BLAU: a special exploration into the world of Blaufränkisch
This was an interesting tasting, with some of the most interesting Blaufränkisch producers, all of who are imported into the UK by Newcomer Wines.
It’s a grape variety that has been gaining increasing attention – in the last couple of years I’ve been to conferences on Blaufränkisch in Sevnica (Slovenia) and Lech-am-Arlberg (Austria). It’s a variety known by a range of names including Kekfrankos, Modra Frankijna and Lemberger.
Its origins? It’s a cross between Gouais Blanc (the male parent, which has been a parent to many important varieties, also known as Heunisch) and Sbulzina (a rare, late-ripening variety found in Fruili, Italy). One of its attractive characteristics is that it makes wines with high acid and low pH.
The story of Blaufrankisch is really no older than 20 years, though. In the 1990s Austrian reds were all about ripeness and oak, and in the 1970s and 1980s it had been a challenge to ripen. But in the last 20 years lots of people have started making more serious wines from it.
Hungary has more than anyone else. Here’s the league table.
| Country | Hectares |
| Hungary | 8000 |
| Austria | 2850 |
| Slovakia | 1742 |
| Germany | 1730 |
| Bulgaria | 891 |
| Croatia | 880 |
| Slovenia | 700 |
Markus Altenburger, Christoph Wachter, Milan Nestarec
Nittnaus
Andreas Nittnaus is winemaker at the Anita & Hans Nittnaus winery in Gols, after taking over from his father, Hans ‘John’ Nittnaus, a pioneers of single vineyard Blaufränkisch. They have vineyards on the Leithaberg as well as in Gols and Neusiedl am See.
Nittnaus Gritschberg Blaufränkisch 2021
This is on limestone. Linear, fresh and juicy with bright focused berry fruits and a great acid line. Pure, fine and balanced with a linear quality. 94/100
Nittnaus Jungenberg Blaufränkisch 2021
Pure slate soils. Nice generosity. Has ripe cherry and plum fruit with some raspberry and a nice graininess. Mineral with good depth. 94/100
Nittnaus Elektra Blaufränkisch 2022
This is low sulfites, low extraction. Really nice brightness here with tart raspberry fruit with a stony, mineral edge. Shows high acidity. Bright, fresh and linear. 94/100
Hannes Schuster
Hannes Schuster is based in Sankt Margarethen on the western shores of Lake Neusiedlersee. Most of his vineyards are on the Rusterberg, a gently sloping hillside that takes in the villages of Oslip, Oggau, Schützen, Sankt Margarethen and Rust. The winery is still named after his mother, Rosi, who he took over from a while back.
Hannes Schuster Blaufränkisch 2021
All destemmed, stainless steel ferment, then 14 months in large oak barrels. Fresh, focused red fruits with nice acidity. Lively with a chalky, mineral edge. So pure with subtle smoky notes in the background. 94/100
Hannes Schuster Sankt Margharethen Blaufränkisch 2021
Taut, mineral and finely spiced with nice grip and a lovely focus. Elegant with real purity and nice acidity. 95/100
Hannes Schuster Mullendorf Blaufränkisch 2021
Pure chalk soils. So bright and precise with nice linear fruit. Has good acidity. Very fine and expressive with a good acid line. I love the purity. 95/100
Tschida
Christian Tschida is based in Illmitz , a village on the east shore of Lake Neusiedlersee, He has vines in Purbach, with many on the western shores of the lake along the Leithaberg.
Tschida Himmel auf Erden Rosé 2022
Full pink/red in colour. Bright and fresh with a nice acid line and raspberry and cherry fruit with amazing focus and brightness. Very fine. 94/100
Tschida TNT Blaufränkisch 2018 (magnum)
This is from limestone, and it’s an old quarry where dynamite was used, hence the name TNT. Supple, bright and linear with chalky notes and nice acidity. Textured with sweet raspberry and cherry fruit as well as some depth. 93/100
Tschida Felsen I Blaufränkisch 2015
Limestone soils. Fresh, supple and bright, this still has good acidity and focus. Tart with a nice mineral edge and juicy cherries and spice, as well as some blackberry. 94/100
Weninger
Franz Weninger is based in Horitschon in the Mittelburgenland region. His father extended the family domaine to include historical vineyard sites on the Hungarian side f lake Neusiedlersee some 20 years ago. Franz’ also works a small parcel in the Südburgenland along the Eisenberg called ‘Saybritz’.
Weninger Steiner Kékfrankos 2017 Hungary
This is from 1964 plantings on mica and schist soils. Linear and bright with real elegance, fine spices, red cherries and plums, and nice acidity. Made in a lighter style and showing real elegance. 94/100
Weninger Ofen Blaufränkisch 2020
This is from the Kalkofen vineyard, a place where they burned lime in the past. Limestone soils. Bright and linear with pure raspberry and cherry fruit as well as nice precision. Direct and focused with a lovely acid line, this is pure and refined. 95/100
Weninger Say Blaufränkisch 2021
This is from the highest place in Burgenland, and there has never been any tractor activity in this plot: it was planted for people and horses to work in the 1960s, and is very steep, with slate soils. Lovely generosity here with rounded red fruit and some chalky, grainy notes, with bright acidity but always a sense of harmony and generosity. So pure. 95/100
Wachter-Wiesler
Christoph Wachter heads up Weingut Wachter-Wiesler, which is based in the village of Deutsch-Schützen, in the Eisenberg appellation of Burgenland. Christoph works alongside his sister Julia for now almost 15 years. The clay and iron rich slate soils make distinctive Blaufränkisch.
