2 was the 2011 Meinklang, likewise a juicy, likable wine, with savory, spicy flavors. We were united in our conviction that these wines are sadly underappreciated, or, as Kimberly put it in diplomatic sommelier speak, “not superexposed.” What accounts for the widespread hesitancy to seize these wines and spread the joy? The best expressions of Austrian Blaufränkisch are medium-bodied wines with spicy notes of red and dark berries, refreshing acidity, and firm, but not overpowering tannins. Learn about Blaufränkisch, a red wine from Austria. One of Austria’s finer red wines, Blaufränkisch (a.k.a Lemberger) has deeper plum, blueberry and blackberry flavors with peppery spiciness, chewy tannins and a subtle forest-like earthiness. Widely planted during the Habsburg Monarchy’s reign, the Blaufränkisch is a thoroughly central European red wine. The grape's name breaks down to mean, "good, fine" grape. And the grape is versatile: I’ve had wines ranging from fresh, refreshing and vibrant to complex, elegant and structured. Whatever the reason, the fact remains that blaufränkisch offers the potential of myriad rewards. Or maybe it’s the unfamiliar geography: Most blaufränkisches come from Burgenland, south of Vienna in eastern Austria along the Hungarian border. Easy and secure payment! Most of these wines came from small- to medium-size estates, which are highly conscientious in their farming and winemaking. They combine the delightful approachability of gamay with the savory warmth of syrah. Learn about it now! Among its other attributes, blaufränkisch, when not produced with a heavy hand, is a transparent grape sensitive to differences in terroir. Blaufränkisch, 2017. By contrast, our No. Blaufränkisch is an Austrian grape variety that is mostly used in the production of fruit-forward varietal wines. It is grown in almost every Austrian wine region to some extent, but its stronghold is unquestionably Burgenland where approximately 2,632 hectares (6,504 acres) were cultivated in 2015. JavaScript seems to be disabled in your browser. Order today online at Wines Direct, nationwide delivery within 48 hours. This would not be worth mentioning except that blaufränkisch possesses so many desirable traits worthy of public embrace. No. (David Bowler Wine, New York), Recipe Pairing: Pork Braised With Turnips and Marjoram, Blaufränkisch, an Austrian Red Just Waiting to Be Discovered. Zweigelt serves as the wine’s base, providing soft and juicy red-berried fruit while notes of tobacco and spice come from Blaufränkisch. Fast and insured delivery in Europe. Manchego Cheese with Red Wine & Honey Glazed Chorizo. For those who have yet to discover the pleasures of spätburgunder, trollinger, zweigelt and blaufränkisch, the notion of German and Austrian red wines may seem alien and suspect. The Ödenburg mountain range, located directly on the Hungarian border, is defined by its smouldering slate and orthogneiss; in the lowlands, it is dominated by clay soil. (Weygandt-Metzler, Unionville, Pa.), ★★ Wachter-Wiesler Eisenberg Blaufränkisch Béla-Jóska 2012 $20, Juicy and a touch rustic, with spicy fruit flavors. 01438 741177. Austrian Red Wine One of the more difficult wines to source and not widely exported, Austrian reds could be considered one of European viticulture’s hidden gems. But for the most part, an exploration of the grape and its wines requires a journey through the world of Austrian reds. Red Wines - classic ... Austria’s wines are now highly prized both by wine experts and wine lovers all around the world. The northwest produces some, and perhaps not surprisingly, Channing Daughters, the experimentally inclined producer on the South Fork of Long Island, makes a blaufränkisch. Selections, New York), ★★ Schiefer Südburgenland Blaufränkisch Königsberg 2012 $22, Lively and easygoing, with fresh, spicy fruit flavors. 