

This is a wine that grew on me over time — I initially found it off-putting but, by the end of the night, had grown to appreciate more of its charms.

B+ / $16 / aloislageder.eu

2018 Alois Lageder Chardonnay Alto Adige

$16
8.5

Rating

8.5/10

A veteran journalist, the author of four books, a published poet, and an award-winning winemaker, Christopher Null has more than 25 years of experience writing about wine and spirits. He founded Drinkhacker in 2007. He also writes regularly about the science of booze for WIRED and is an occasional contributor to ADI's Distiller magazine. He has been a judge for both the American Distilling Institute Judging of Craft Spirits and Whiskies of the World spirits competitions and often works as a consultant, developing formal tasting notes for spirits brands around the world.

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