Simon’s Pick, April, Oh-Nine: 2007 Praxis Lagrein, Central Coast
To pick this up, go visit Simon at Larchmont Wine & Spirits in LA, or call him at (323) 856-8699 to arrange for shipping. Here’s what he has to say about this wine:
We’ve been supporting this noteworthy winery for some time (winemaker Bill Arbois also has his own eponymous label) via their excellent Merlot(honestly), so were really intrigued by their version of Lagrein*, which we tasted at an enormous trade-tasting in March. At the event the tedium of tasting yet another overpriced, gargantuan domestic red wine was somewhat relieved by the discovery of this well-priced and interesting little gem.
Sourced from a vineyard in the Central Coast, this homespun version of a popular grape from northeast Italy’s Alto Adige (or Sudtirol if you prefer) is deep red in color with purple hues, shows plenty of rose petals and violets on the nose, leading to a medium-to-full palate of rich, ripe cherry and blueberry fruit, along with hints of chocolate and vanilla. The silky mouth-feel is framed nicely with lively acidity, making this a little hedonistic and food-friendly at the same time. Match this with chicken mole, pungent cheeses, salumi, slow-roasted pork or red-sauced pastas.
*It’s pronounced “LA-GRINE”…
Simon has spotted a Spatburgunder for us this month, though we notice the winery has labeled the ‘07 vintage with the more US-friendly Pinot Noir variety instead of what you see in the image here.



