Thursday, November 21, 2013

Discover Blaufraenkisch! Top 100 Tasting in London, UK - Schiller's Favorites

Pictures: Christian G.E. Schiller and Austrian Wine Marketing Boss Willi Klinger in London, UK

When I was in London a few days ago for my daughter Cornelia Schiller Tremann’s defense of her PhD thesis, I bumped into Franz Raith from Weingut Umathum at the trendy bistro “10 Cases” in the Covent Garden district. He told me that he was in London because of a major tasting of 100 Blaufraenkisch wines from Austria with Jancis Robinson, Willi Klinger and Gerhard Prieler, Weingut Prieler, on the following day at the Austrian Embassy in London. Of couse, the seated tasting with Jancis Robinson was fully booked, but I was able to join the trade tasting in the afternoon, where 100 wines were poured.

Pictures: Discover Blaufraenkisch! at the Austrian Embassy in London, UK

Let me quote Jancis Robinson: “What Austria can offer, however, is a trio of truly distinctive dark-skinned grape varieties. One of them, Zweigelt, is capable of making exuberantly fruity wines that, in their usual unoaked form, can provide charming drinking for less than £10 a bottle. … Another Austrian red wine grape specialty is St Laurent, whose origins are obscure but whose wines are unusually velvety. The wines tend to lusciousness and can taste a little sweet, lacking the structure and perhaps longevity of Austria’s finest Pinot Noir. … But the grape variety that is probably most likely to put Austrian reds on the map is Blaufränkisch, known as Kékfrankos over the border in Hungary, and Lemberger in southern Germany and Washington State. It has the most attractive, and currently fashionable, combination of medium rather than full body, a refreshing aroma, and the ability to transmit quite subtle differences in terroir with precision – in Austria anyway. The greatest concentration of fascinating Blaufränkisch is in Burgenland, with the wine produced in Leithaberg on the western shore of the Neusiedlersee being so distinctively mineral-soaked that it has earned its own special appellation.”

Pictures: At the Tasting

Blaufraenkisch

Origin: Austria. This variety was first documented in the 18th century in Austria. At that time, in what was then Germany, it had the name of Lemberger or Limberger, which was derived from the town of Limberg – today Maissau – in Niederösterreich.

Parentage: Natural crossing of the Heunisch variety and an unknown grape (probably a mutation of the Blauer Groben). Blaufränkisch was used as a crossing partner for Austrian new breeds like Zweigelt, Blauburger, Roesler and Rathay. Even breeding stations abroad used the variety for crossings.

Pictures: 100 Blaufraenkisch Wines

Vineyard area: 3,225 ha, 7.0 %. An autochthone variety, Blaufränkisch is found especially in the wine-growing regions of Burgenland as well as in eastern Niederösterreich (Carnuntum).

Wine: The typical palate of this late ripening variety is characterized by deep wood berry or cherry tones, and reveals its characteristic acidity. Blaufränkisch can yield wines with dense structure and prominent tannins. The wines are often impetuous in their youth, but develop velvety facets when sufficiently ripe. Fuller, stronger versions have good ageing potential.

Importance, conditions: It is the leading variety in Mittelburgenland, which is also referred to as “Blaufränkischland”. This region delivers origin-typical wines. In fact, Blaufränkish bears DAC status in several wine-growing regions. In Niederösterreich, the area of Carnuntum is known for its excellent Blaufränkisch wines. The variety is highly demanding of its vineyard site. Coulure easily occurs if the weather is cool during the flowering period.

Schiller’s Favorites at the Tasting

It was an impressive selection of wines. The list of the wines that were shown is available on the web site of the Oesterreich Wein Marketing GmbH. Go to: http://www.oesterreichwein.at/ueber-uns/publikationen/ausstellerkataloge/ausstellerkataloge-2013/ and scroll down to “Discover Blaufränksich!”

Here are my favorites (in the order as they appeared in the tasting).

2010 Anita und Hans Nittnaus, Blaufraenkisch, Alte Reben, Leithaberg DAC

Picture: 2010 Anita und Hans Nittnaus, Blaufraenkisch, Alte Reben, Leithaberg DAC

On Anita und Hans Nittnaus, see:
Meeting “John” Nittnaus from Gols, Burgenland, Austria

2010 Schloss Halbturn, Blaufraenkisch, Burgenland

Pictures: Christian G.E. Schiller with Markus Sieben, General Manager of Weingut Schloss Halbturn, at Schloss Halbturn and the 2010 Schloss Halbturn, Blaufraenkisch, Burgenland

On Schloss Halbturn, see:
A Wedding and a Wine Tasting at Schloss Halbturn in Austria

2009 Wachter-Wiesler, Blaufraenkisch, Reserve Pfarrweingarten, Eisenberg DAC

Pictures: Tom Wachter and Julia Sevenich during a Wine Lunch at Wachter Wieslers Ratschen in Deutsch-Schuetzen, Suedburgenland and the 2009 Wachter-Wiesler, Blaufraenkisch, Reserve Pfarrweingarten, Eisenberg DAC

