Wine & Spirits - April 2020 - 121

YEAR'S BEST AUSTRIAN WINES
BLAUFRANKISCH
276448

93 | Markus Altenburger

$68

2015 Leithaberg Gritschenberg Blaufränkisch ^ Markus Altenburger tends vines
his grandfather planted in the 1960s for this
wine. Fermented in casks and aged in large,
used barrels, this blaufränkisch is tightly
built, the dark fruit brocaded with fine mineral tannins. Those tannins give the wine an
elegant line, the elderberry fruit lasting with
lifted, lilting spice. § Schatzi Wines, NY
276147

92 | Moric

$33

2017 Burgenland Blaufränkisch ^ Roland
Velich's basic blaufränkisch hits all the right
notes in 2017. It's juicy and brisk despite the
depth of its fruit, the blueberry tones swept
along on a current of vibrant, spicy acidity.
Black pepper and balsam notes keep it feeling lively, though the firm tannins suggest
that this would also age well in the cellar. §
Winemonger Imports, San Anselmo, CA
276539

91 | Jalits

$22

2017 Eisenberg Blaufränkisch (Best Buy) ^
Mattias Jalits had embarked on a career in
the restaurant business when he decided to
trade in his apron for pruning shears. Returning home to Burgenland, where his family
has grown grapes for five generations, he
started bottling wine in 2001. His specialty is
blaufränkisch, grown in Eisenberg, where the
steep slate soils and southern exposure create powerful wines. In this one, his basic bottling, dark fruit flavors radiate a crisp clarity
supported by cool granite minerality. There's
no excess here; it's just pure fruit, clean and
focused. § Artisanal Cellars, White River Junction, VT
276540

91 | Jalits

$39

2015 Eisenberg Reserve Szapary Blaufränkisch ^ Szapary is a forbiddingly steep slope
rising to 1,300 feet in altitude. Most of the
soil washed away long ago, leaving the vines
clinging directly to the slate underneath. In
2015, those vines put out some gorgeous-tasting fruit: This is dark and meaty, with clear,
clean black-raspberry flavors overriding
hints of charry oak. A mineral tone echoes
through the fruit, the way wok hei adds something ethereal to a stir-fry. Still very youthful,
this should age well for another decade. § Artisanal Cellars, White River Junction, VT
276783

90 | Anita & Hans Nittnaus $33

2017 Leithaberg Neusiedl Lange Ohn
Blaufränkisch ^ Grown in a vineyard of loam
over calcareous soil at the southern end of
Lake Neusiedl, this feels bright and fresh,

like fresh-pressed pomegranate juice; then it
grows rich and creamy, with a ferrous minerality and foresty scents adding dimension.
It's ripe and slightly nutty, with enough acidity to keep it lively. § Monika Caha Selections/
Frederick Wildman & Sons, NY
276073

90 | Wachter-Wiesler

$51

2015 Eisenberg Ried Ratschen Reserve
Blaufränkisch ^ From a vineyard planted a
half-century ago on sandy clay, this is superripe, the dimpled black fruit giving way to a
hint of volatility. This feels Italianate in its
sweet-sour balance and its spice, and would
make a fine pairing with sauerbraten, or any
beef braise that incorporates fruit. § David
Bowler Wines, NY
276515

88 | IBY

$18

2017 Burgenland Classic Blaufränkisch
(Best Buy) ^ Sweet and smoky, this wine's
dark-plum fruit and campfire edges place it
with barbecued beef. It's firm and mineral, a
rich, ripe wine with structure. § M.S. Walker,
Somerville, MA
276770

88 | Anita & Hans Nittnaus $17

2017 Burgenland Eastside Blaufränkisch
(Best Buy) ^ Give this a quick decant to get
beyond the initial hit of sulfur; then you'll
better be able to appreciate the juicy cherry
flavors, with their woodsy spice. It's heady,
generous and lanolin-smooth. § Monika Caha
Selections/Frederick Wildman & Sons, NY

PINOT NOIR
276777

95 | Forstreiter

$24

2016 Niederösterreich Reserve Pinot
Noir (Best Buy) ^ "Pinot noir in a motorcycle jacket," said Michael Dolinksi, who mans
the all-Austrian wine list at Wallsé in NYC.
As for my notes, they read, "I just want to
drink this." Meinhard Forstreiter culls his
best pinot noir, as well as some fruit from
friends in the Kremstal, fermenting this
wine in stainless-steel tanks before sending
it into barriques (half new) for 12 months or
more. In 2016-a wet year, but free of heatwaves-the wine came out gloriously spicy,
smelling like a forest after a rain, with translucent dried-cherry flavors. Notes of coffee
and brisket fill out the bass line, the wine
feeling full but not heavy, sturdy yet elegant. §
Monika Caha Selections/Frederick Wildman
& Sons, NY
276768

93 | Fritsch

$45

2016 Wagram P Pinot Noir ^ Grown in the
Wagram's deep loess soils, this is a gentle, earthy pinot with finesse. It's light and

fresh, with a shimmery translucence to the
cherry fruit while notes of spice, earth and
licorice form a firm, detailed underpinning.
It lasts with a gamey savor, suggesting this
would be delicious with venison or other lean
red meat. § Monika Caha Selections/Frederick
Wildman & Sons, NY

RED BLENDS
276542

92 | Netzl

$62

90 | Netzl

$21

88 | Judith Beck

$19

2016 Carnuntum Anna-Christina Ried
Bärnreiser ^ Named for the Netzls' children,
this is the winery's flagship, a blend of the
best plots of rotburger, merlot and cabernet
sauvignon. The 2016 wears its 18 months in
French oak barriques proudly, but the wood
soon yields to the firm, ripe fruit. It's spicy
and earthy, lasting with impressive gentleness and finesse. § Artisanal Cellars, White
River Junction, VT
276541
2017 Carnuntum Cuvée ^ A blend of equal
parts rotburger and blaufränkisch with 20
percent merlot, this is as dense as a fruitcake,
with notes of figs, nuts and cherries that are
molasses-dark. With air, a bright cranberry
note emanates from the center, lifting the
wine and suggesting that it could use another
year in the cellar for the flavors to unpack. §
Artisanal Cellars, White River Junction, VT
275580
2018 Burgenland INK (Best Buy) ^ Brisk and
gulpable, this wine has tart fruit and floral
overtones that encourage immediate drinking. An 80/20 blend of biodynamically grown
rotburger and sankt laurent fermented with
ambient yeasts in stainless steel, it's fresh
and jaunty, with a hint of pickle that suggests
pouring it with ham-and-cornichon sandwiches this summer. § V.O.S. Selections, NY

Z W E I G E LT
276793

91 | Handwerk

$17

2017 Niederösterreich Handwerk Weingartenselektion Zweigelt (Best Buy) ^ Netzl
makes this label for Monika Caha, a former
chef in NYC who's now an importer. It's a
serious zweigelt, with tannins and bright
acidity to support the variety's brambly blue
fruit, and some smoke and spice for detail.
It's priced to pour as an everyday wine, but
this would stand up to roast duck or a dryaged steak. § Monika Caha Selections/Frederick
Wildman & Sons, NY
276628

WINE & SPIRITS

APRIL 2020

121
Wine & Spirits - April 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Wine & Spirits - April 2020
