2021 Baron Longo Felix Anton Rosso Alto Adige 6pk 6x750ml

Four centuries of winemaking at a single estate is rare even in Alto Adige. Baron Longo has been crafting wine in the Bassa Atesina since the 1600s, a legacy now in the hands of Anton Felix von Longo-Liebenstein, who in 2015 stepped away from the local cooperative to produce independently under his family name. His holdings span twenty hectares between 240 and 1,050 meters above sea level — remarkable elevation range that gives him access to both warm-valley fruit and high-altitude freshness.

The Felix Anton Rosso is a fifty-fifty blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, the former bringing structure and dark fruit, the latter elegance and fine herbal lift. Anton ferments with native yeasts in large wooden vats, then ages the wine in used barriques — old oak that adds texture without obscuring the fruit. The approach is classic Alto Adige: restraint over extraction, drinkability over power.

In the glass: red to blue fruit — cherry and plum — layered over fine dark minerality and a thread of cinnamon. The body is slender, the tannins graceful, the wine drinking with a surprising sense of youth and forward energy. Wine Enthusiast scored it 93 points. At this price, it's the kind of Alto Adige Cabernet blend that makes Napa fruit at twice the cost feel like a poor bargain.

Drinks beautifully now; cellar it for up to ten years if you're the patient type.