2018 Abbazia di Novacella Kloster Neustift Lagrein Alto Adige 750 ml

It was an all-time moment on the wine trail. 

Eating speck—northern Italy’s smoked version of prosciutto crudo—and drinking Lagrein, 4,000 feet up on the Salto plateau just north of Bolzano. We’d never felt air that fresh and we had definitely never tasted Lagrein like this: explosive red fruit matched by earthy depth, and firm, velvety tannins adding chiseled structure to a fine, light-bodied wine. A study in contrast and balance. 

While the Italian Alps may be out of reach for now, this outstanding Lagrein is anything but: At $25, it outpaces higher-priced reds with ease, delivering remarkable value and even greater pedigree. 

The 2018 Abbazia di Novacella Lagrein is the defining expression of this rare variety, and it captivated our senses and drove us to secure our first-ever Lagrein allocation on Wine Access. The grape mirrors Pinot Noir in body, yet explodes with the irresistible spice of Cabernet Franc in a soft, supple red characterized by verve, energy, and Italian flair.   

As VP of Wine Robert Emery put it, “This is a killer bottle.” 

Native to Italy’s Alto Adige, this mind-blowing Lagrein was crafted by Gambero Rosso’s 2009 Winemaker of the Year Celestino Lucin at an 850-year-old winery—the second oldest in Italy. Whether you’re hunting for a niche red to impress the foodies in your life, or need a new go-to, this herbal red drinks miles above its price. 

On our trip last year we walked the vines with Celestino, who has ushered this centuries-old estate into modernity—and arguably its greatest height yet. Lucin explained that there were only 1,100 precious acres of Lagrein planted in all of the Alto Adige, then he gave us a bottle of this 2018 and a suggestion: From Bolzano, take the cable car up to Il Salto, the high plateau at the foot of Mount Monzoccolo, and drink the wine there, along with some speck and freshly baked bread. 

We did as we were told, picking a spot in a gorgeous alpine meadow to pop the cork. The aromas came cascading out of the glass with abandon: fresh red fruit layered with lavender, licorice, dark chocolate, and pink peppercorn. On the palate, smoke and earth emerged from the depths, buttressed by fine-grained tannins and tangy acidity. It was just as impressive at home in Napa.

Founded by Augustinian priests in 1142, the abbazia (or abbey) of Novacella has served as a winery since its inception. Perched high up in the Alto Adige’s Isarco Valley, just 45 minutes from the Brenner Pass (the road used by the Romans to cross the Alps), the beautiful grounds are thick with history and stunningly beautiful. 

The best Lagrein in the region grows nearby, outside to the city of Bolzano, where the heat-loving grape ripens to perfection during the long, hot summers. The abbey’s vines are planted here, rooted in sandy-loam soils that produce incredibly low yields of intensely concentrated fruit bursting with tart cherry and loganberry notes threaded with wildflower and violet.

The wine and the clear mountain air were a formidable duo by themselves, but along with the thinly sliced speck and the fresh bread? Forget it—top five wine trail moments of all time.