On Wachter-Wiesler, see:
Wine and Food from Burgenland at Wachter-Wieslers Ratschen, Deutsch-Schuetzen, Austria - with Tom and Christoph Wachter and Julia Sevenich

2009 Umathum, Blaufraenkisch, Joiser Kirschgarten, Burgenland

Pictures: With Franz Raith, Weingut Umathum, in London at the tasting and the 2009 Umathum, Blaufraenkisch, Joiser Kirschgarten, Burgenland

2009 Prieler, Blaufraenkisch, Goldberg, Burgenland

Pictures: Christian G.E. Schiller with Silvia Prieler, Weingut Prieler, in the Restaurant Buergerhaus in Rust and with Georg Prieler at the tasting in London and the 2009 Prieler, Blaufraenkisch, Goldberg, Burgenland

For more on Weingut Prieler, see:
Lunch with Silvia Prieler, Weingut Prieler, Schuetzen am Gebirge, Austria

2009 Leo Hillinger, Blaufraenkisch, Terroir, Burgenland

Pictures: Christian G.E. Schiller with Leo Hillinger, Michael Hoeffken and Edgar Brutler at the Leo Hillinger Winery in Jois and the 2009 Leo Hillinger, Blaufraenkisch, Terroir, Burgenland

For more on Weingut Leo Hillinger, see:
Visiting Leo Hillinger, Michael Hoeffken and Edgar Brutler at the Leo Hillinger Winery in Jois, Austria
Leo Hillinger Wines and Alsatian Food with Hillinger’s Michael Hoeffken and Chef Jacques E. Haeringer at L’Auberge Chez François in Virginia, USA

Schiller’s Favorites

This posting is part of the Schiller’s favorites series. Here is a full list of all Schiller’s favorites postings so far.

Discover Blaufraenkisch! Top 100 Tasting in London, UK - Schiller's Favorites

Schiller’s Favorite Wine Bars in St. Emilion, France

Schiller’s Favorite Wine Bars in New York City, USA

Schiller’s Favorite Wine Bars in Seattle, USA

Schiller's Favorite Wine Bars in Washington DC, USA

Schiller’s Favorite Restaurants, Brasseries, Bistros, Cafes and Wine Bars in Paris, France

Schiller’s Favorite Crab Houses in the Washington DC Region, USA

Schiller’s Favorites at the 2013 Riesling and Co Tasting in New York City, USA

Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux (UGCB) on North America Tour in Washington DC - Schiller’s Favorites

Schiller’s Favorites from the VDP Grosses Gewaechs – Grand Cru – Presentation at Kloster Eberbach, 2012, Germany

Schiller’s Favorite Wine Bars in Frankfurt am Main, Germany

Schiller’s Favorite Wine Bars in New York City, USA

Schiller’s Favorite Wine Bars in Charleston, South Carolina, USA

Schiller’s Favorite Wine Bars in London, UK

Schiller's Favorite Wine Bars and Other Wine Spots in Vienna, Austria

Schiller’s Favorite Wine Bars in San Francisco, USA

Schiller's Favorite Wine Bars in Bordeaux (City), France

Schiller's Favorite Wine Bars in Budapest, Hungary

Schiller’s 12 Favorite Restaurants of Antananarivo, the Capital of Madagascar

Schiller's Favorite Apple Wine Taverns in Frankfurt am Main, Germany

Schiller’s Favorite Spots to Drink Wine in Vienna, Austria (2011)

Schiller’s Favorite Wine Taverns in Mainz, Germany

Schiller's Favorite Wine Bars and Other Places Where You Can Have a Glass of Wine in Healdsburg, California 

schiller-wine: Related Postings

A Wedding and a Wine Tasting at Schloss Halbturn in Austria

Wine and Food from Burgenland at Wachter-Wieslers Ratschen, Deutsch-Schuetzen, Austria - with Tom and Christoph Wachter and Julia Sevenich

Lunch with Silvia Prieler, Weingut Prieler, Schuetzen am Gebirge, Austria

Dinner with Wine Maker Gerhard Wohlmuth sen., his Wines and the Food of Steierland’s Chef Ruth Stelzer, Austria

Schiller’s Favorite Wine Bars and Other Wine Spots in Vienna, Austria

Producing Wines in Austria and Hungary - Franz and Franz Reinhard Weninger

With the WienWein Winemakers in Vienna in the Heurigen Drinking Gemischter Satz Wine

Wine Producer Austria - Not Only Gruener Veltliner

Meeting “John” Nittnaus from Gols, Burgenland, Austria

Visiting Christine, Christina and Franz Netzl in their Weingut Netzl in Carnuntum, Austria

 “Wine Ambassador” Klaus Wittauer Presented Austrian Wines at the Embassy of Austria in Washington DC, USA

Visiting Leo Hillinger, Michael Hoeffken and Edgar Brutler at the Leo Hillinger Winery in Jois, Austria

Leo Hillinger Wines and Alsatian Food with Hillinger’s Michael Hoeffken and Chef Jacques E. Haeringer at L’Auberge Chez François in Virginia, USA

At the Forefront of Biodynamic Winemaking: Visiting Werner and Angela Michlits and their Weingut Meinklang in Austria

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