Moric Ried Schwemmer Lutzmannsburg Blaufrankisch 2021
Type: Red
Country: Austria
Region: Burgenland
Grape Variety: 100% Blaufrankisch
Climate: Hot, continental Pannonian climate
Terroir: Single vineyard (Schwemmer) Blaufrankisch planted in an east-facing location, characterized by pure limestone terroir with a layer of clay. The youngest vines were planted in the 70s, the oldest in the 30s
Winemaking: Spontaneously fermented in open wooden vats with small proportions of black grapes, then aged in old 500-litre barrels for two years
Color: Deep ruby
Nose: Spicy notes on the nose, blackberries, sloes, blood oranges, and black cherries, plus smoky chalk
Palate: A powerful texture on the palate, with plenty of extract and harmonious acidity, grippy, crumbly tannin provides grip and structure, full-bodied with beautiful spice, engaging minerality in the long finish
About the Winery:
Roland Velich is the passionate winemaker behind an Austrian red touted to rival Grand Cru Burgundy. While Austria is better known for its whites, Roland had a fascination with the unusual red grape, Blaufränkisch. So he left his family’s estate and set up Weingut Moric (pronounced Moritz) in the lesser-known Mittelburgenland, which is close to the Hungarian Border around an hour’s drive from Vienna. Such was his determination, he paid for the estate using money that he’d saved working in a casino as a croupier. Roland now seeks out high-yielding, old-vine vineyards, and vinifies the grapes as simply as possible, looking to bring out Blaufränkisch’s inherently pure, elegant character.
As a self-professed Burgundy fan, his reds echo the finesse of Grand Cru Pinot Noir, and, rather than try to over-extract fruit flavours like some of his predecessors, Roland’s wines have a cool climate quality more commonly found in fine Nebbiolo or Northern Rhône Syrah. His top wine is a blend of eight different vineyard sites and includes some of the oldest vines that surround the village of Lutzmannsburg. These are unique reds which brilliantly echo their terroir.
