Red alert
Discover Austria’s best kept secret
Imagine a red wine with bright cherry fruits, velvety soft texture and refreshing tart acidity. The juicy, tangy blaufränkisch grape is the perfect summer time mediumbodied red – ideal for anyone who usually drinks pinot noir or syrah.
Most examples of blaufränkisch come from Austria, or countries which were once ruled by the Hapsburg monarchy. It is strangely not that well known in the UK as the wines available from this versatile hidden gem are often great value – like our star value buy – a beautifully mature example of Slovenian Blaufränkisch at just £11.95.
The grape is believed to derive from a natural cross between blauer zimmettraube and weisser heunisch. It was first documented in 1862 at a grape variety exhibition in Vienna in Austria. It was known as lemberger after Lemberg in Austria’s Styria and limberg in Maissau in Austria’s Niederösterreich – and it is still known as lemberger in Germany today. Today, blaufränkisch is one of Austria’s most popular red grapes covering 6.5 per cent of its vineyard area with just over 3,000 hectares. This vigorous late ripening grape is most important in Austria’s Mittelburgenland where it grows particularly well on clay-rich soils. In Eisenberg DAC with its iron rich soils and Leithaberg DAC, examples are particularly nervy and refined. Austrian wineries who make dense elegant examples are Moric, Nittnaus, Pichlerkrutzler, Wohlmuth and Pieler to name a few.
Like pinot noir, blaufränkisch is particularly popular for its versatility – as it can make a variety of different styles from light rosé, light beaujolais-style quaffers to serious intense Rhône-like reds for maturing – through to sweet dessert eiswein. It is also a popular crossing partner – with St Laurent it created Austria’s beloved zweigelt grape. It was also a parent in the crossing of blauberger, roesler, rathay and cabernet mitos – to name a few.
DNA has proved that kekfrankos (the literal translation of blaufränkisch) in Hungary is the same grape – and it is more prolific here than in Austria – with 8,000 hectares mainly in Kunsag and Szekszard in the south, Eger in the northeast and Sopron near Austria.
This popular grape is also found in Croatia under the name of borgonja with 800 hectares, in Slovakia with 2,000 hectares known as frankovka modra and in Italy’s Friuli region with 127 hectares. It has even crossed the Atlantic, now growing in Washington State’s Yakima Valley, Canada’s British Columbia and New York’s Finger Lakes – and in the Adelaide Hills of South Australia.
Blaufränkisch goes well with similar dishes which match with pinot noir. My favourite is roast duck or lamb – in Austria it is often served with veal or gamebirds and in Hungary with braised meat goulash. For a summer time red, it would also be delicious with duck breast salad.
Podravje, Slovenia: Modra Frankinja 2009 Dveri Pax
In Stajerska in eastern Slovenia near the Austrian border, blaufränkisch is known as modra frankinja. This wine is wonderful, scoring very highly in our recent Slovenian tasting. A beautifully mature, lightly oaked perfumed example which comes from a steep vineyard near Maribor at the Benedictine Admont Abbey, which was revived in 2001, after Slovenia gained independence. £11.95, The Wine Society, www.thewinesociety.com
Burgenland, Austria: Blaufränkisch 2015 Feilerartinger
From my favourite Austrian winemaker, Kurt Feilerartinger makes characterful earthy examples of blaufränkisch. A savoury red similar to an Italian barbera with tangy, spicy fruit, some tannin structure and rich, dense fruits which aren’t too overpowering.
£10.99, Waitrose
Burgenland, Austria: Classic Blaufränkisch 2015 Hans Igler
Another great example of what good value blaufränkisch can be. Juicy, ripe, gently spicy, softly tannic, lightly oaked example which tastes a bit like a young syrah – with an extra kick of acidity on the finish which makes the grape so refreshing.
£10.50, The Wine Society
Burgenland, Austria: Blaufränkisch Kulm 2012 Heidi Schrock
Heidi Schrock is a legend in Burgenland, making some of the best blaufränkisch in her Kulm vineyard which was planted in the 1950s. Her wines often do need time to mature, so six years on this example is nearing its best with mellow, succulent, ripe cherry fruits, subtle oak notes from 14 months in large oak and an elegant textured palate. £17, Alpine Wines, www. alpinewines.co.uk
Szekszard, Hungary: Kekfrankos Reserve 2012 Ferenc Takler
Rich black cherry aromas with plummy depth, an open voluptuous palate with soft tannins and a fresh acid bite to the finish. This is one of Hungary’s best examples, matured for 14 months in new 500 litres indigenous oak barrels by Ferenc Takler, a ninth generation winemaker and former Hungarian winemaker of the year. £18.50, Woodwinters, Edinburgh and Bridge of Allan
Join Rose’s Organic, Biodynamic & Natural wine tasting on Thursday 5 July in Edinburgh, £42, www.rose murraybrown. com