5 was the lively, succulent 2012 Paul Achs from Neusiedlersee, followed by the plummy, tannic 2011 Weninger Hochäcker and the fresh, earthy 2013 Judith Beck. Grown throughout its eastern border, Austrian red wine vineyard regions are segregated from other growing sites, so looking for what you need out of a bottle is incredibly easy, even for a beginner. (H Squared, New York), ★★★ Prieler Burgenland Blaufränkisch Leithaberg 2010 $68, Savory flavors of smoked meats and licorice, with concentration and complexity. Grüner’s popularity was propelled in New York by the wholehearted embrace of sommeliers and wine merchants, but blaufränkisch has not come close to getting that same push. The Mittelburgenland offers a variety of soil structures thanks to its unique geography. The Ödenburg mountain range, on the Hungarian border, is defined by its smouldering slate and orthogneiss. From the foothills of the alps, this Blaufränkisch has aromas of dark cherry and blackberry. You may only proceed to the checkout after purchasing 6 bottles. Austrian wine If you're after versatile wines to match many popular recipes – Rieslings for Indian curries and roast duck or chicken, Grüner Veltliner for Thai, Chinese and Vietnamese dishes, and lighter-style reds like St Laurent which is similar to Pinot Noir, then take a look at Cellar's collection from all over this diverse winemaking country. Winemaker Uwe Schiefer brought an "old" Blaufränkisch along--old being 1999. Fermented from natural yeast; the wine is terroir-driven with a soft spicy finish. It’s a trip worth taking. Lesser known to the United States are Austria’s red wines which range from classic fruity reds to powerful Reserves. Sometimes, for one reason or another, an entire category of wine seems to be virtually ignored. “Now they’re farming differently and making wine differently.”. Blaufränkisch is a rich, spicy wine that has recently become popular in the US. It is a noble and exciting grape which can express the origins where it is grown. In our tasting we found a few wines that were too oaky or seemed clumsy. A delicious example of Austria's most coveted red grape; this is bright, elegant and generous, with lashings of red-fruit flavours, a twist of blackberry and a hint of spice. That’s hard to say. 1 was the 2011 Krutzler from Südburgenland, with precise, vibrant, complex flavors that belied its price. I visited Austria recently with the intention of enjoying its dry, elegant white wines; after all, Austria is white wine country. You rarely hear it discussed. No. Although it's exact origins are not 100% determined, it is believe to be of Austrian decent. Our two top wines were a mere $15 each. 3 bottle, the 2010 Prieler from the Leithaberg region within Burgenland, was the most expensive bottle in the tasting at $68. But Austrian whites have certainly made their mark. Beyond the manifest pleasures of the wines, blaufränkisch can be a fantastic value. They are inviting, spicy, juicy reds that ought to be instantly appealing. But they were far overshadowed by the number of well-balanced, instantly appealing bottles. “Twenty years ago it was tough to drink these wines,” Aldo said. First, we could not find some of the greatest examples, like the top Moric cuvées, which probably would have exceeded our $100-a-bottle limit anyway. RED showcases the enormous strides made in Austrian red wine and exhibits the quality of its native red grape varieties. Blaufränkisch The trend for Austria’s star red grape has been away from sweetness and concentration and towards finesse and structure. You almost never see it on wine lists unless you are at the rare Austrian restaurant. In Austria, Blaufrankisch is the second most popular red-wine variety behind Zweigelt – a crossing of Blaufrankisch with Austria's other signature red variety, Saint-Laurent. My Account Login Despite being known for white wines, there is also a richer side of Austrian wine found in Blaufränkisch, a red wine variety that can be made very opulent with oak-aging. Great natural wine from Austria. With our focus on Burgenland, we had no blaufränkisches from Carnuntum, a region just southeast of Vienna that stretches to the Slovakian border. 4 was the 2013 Anita & Hans Nittnaus in Neusiedlersee, also in Burgenland, bright and expressive under a layer of chewy tannins. (A Terry Theise Selection/Skurnik Wines, New York), ★★★ Meinklang Burgenland Blaufränkisch 2011 $15, Juicy, spicy and refreshing, with lively, savory flavors. (A.I. In my first encounters with blaufränkisch around the turn of the century, I remember stolid, blockish wines of little grace. These blaufränkisches can be especially elegant and fresh. Blaufränkisch is the most important Austrian red variety to many Austrian vintners despite the fact it is not the most largely planted. A small percentage of St. Laurent lends floral aromas and refreshing acidity. Perhaps Americans are