Wachter-Wiesler Deutsch-Schützen Blaufränkisch 2020
Fresh, linear and pure with lovely raspberry and red cherry fruit. Direct with good acidity. Supple and fine with a linear quality and a twist of iron and blood. 94/100
Wachter-Wiesler Ried Weinberg Blaufränkisch 2020
Deep iron-rich loam soils. Lovely intensity here: fresh and fine with some iron/blood notes and good acidity. Chalky notes, too. Very pure and fine with direct red fruits and really good acidity. So good. 95/100
Wachter-Wiesler Ried Ratschen Blaufränkisch 2020
Supple and fresh with direct fruit and a lively personality. Sweet raspberry and cherry fruit with a stony edge and some iron and blood character. Lovely harmony here. 95/100
Michael Wenzel
Michael Wenzel is based in the village of Rust on the western shores of Neusiedlersee. He’s focused on Furmint, which his family have helped revitalize here, but also Blaufränkisch.
Wenzel Blaufränkisch Aus Dem Kalk 2022
Lovely aromatics with perfumed floral cherries, raspberries. The palate has amazing texture and a nice acid line. Precise with fine acidity. It’s stony and bright but has lovely weight in the mouth. 96/100
Wenzel Blaufränkisch Aus Dem Kalk 2019
Bright and linear with nice purity. This shows fresh cherry and raspberry fruit with good acidity. Fine and mineral with such lovely weight. 95/100
Wenzel Blaufränkisch Aus Dem Kalk 2016
Fresh, fine and bright with nice acidity. This has good tannins, too with some flesh. It’s evolving slowly and is still bright and linear. 94/100
Naboso
Naboso is owned and run by Nadja and Andrej Miklušičák, and they working in the village of Svaty Jur which is close to the city of Bratislava. They’ve got experience working in Austria, and established their own domaine quite recently.
Naboso Zore 2022 Slovakia
This is 65% Blaufrankisch and 35% Andre, 8 days carbonic maceration. Very floral and bright with juiciness and nice flesh. Nice raspberry and cherry fruit with a real ease to it. So floral. 93/100
Naboso Ritual 2021 Slovakia
From this year the wine saw two years in barrel for the first time. Fresh and floral with nice raspberry notes. Supple and elegant with nice style and bright raspberry and cherry fruit. Good balance here, with supple green sappy hints. 94/100
Naboso Ritual 2018 Slovakia
One year in barrel. Bright and linear with high acidity. Fresh and focused with alert fruit, and notes of redcurrant and raspberry. Very fresh. 94/100
Milan Nestarec
Milan Nestarec is based in Velke Bilhovice, which is the main wine village in Moravia today. He took over from his father a decade ago, and is focused on making light, elegant single-vineyard Blaufränkisch, which he first made in 2019.
Nestarec Forks & Knives 2020 Czechia
Sandy soils. This is from a young-ish 20 year old vineyard, and it’s his village level. Lovely aromatics of raspberry and redcurrant with nice freshness, and some iron notes. Juicy and linear with good acidity. This is pure, light and direct. 94/100
Nestarec Postmoderna NV Czechia
This is from seven vintages, 2016-2022. Single plot with loess soils, this is one barrel each vintage. Very bright, expressive with fresh redcurrant and raspberry fruit showing good acidity. This has lovely fruit intensity and some chalky mineral undertones. So textural and refined. 95/100
Nestarec Jil 2019 Czechia
Very fine with lovely purity and good acidity. Harmonious with textured cherry and strawberry fruit and a bit of raspberry crunch. So lovely. 95/100
Markus Altenburger
Markus Altenburger is based in the village of Jois on the western shores of Lake Neusiedlersee. Has worked on single vineyard sites in Jois for almost 20 years especially with old vines on Ried Gritschenberg but also on the schist island Ried Jungenberg.
Markus Altenburger Cric 2022
12% alcohol. This spends 10 days in wooden fermenters and is whole cluster, from young vines on limestone. Supple and fresh with nice acidity. Pure with lovely redcurrant and raspberry fruit, as well as some red cherry. Very fine and bright with beautiful balance. 94/100
Markus Altenburger Gritschberg 2021
13% alcohol. Mineral and fine with a slightly smoky edge to the fruit and some chalky undertones. Lovely red cherry and raspberry fruit with real finesse. Bright but with some depth. Very fine. 95/100
Markus Altenburger Paradiesgarten 2021
Light, fresh and fine. Quite pale in colour, this is sappy and mineral with good acidity and a bit of structure. Very pure, fine and delicate with thrilling energy and elegance. 95/100
Claus Preisinger
Claus Preisinger is based in Gols, the most northerly part of Neusiedlersee. His Blaufränkisch wines push the limits of low extraction in a lovely way. Also has vineyards in the Leithaberg as well as his main sites in Gols along the Parndorfer Platte.
Claus Preisinger Bonsai 2022
This is from a plot with 9000 vines/hectare, all worked by hand, with very low vigour. They look like small bonsai trees, hence the name of the cuvée. Pale in colour, this is aromatic and spicy with some lift, and lovely red fruits. Elegant and sappy and refined with pure red cherry. Such energy here, finishing fresh and tapering. 95/100
Claus Preisinger ErDELuftGRAsundreBEN Blaufrankisch 2020
The name here comes from the Edelgraben vineyard with limestone soils, and just 1000 bottles are made. Light in colour, this is refined, fresh and elegant. Juicy and mineral with such precision and a mineral edge, as well as redcurrants and cherries. 95/100
Claus Preisinger Triple B 2021
This is all the Bs he’s not allowed to put on the label. Fine, pure and refined with nice acidity under the elegant cherry and raspberry fruit with lovely weight in the mouth. Shows good acidity, too. 95/100
