In the glass
Aroma: black currant, cherry, tobacco, graphite
Palate: dark fruit, firm tannin, fresh acidity, long elegant finish
Colterenzio's Lafoa Cabernet Sauvignon Riserva from the sunny Lafoa hillside vineyard at 430 metres behind the winery; the parcel was developed by replanting Vernatsch to Cabernet Sauvignon to produce a ripe Alto Adige Cabernet.
What it pairs with
-
Bistecca alla fiorentina
Cabernet's firm tannins frame the marbling; the wine's full body suits rare-cooked beef. -
Roast venison with juniper
Game and dark fruit echo each other; tobacco and graphite notes meet juniper. -
Aged Asiago Stravecchio
Mature alpine cheese matches the wine's depth and structured tannins.
History
Colterenzio's Lafoa Cabernet emerged when the cellar developed the sunny hillside vineyard behind the winery, replacing Vernatsch vines with Cabernet Sauvignon. The first release was in 1989 (some sources cite 1993 for the current named cuvee); the wine became one of the regional reference points for Alto Adige Cabernet.
- 1989 — First Lafoa Cabernet vintage demonstrates Alto Adige's Cabernet potential
Facts
- Producer
- Cantina Colterenzio
- Grapes
- Cabernet Sauvignon (100%)
- Classification
- DOC Alto Adige Cabernet Sauvignon Riserva
- Oak
- Eighteen months in French oak barriques (mix of new and used), then refining in oak before light filtration and bottling
- ABV
- 14.0%
- Price
- EUR 32 to 50 at retail
- Drinking window
- 6 to 22 from vintage
- First vintage
- 1989
Frequently asked about Lafoa Cabernet Sauvignon Riserva
What does Lafoa Cabernet taste like?
Black currant, cherry, tobacco and graphite on the nose; dark fruit, firm tannin, fresh acidity and a long elegant finish on the palate. Full-bodied, dry, with firm tannins and high acidity.
When should I drink Lafoa?
Drink between 6 and 22 years from vintage. Young vintages benefit from 60-90 minutes of decanting; cellared bottles develop tobacco, cedar and dried-herb complexity.
Where is the Lafoa vineyard?
A sunny mountain slope behind the Colterenzio cellar at 430 metres altitude. Sandy soils with gravelly morainal deposits; the vineyard was developed by replacing Vernatsch vines with Cabernet Sauvignon.
Why is Lafoa historically important?
Lafoa was an early Alto Adige red to demonstrate that the region could ripen Cabernet seriously, opening the path for regional Cabernet production.