2016 Castelfeder Lagrein Rieder Alto Adige

To enter into the world of Castelfeder is to soar across an unspoken threshold into the lush valleys of the high Adige River. Driving from Lake Garda, from Veneto, through Trentino is an adventure that sticks with you and without warning you are experiencing what feels, sounds, and tastes like German wine country. The dramatic Dolomites tower over the region. Mountain towns sit jn the valleys and vines are fed by snowmelt and the hot summer sun. This part of Italy was in fact part of the Austro-Hungarian empire until WWI. 

Gunther Giovanett took over the family business in 1989 after his father retired from the daily operations of the winery he founded in 1969. Located in the center of Neumarkt, in the South Tyrol region of Italy, the Giovanett family produces a range of unique wines. Now into their third generation, Gunther and his son Ivan are gaining a better understanding of the special micro-climates that exist in the Alto-Adige and South Tyrol regions. 

This transition to the younger generation has brought a delightful qualitative shift as well as a more modern production approach. While other nearby producers are making Chardonnay and Pinot Grigio that is mineral and acidic, Castelfeder produces wines that are lean and light with texture and dimension. Vinifying exclusively in stainless steel for Mont Mes and the Classic “Cru” designated line, Castelfeder excels in bringing out the purest, freshest expression of their terroir.

An indigenous grape variety of South Tyrol, Lagrein prefers warm sunny areas and scree floors. Therefore this Lagrein Rieder thrives growing in the valley of Bolzano.