ALEXANDER

Alexander is the Lagrein of the Nicolussi-Leck estate — named, perhaps appropriately, for the great conqueror whose legendary horse Bucephalus inspired the Tenuta Solar wine, here applied to a grape that is itself something of a conqueror: a variety that imposes its character on any context in which it is grown, whose intensity and individuality make it immediately recognisable regardless of the winemaking approach applied. One of Alto Adige's most distinctive indigenous varieties, Lagrein has been cultivated in the region since the Middle Ages and has established a reputation for producing wines of powerful character and genuine originality.

The seven-hundred-year farm heritage of the Nicolussi-Leck estate provides a particularly appropriate context for Lagrein cultivation — a variety of equal historical depth in this Alto Adige territory, grown on ancient soils whose mineral character and the estate's gravity-assisted production philosophy combine to produce something of genuine territorial authenticity. The Castelchiaro ruins that overlook the estate — visible above the vineyard — are a further reminder that this is a landscape where centuries of human and agricultural history are inseparable.

Alexander offers aromas of berries and spices with elegant tannins and refined acidity for a pleasant and persistent experience — the estate's own characterisation of a wine that balances Lagrein's natural power with the elegance that careful viticulture and winemaking can achieve. The elegant tannins are a particular achievement: Lagrein's natural tannin structure can be challenging if not managed with care, and the Nicolussi-Leck estate's approach clearly prioritises refinement over raw expression.

A pleasant and persistent experience: the two final qualities the estate identifies for Alexander, and the ones that make it the most genuinely accessible of the estate's red wines despite the formidable character of the variety from which it is made.

Available through UniqueWines.