held back by the overall association of Germanic wines with whites like grüner veltliner and riesling. Now, I could tell you a that it is a rather interesting area - a red wine making region dominated by a plethora of growers associations and rivers - but the main reason I like to drink wines made by the local tribe of the Swabians is that I was born there. Yet the crowds that might rightfully be gathered at the blaufränkisch display are nowhere to be found. And then there's Blaufränkisch's ability to age. For the tasting, Florence Fabricant and I were joined by Aldo Sohm, the wine director of Le Bernardin and Aldo Sohm Wine Bar, who is from Austria, and Kimberly Prokoshyn, head sommelier at Rebelle on the Lower East Side. In the lowlands, it is dominated by clay soil. Though blaufränkisch was widely said to be Austria’s best red grape, back then I preferred the more widely planted zweigelt, which had a lithe energy that blaufränkisch rarely possessed. In Austria, Blaufränkisch is predominantly grown in the Burgenland region and displays remarkable independence and individuality. If our top 10 seems skewed toward the lower end of the price range, I have two reasons for that. Absolutely delicious versions sell for around $15. Second, some of the more expensive bottles seemed to be overly oaky, an indication that perhaps Austrian producers, who may not have a long tradition with new oak casks, are still calibrating the best way to use these powerful tools. Anybody there? This wine … Our sample size was far too small to gain insights into the differences into the different regions within Burgenland. All Rights Reserved. For the best experience on our site, be sure to turn on Javascript in your browser. It is rich in tannin and may exhibit a pronounced spicy character. Please select one of each of the ratings above. I’ve yet to see the first Instagram bottle shot. Ethereal and beautifully balanced, this has delightfully maturing red fruit characteristics yet a wonderfully fresh structure. In my first encounters with blaufränkisch around the turn of the century, I remember stolid, blockish wines of little grace. (V.O.S. Blaufränkisch is the second most widely planted red grape in Austria and our region Burgenland is particularly famous for this grape variety. The marketing blurb for this wine says that Blaufränkisch has “prominent” tannins; that is one way to put it, but with proper aeration this wine developed a wonderful, civilized taste. Austria is located in the heart of Europe and is known for incredibly dry whites of exceptional quality. ★★★ Krutzler Südburgenland Blaufränkisch 2011 $15, Spicy, complex and precise, with vibrant, earthy flavors of red fruits and minerals. There is a distinctive tension common to all these wines which should be emphasised, ... Blaufränkisch can yield wines with dense structure and prominent tannins. Discover the Blaufränkisch red wine from Burgenland, Austria that's taking Ireland by storm. Or it may be that they are trying too hard to appeal to their perception of global tastes. By far the most successful red wine variety is the Blauer Zweigelt , an Austrian crossing , of which there are many planted in regional vineyards. But my guess is that producers are tinkering rather than pandering. Aldo, who knows these wines better than most, suggested that the style of the individual producer stood out more than regional characteristics. Today Blaufränkisch is planted across the globe from Japan, the United States and Australia to Germany, Hungary and Austria. Not so long ago, this was hardly the case. To reinforce our perceptions of Austrian blaufränkisch, the wine panel recently tasted 20 bottles from the vintages 2010 through 2013. From a plot which isn't even half a hectare, in the highly coveted Leithaberg DAC on the banks of Lake Neusiedl, comes this succulent and juicy biodynamic Austrian red. Meinklang, for example, which produced our No. Great price. But I came away enamored with one of its red wines, a wine with the classic Germanic name of Blaufränkisch. This is a wild, macho wine for the adventuresome wine drinker. Acquisition, which produced our No today blaufränkisch is an Austrian grape variety Austrian reds would not be worth except. Only proceed to the United States are Austria ’ s reign, the United States and Australia to,. 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