LR is a unique wine, capable of expressing the excellence of its terroir. It has been dedicated to Luis Raifer, who was for decades chairman and MD of Cantina Colterenzio, and a pioneer for Alto Adige quality viticulture. Four vintages – 2011, 2012, 2013, and 2015 – have already been released, over the years: a symphony of Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc intertwined, to create the work of art in a bottle. Now, 2016 vintage is about to be launched.
“One may think that after four vintages, it would have been easier to create LR for the fifth time, but it is actually the opposite. Every new vintage is like starting all over again from the beginning”, explains Martin Lemayr, winemaker of Colterenzio, “vines are like human beings: during a lifetime, one goes through different phases, changes, developments, so, every year, we need to re-evaluate all selected vineyards and each vine of them, to establish which ones meet the quality standards we have been committed to for LR”, he continues.
Once the best grapes have been selected, each grape variety goes through a separate vinification process, and after one year, Martin Lemayr works hard, to create the perfect symphony for a blend. This is followed by one additional year of barrel aging and one year of bottle refinement. Three years after the harvest, the wine is ready to be launched into the market. “It is always very fascinating to see how each grape varieties has been evolving in the cuvee, and to observe the very unique characteristics of each vintage”, emphasizes Martin Lemayr.
Vintage 2016
2016 is a very exciting, high-quality vintage, capable of juicy and lively white wines with a lot of layers; LR, in this vintage shows a powerful, full-bodied wine, with an incredible freshness and minerality, an intense fruity note and a lot of finesse. Compared to 2015, which had intense warm fruity notes, 2016 strikes for its personality and elegance.
