Prieler Blaufrankisch Johanneshohe 2018

black raspberries, dried hibiscus flowers, dried cranberries, Sencha green tea and tangerine peel

The Blaufränkisch variety, which is known as Lemberger in Germany and the US, is very important in central European wine regions. It buds and harvests late, making it ideal for warm summers, and resists freezing in the winter. Before DNA technology it was thought to be related to Gamay, which is now refuted, but when you smell and taste the wines it is not hard to see where the idea comes from. Generally, I think the best examples take the brightness of Gamay but add in a dollop of the power and animal qualities of Northern Rhône Syrah. Prieler turns the volume up to 11, so do not hold others to this standard.

This example from Georg Prieler is made from a selection of nine estate vineyards located between the Leithagebirge, the last outpost of the eastern Alps, and Lake Neusiedl. This is an ideal climate for Blaufränkisch as the mountain protects the vineyards from the harsh winds off the Ural Mountains, and the lake provides a tempering effect on the climate.