Wachter-Wiesler Blaufrankisch 2013 is a great "out of the box" wine! Medium to dark garnet in color, this wine smells of gorgeously floral mulberry and forest floor. In the mouth, juicy mulberry and wet earth are wrapped in powdery tannins that are surprisingly muscular given their velvety texture. Gorgeous wet cement and wet dirt flavors linger in the finish. A knockout.
What exactly is Blaufrankisch?
"As a grape, it tends to possess a darker quality fruit than either Pinot or Gamay, frequently straying out of red fruits into darker black fruits, with a particular tendency to taste, at least to my palate, of mulberries. From a growing perspective, it seems that Blaufränkisch can be ripened significantly at somewhat lower alcohol levels than Pinot Noir. This means that even seriously ripe wines typically don't exceed 15% alcohol, and when more optimally ripe, its alcohol levels tend towards the low 13% range.
Blaufränkisch is Austria's second most planted red grape, and has been gaining notoriety over the past decade for the quality of wines it can produce. The grapes primary home in Austria remains the Burgenland region and its various sub-appellations, where the Alps flatten out towards the Pannonian Plain and the warmer climes of Hungary. This boundary zone between the last foothills and the wide flat expanse of the plain offers several soil types, including schist and limestone dominated areas that make for a great variety of expressions for the grape.
Just as with Pinot Noir, Blaufränkisch suffers much abuse in the hands of well-meaning winemakers in Austria. Chief among the crimes perpetuated against the grape is the tendency to age it in too much new oak, which easily overwhelms the nuance and delicacy the grape can possess. Ripeness, too, can be an issue, with many winemakers harvesting late enough to produce wines that feature dried and stewed fruit flavors instead of fresh.
The best examples of Blaufränkisch can offer aromatic fireworks equal to any other noble red grape, ranging from floral and herbal to crystalline bright fruit and forest floor earthiness. Coupled with excellent acidity and well managed tannins, the best wines have a transparency and texture that really does recall some of the best of Burgundy."
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