Lafóa is the top range of Colterenzio, the co-operative winery at Cornaiano, above Bolzano. It was created in the 1980s by Luis Raifer, then president of the winery, who returned from California determined to bring Alto Adige to new quality standards. In his Lafóa vineyard he replaced Schiava with Cabernet Sauvignon: the first vintage of this red was 1989.
The vineyard lies at the top of the Cornaiano hill, in a sunny, well-ventilated spot. Low yields, concentrated grapes and ageing in small oak made Lafóa one of Italy's benchmark Cabernets outside Tuscany.
The 1999 is now a mature wine with more than twenty years in bottle: black fruit and cassis have been joined by tobacco, leather, forest floor and spice, with tannins long since polished. A collector's bottle, to open with care and pair with game, braised meat or long-aged cheeses.
At a glance: Cabernet Sauvignon 100% · 13.5% ABV · 0.75 l · Colterenzio, Cornaiano (BZ)
