2025 Cobaw Ridge Lagrein – Macedon Ranges, VIC – 96 Points The Wine Front

🏆 96 POINTS THE WINE FRONT | 95 POINTS JAMES SUCKLING – ONE OF AUSTRALIA'S MOST EXTRAORDINARY AND DISTINCTIVE RED WINES!

96 Points – The Wine Front | 95 Points – JamesSuckling.com

2025 Cobaw Ridge Lagrein – Macedon Ranges, Victoria

 RRP $145

There are very few wines in Australia quite like Cobaw Ridge Lagrein. This is one of the country's most fascinating and distinctive expressions of an Italian grape variety, produced by one of the Macedon Ranges' most respected and uncompromising boutique estates.

And the 2025 release has attracted outstanding critical recognition.

96 points from The Wine Front and 95 points from James Suckling are exceptional endorsements for a wine that sits well outside the mainstream of Australian red wine production.

While most Australian wine lovers are familiar with Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinot Noir, Lagrein remains something of a hidden treasure. Originally associated with the mountainous vineyards of Alto Adige in northern Italy, this fascinating variety is capable of producing wines of remarkable colour, aromatic complexity, structure and individuality.

Cobaw Ridge has embraced the variety with extraordinary commitment, demonstrating that the cool, elevated vineyards of the Macedon Ranges can produce a compelling and distinctly Australian interpretation.

At $145 per bottle, the 2025 Cobaw Ridge Lagrein is a serious, premium Australian red wine for those who appreciate individuality, complexity and wines that challenge expectations.

🍇 Cobaw Ridge – One of Australia's Most Individual Wine Estates

Established by Alan and Nelly Cooper, Cobaw Ridge has become one of the benchmark boutique estates of the Macedon Ranges.

Situated in the Cobaw Ranges, the property occupies a particularly cool and elevated part of Central Victoria, where growing grapes requires patience, careful vineyard management and a deep understanding of the local environment.

The Cooper family's commitment to biodynamic viticulture, biodiversity and sensitive winemaking has helped establish Cobaw Ridge as a producer of exceptional individuality.

Rather than following commercial trends or concentrating exclusively on Australia's most familiar grape varieties, the estate has consistently pursued wines that reflect its vineyard and the distinctive conditions of the Macedon Ranges.

Its reputation has been built on a combination of thoughtful vineyard management, meticulous attention to detail and a willingness to explore the potential of varieties that are not commonly associated with Australian fine wine.

Lagrein is perhaps one of the most fascinating examples of this philosophy.

Cobaw Ridge is not simply producing another Australian red wine. It is demonstrating just how extraordinary an unconventional grape variety can become when planted in the right environment and handled by dedicated growers.

🇮🇹 Lagrein – A Remarkable Grape from Northern Italy

Lagrein is one of Italy's most distinctive indigenous red grape varieties, with its spiritual home in Alto Adige, also known as Südtirol, in the mountainous north of the country.

The variety has been cultivated in the region for centuries and is particularly associated with the vineyards surrounding Bolzano.

Lagrein is celebrated for its deep colour, dark-fruit intensity, floral perfume and distinctive tannin structure.

At its finest, the variety can produce wines that combine impressive concentration with freshness, elegance and remarkable savoury complexity.

Typical characteristics include blackberry, black cherry, dark plum, violets, cocoa, earthy spice and subtle herbal notes.

The tannins can be firm yet beautifully textured, providing the structure necessary for serious ageing.

Unlike more familiar varieties, Lagrein has a particularly distinctive personality.

It can offer the dark-fruit concentration of Syrah, the floral complexity of Nebbiolo and a structural character entirely its own.

The finest examples from Alto Adige demonstrate that Lagrein is capable of producing genuinely world-class red wines.

Cobaw Ridge's interpretation brings this remarkable Italian variety into an entirely different environment, creating a fascinating expression of Lagrein through the lens of the Macedon Ranges.

🏔️ Macedon Ranges – An Extraordinary Home for an Unusual Variety

The Macedon Ranges is one of mainland Australia's coolest wine-growing regions.

Its elevated vineyards, long growing seasons and distinctive continental climate create conditions that can produce wines of exceptional aromatic definition, freshness and structure.

While the region is best known for Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, its diverse vineyard sites offer opportunities for other varieties to develop fascinating and distinctive characteristics.

Lagrein is particularly interesting because it naturally possesses substantial colour, tannin and flavour intensity.

In a cool-climate environment, these characteristics can be balanced by vibrant natural acidity and aromatic complexity.

The result can be a wine that combines impressive concentration with the elegance and freshness associated with premium cool-climate viticulture.

Cobaw Ridge's commitment to vineyard expression makes its Lagrein especially compelling.

Rather than attempting to replicate the wines of Alto Adige, the estate offers an interpretation shaped by its own soils, climate and growing conditions.

This is precisely what makes Australian alternative varieties so exciting: the opportunity to discover entirely new expressions of grapes with centuries of European history.

🍷 Dark Fruit, Floral Perfume & Remarkable Savoury Complexity

Lagrein is a grape variety that can deliver an extraordinary combination of aromatic intensity, dark-fruit concentration and structural complexity.

The style associated with premium cool-climate Lagrein is particularly fascinating.

Expect a compelling aromatic spectrum of blackberry, black cherry and dark plum, complemented by violets, subtle spice and earthy undertones.

Additional nuances of dark chocolate, dried herbs, black tea and savoury complexity can bring further depth and intrigue.

On the palate, the variety is renowned for its combination of concentrated dark fruit, vibrant acidity and finely structured tannins.

