Blog: Muri Gries | South Tyrol
Page: 4/5

The importance of Lagrein
Lagrein is a unique grape variety that is closely linked to the region and clearly stands out from international varieties. Muri-Gries is increasingly focusing on Lagrein and striving to further promote and develop its typical characteristics. The monastery winery has over six centuries of its own grape material and selects the best clones for replanting.

Alongside Vernatsch, Lagrein is the only indigenous red wine variety in South Tyrol. It is par excellence the red wine of Gries. And it is a valuable and unique grape variety that clearly stands out from the international standard taste. Muri-Gries has always believed in Lagrein in the past and will rely on it even more in the future. Today, the main goal of the monastery winery is to preserve the Lagrein's typical character traits, its down-to-earth taste, its rustic elegance and its identity and to promote and develop all of this even more in both the vineyard and the cellar.

Over six centuries of our own grape material adapted to the microclimate with over a hundred different Lagrein varieties developed from it, a heritage that obliges. Around 20 varieties have been under observation in our own vineyards for years. The biotypes for the new planting of the Klosteranger have been selected from these. Always with the aim of emphasizing the special character of the grape variety even better and continuously improving its quality and typicity.

Winemaking and product range
Muri-Gries is proud of its diverse range of wines, which includes the traditional grape varieties of the region as well as innovative new creations. From elegant white wines such as Sauvignon Blanc to powerful red wines such as Lagrein, Muri-Gries offers the right wine for every taste and occasion. The winemaking process is carried out with the utmost care and craftsmanship, combining modern techniques with tried and tested traditions to produce wines of the highest quality.

The people in charge at Muri-Gries are more than just in love with their Lagrein: 'Lagrein has been the grape variety of the region for centuries. It grows and thrives excellently here and produces more expressive results from year to year. For us, there is no alternative to Lagrein. It is our wine and will be even more so in the future than it is today. The Muri Gries monastery winery currently produces four different Lagrein varieties:

Lagrein Rosato
The traditional Lagrein Kretzer, the rosé variety, is a sparkling, fruity, fresh and youthful wine that is ready to drink just a few months after harvest. It is matured 100 percent in stainless steel tanks. Incidentally, the name Kretzer is derived from the term Kretze, a woven basket through which the must used to be strained. Today, Kretzer accounts for around ten percent of the monastery winery's total Lagrein production.

The Lagrein
The Lagrein Muri-Gries accounts for the lion's share of the total Lagrein volume with 70 percent. The wine is fermented in stainless steel barrels and then matured partly in stainless steel tanks and partly in large wooden barrels. It is the Lagrein for every day: ruby to garnet red in color, fruity and fresh on the nose, spicy and elegant, velvety and with soft tannins in the mouth. The Lagrein Riserva Abtei is the perfect expression of a South Tyrolean Lagrein.

Lagrein Riserva Abtei
The Lagrein Riserva Abtei, first bottled in 1989, matures for 18 to 20 months in small wooden barrels after fermentation and is only released onto the market three years after the harvest. Around 20 percent of the best Lagrein qualities from Muri-Gries are bottled for this purpose. The Lagrein Riserva Abtei Muri-Gries has an intense, dark ruby red color, with strong, ripe aromas of cherries, black berries and plums, spicy notes with a hint of chocolate and coffee on the nose, a juicy, fleshy structure rich in finesse, with pronounced, concentrated tannins and a velvety fullness, as well as a long-lasting finish.

Lagrein Riserva Klosteranger
The origins of the Klosteranger date back to the 18th century, when it was established as a vital part of Muri-Gries. The Klosteranger is a unique location with an outstanding terroir, situated in the middle of the Bolzano district of Gries and protected by the venerable walls of the old monastery. Within this historic setting, this exquisite Lagrein, known as 'Weingarten Klosteranger', grows to its full splendor. The centuries-old tradition and the unique location give this wine an incomparable depth and character that make it a true jewel in the world of South Tyrolean Lagrein. - Gerardo [TS02/24]