Bergmannhof Karl Lagrein Riserva 2018
More than anything, the Pichlers’ Lagrein Riserva ‘Karl’ telegraphs the hauntingly perfumed reds of France's Côte Rôtie region of the northern Rhône Valley: cured meat, black olives, Ethiopian coffee, dried lavender – the range of aromas here is unlike anything else found in Italy. 100% Lagrein planted to clayey, limestone-gravel soils with very stony sections, the wine sees fermentation on the skins in large open wooden barrels, followed by aging in tonneau and barrique for 18 months, before being bottled untreated and unfiltered. A decidedly serious nod to the old-school Lagrein of the Alto Adige, this full-bodied red boasts an impressive array of dark berries, cherries, dried violets, and more than a hint of smoked meat. Warm-toned and rich, the wine's energy builds with every minute the bottle is open, as zesty acids enliven its mineral-tinged wild berry fruit, plums, and a subtle hint of leather, all culminating in a long and satisfying finish. Fine, well-structured tannins provide a perfect balance to the wine's supple fruit and concentration. This is a dream to enjoy today with a medium rare rack of lamb, but take our word that it will evolve and improve for at least another 5 years; Bergmannhof's wines are known for their near infinite cellar aging potential.
Four generations of the Pichler family live in the same small stone farmhouse home, farm the same vines their family has been tending to almost a millennium, and produce organically farmed, classic examples of Südtirol Schiava, Lagrein, and a small amount of French varieties. Located in Eppan, in the heart of the Südtirol – Italy's only Deutsche speaking region – the architecture, cuisine, and culture in this area is Austrian, and the region's reds have less in common with the powerful, sanguine, tannic reds of Tuscany or Piedmont that define Italy in the minds of many wine lovers, than the the finesse of their Northern counterparts. Starting in 1978, Karl and Josef Pichler decided to strike out and process the grapes from their 3-hectare vineyard themselves; now Johannes and Benjamin Pichler, representing the third generation, have been making wine from the farm's own vines for over 40 years. The family’s nature-oriented and sustainable winegrowing methods, combined with expert, uncompromising cellaring techniques – long aging in wooden barrels and long lees aging, sulphites kept to a minimum and all unnecessary fining or filtration avoided – result in genuine, terroir-driven wines that fully retain their character as they age. Their wines feel like a step out of time, and while extremely limited, they are reliably exceptional.
Shipping Policy
Due to the restrictions of many state laws, we only ship wine to those states where direct shipment from a retailer is permitted by law; currently we ship to AK, CA, DC, ID, LA, MO, NE, NV, NH, NM, ND, OR, VA, WV and WY. This list is subject to change without notice. In addition, each state imposes limitations on the amount of wine any particular resident may receive by direct shipment. To ensure that you are able to order wine for direct shipment from our website, please consult the specific state requirements for your state.
Please note that all orders must be placed by persons who are at least 21 years old, and that age verification will be required upon receipt of your wine. No wine will be delivered to obviously intoxicated persons and any person unable to provide age verification will forfeit their right to receive the shipment until identification is produced. In such circumstances, the order may either be held in storage at a local depot of the shipping company until appropriate identification is produced, or shipped back to the winery. All associated costs will be the responsibility of and be charged to the customer.
Title to, and ownership of, all wine passes from Biondivino to the purchaser in the State of California and the purchaser takes all responsibility for shipping it from California to his/her home state. By arranging for transportation of the wine, Biondivino is providing a service to, and acting on behalf of the purchaser. By utilizing this service from Biondivino, purchaser is representing that he/she is acting in compliance with his/her local and state laws regarding the purchase, transportation and delivery of wine. The purchaser represents that he/she has obtained any required permission, paid any required fees, is working through properly licensed intermediaries where required, is legally entitled to take possession of wine and is legally entitled to take quantities ordered.
You will be charged the applicable sales tax, if any, assessed by your state for any shipment that Biondivino makes; otherwise California sales tax will be assessed on the sale. Shipping and handling costs are not included in the cost and will appear in the shopping cart before you complete your transaction. The carrier and service speed may vary by state and time of year, and Biondivino cannot take responsibility for the condition of any wine shipped by Ground.
Some of our products are sold on a "pre-arrival" or "futures" basis. These products are explicitly indicated as "pre-arrivals" or "futures" on our Website and newsletter. Biondivino will notify you by email when your "pre-arrivals" or "futures" have arrived and are ready to be shipped. You will be given the opportunity to coordinate the proper shipping address and method (we won't automatically ship out pre-arrival wines when they arrive).
Shipping Policy
Due to the restrictions of many state laws, we only ship wine to those states where direct shipment from a retailer is permitted by law; currently we ship to AK, CA, DC, ID, LA, MO, NE, NV, NH, NM, ND, OR, VA, WV and WY. This list is subject to change without notice. In addition, each state imposes limitations on the amount of wine any particular resident may receive by direct shipment. To ensure that you are able to order wine for direct shipment from our website, please consult the specific state requirements for your state.
Please note that all orders must be placed by persons who are at least 21 years old, and that age verification will be required upon receipt of your wine. No wine will be delivered to obviously intoxicated persons and any person unable to provide age verification will forfeit their right to receive the shipment until identification is produced. In such circumstances, the order may either be held in storage at a local depot of the shipping company until appropriate identification is produced, or shipped back to the winery. All associated costs will be the responsibility of and be charged to the customer.
Title to, and ownership of, all wine passes from Biondivino to the purchaser in the State of California and the purchaser takes all responsibility for shipping it from California to his/her home state. By arranging for transportation of the wine, Biondivino is providing a service to, and acting on behalf of the purchaser. By utilizing this service from Biondivino, purchaser is representing that he/she is acting in compliance with his/her local and state laws regarding the purchase, transportation and delivery of wine. The purchaser represents that he/she has obtained any required permission, paid any required fees, is working through properly licensed intermediaries where required, is legally entitled to take possession of wine and is legally entitled to take quantities ordered.
You will be charged the applicable sales tax, if any, assessed by your state for any shipment that Biondivino makes; otherwise California sales tax will be assessed on the sale. Shipping and handling costs are not included in the cost and will appear in the shopping cart before you complete your transaction. The carrier and service speed may vary by state and time of year, and Biondivino cannot take responsibility for the condition of any wine shipped by Ground.
Some of our products are sold on a "pre-arrival" or "futures" basis. These products are explicitly indicated as "pre-arrivals" or "futures" on our Website and newsletter. Biondivino will notify you by email when your "pre-arrivals" or "futures" have arrived and are ready to be shipped. You will be given the opportunity to coordinate the proper shipping address and method (we won't automatically ship out pre-arrival wines when they arrive).