There is often a wonderful interplay between richness and freshness, creating a wine that feels powerful without becoming excessively heavy.

The distinctive tannin profile provides shape and persistence, while the variety's natural aromatic complexity contributes elegance and individuality.

The finest examples reveal additional dimensions with time in the glass, gradually developing greater savoury detail and textural complexity.

This is the kind of red wine that rewards attention, offering something genuinely different from the familiar styles of Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinot Noir.

⭐ 96 Points The Wine Front | 95 Points James Suckling

🏆 96 Points – The Wine Front

🏆 95 Points – JamesSuckling.com

These are exceptional ratings for a wine made from a grape variety that remains relatively uncommon in Australia.

The Wine Front is one of Australia's most influential wine-review publications, particularly among serious collectors and enthusiasts of distinctive, small-production wines.

James Suckling brings an international perspective, assessing wines from many of the world's leading wine regions.

Receiving outstanding recognition from both publications reinforces the quality and seriousness of Cobaw Ridge's approach to Lagrein.

At a recommended retail price of $145 per bottle, the 2025 release sits firmly within the premium Australian fine wine category.

For collectors who value individuality, vineyard character and wines that stand apart from conventional Australian styles, this is a particularly compelling proposition.

🇮🇹 A Wine for Lovers of Great Italian Reds

For serious enthusiasts of Italian wine, Lagrein offers a fascinating alternative to the country's more familiar noble varieties.

While Nebbiolo is celebrated for its perfume, tannin and longevity, and Sangiovese for its vibrant acidity and savoury complexity, Lagrein brings its own distinctive combination of dark fruit, floral aromatics and structural intensity.

The finest examples from Alto Adige demonstrate that the variety is capable of remarkable sophistication.

Cobaw Ridge's Lagrein is particularly appealing because it brings this Italian heritage into a unique Australian setting.

The wine's appeal lies not in imitating its European counterparts but in expressing the variety through the distinctive environment of the Macedon Ranges.

If you appreciate the complexity of Barolo, the savoury character of northern Italian reds or the structure and elegance of serious cool-climate Syrah, Lagrein is a variety well worth exploring.

And Cobaw Ridge is one of the Australian producers making a compelling case for just how exciting this grape can be.

🌱 Biodynamic Viticulture – An Uncompromising Vineyard Philosophy

One of the defining characteristics of Cobaw Ridge is the Cooper family's commitment to biodynamic vineyard management.

This approach emphasises soil health, biodiversity and the long-term sustainability of the vineyard environment.

For Cobaw Ridge, biodynamics forms part of a broader philosophy that places the vineyard at the centre of the winemaking process.

The objective is to grow healthy fruit that expresses the distinctive conditions of the site, allowing the finished wines to retain their individuality.

This philosophy is particularly interesting with an unusual variety such as Lagrein.

Rather than imposing a predetermined style, the estate seeks to understand how the variety responds to its unique environment.

The result is an expression of Lagrein shaped by the Macedon Ranges rather than a simple recreation of its Italian origins.

🍷 A Serious Red Wine for the Cellar

Lagrein is a variety with the structural potential to reward careful cellaring.

Its combination of natural acidity, dark-fruit concentration and substantial tannins can provide the foundations for graceful development in bottle.

With age, youthful blackberry, dark cherry and floral characters may evolve towards leather, dried herbs, earthy spice, tobacco and more complex savoury notes.

The premium, structured style associated with Cobaw Ridge makes its Lagrein an interesting candidate for cellaring, although the ideal drinking window will depend on the vintage and storage conditions.

For collectors who enjoy following the evolution of distinctive red varieties, this is a particularly fascinating wine to explore.

🍷 Why We Love This Wine at Liquid Vibe

At Liquid Vibe, we have enormous admiration for wineries that challenge convention and demonstrate what is possible when exceptional vineyard management meets genuine curiosity and ambition.

Cobaw Ridge is exactly that kind of producer.

Alan and Nelly Cooper have spent decades developing wines of extraordinary individuality, and their commitment to Lagrein is a wonderful example of their willingness to explore beyond Australia's traditional grape varieties.

There is something particularly exciting about discovering a wine that does not fit neatly into the familiar categories of Australian red wine.

Lagrein offers a completely different experience, combining dark-fruit intensity, floral complexity, savoury character and distinctive structure.

The 2025 Cobaw Ridge Lagrein brings together one of Australia's most fascinating alternative varieties, a remarkable cool-climate vineyard and outstanding critical recognition.

96 points from The Wine Front. 95 points from James Suckling. One of the Macedon Ranges' most respected biodynamic estates.

For serious collectors, enthusiasts of great Italian red wines and anyone searching for something genuinely different, this is a wine that deserves attention.

At $145 a bottle, this is a remarkable expression of Australian Lagrein from a producer whose commitment to individuality and quality is unquestionable.

Wine Details

• Producer: Cobaw Ridge

• Winemakers: Alan and Nelly Cooper

• Wine: Lagrein

• Vintage: 2025

• Region: Macedon Ranges, Victoria

• Variety: Lagrein

• Viticulture: Biodynamic

• Style: Premium cool-climate Australian Lagrein

• Critic Ratings: 96 Points – The Wine Front | 95 Points – JamesSuckling.com

• RRP: $145 per bottle

• Food Pairing: Slow-braised beef, venison, roast lamb, wild mushrooms, aged hard cheeses and rich Italian dishes

• Cellaring: Enjoy young for its dark-fruit intensity or cellar under appropriate conditions to explore further complexity.