Moric Lutzmannsburg Alte Reben Blaufränkisch 2020

Lutzmannsburg is a village in Burgenland, in central-eastern Austria, right on the Hungarian border, in a hot, dry Pannonian climate. The Blaufränkisch vines, aged fifty to one hundred and ten years, sink their roots into the ferruginous soils of a prehistoric volcano and into varied subsoils, from the steep limestone slopes of the Kirchberg to the clay plateau of the Maissner. Their very low yields produce grapes of exceptional concentration.

The vines are farmed according to biodynamic principles. The grapes ferment spontaneously, with native yeasts, in open wooden vats, for a maceration of around twenty-two days. The wine is then aged for around twenty months on fine lees in large, used oak foudres, and bottled without fining or filtration.

This wine reveals notes of blackcurrant, blackberry, black cherry, cocoa, peat, fine leather, tobacco and Kampot pepper. The blackish-red colour with purple glints heralds a dense palate, with deep fruit edged by a stony freshness. Polished tannins and vibrant acidity carry a long finish, the promise of very fine ageing potential.

Austrian viticulture has made enormous strides in wine quality over the past decade. Today, Austrian winemakers no longer produce cheap wines for mass consumption, but rather refined and complex wines. Austria produces 65% white wines. From a general perspective, Austrian wines are more powerful and richer than those of their German neighbor. The major and most widely planted national grape variety is Grüner Veltliner (an indigenous white grape). Red wine production continues to increase in volume, intensity, and quality. In Burgenland, in particular, producers are making the most of a unique blend of local grape varieties (Blaufränkisch, Saint-Laurent, Zweigelt) and French varieties (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Pinot Noir). Austria's climate is primarily continental, with cold winters and hot summers. The country is influenced by four main weather patterns. To the east, continental influences from Pannonia; to the west, Atlantic influences as well as cold winds from the north; and to the south, Mediterranean influences. The Danube, meandering languidly through numerous vineyards, brings a variety of microclimates to the vines.