Blaufränkisch Alter Berg Leithaberg DAC 2019

Wine description for Blaufränkisch Alter Berg Leithaberg DAC 2019 by Heinrich

Colour & appearance

Deep violet-red, almost black at the core – even in the glass, it is clear that this Blaufränkisch is not for the faint-hearted.

Nose

A dark fruit symphony: black cherries, blackberries, blueberries, alongside sloe and jostaberry. With air, notes of leather, tobacco, wood smoke and liquorice emerge, underpinned by wild herbs and a profound, almost saline minerality – the scent of barren limestone, weathered from an ancient sea.

Palate

This wine makes its presence felt: invigorating acidity, finely polished tannins, cherry and berry fruit, all carried by that cool, fossil minerality which makes the Alter Berg so distinctive. Taut rather than opulent, with spice instead of jam – and with ageing potential for years to come.

Finish

Long, dark-fruited and spicy, with a mineral resonance that lingers between palate and memory for minutes afterwards.

Terroir & origin

The Alter Berg vineyard site in Winden lies on the southeast-facing slopes of the Leitha Mountains: cooled from above by forest, shimmering below with Lake Neusiedl, and dotted in between with towering cherry trees. The barren limestone soil is rich in fossils millions of years old – challenging sites such as these were acquired piece by piece by Gernot and Heike Heinrich when others had given up on them. Today, they farm one hundred hectares entirely according to biodynamic principles.

Grape variety & vinification

Pure Blaufränkisch, hand-harvested from mid to late September, spontaneously fermented and left on the skins in amphora for three weeks. After gentle pressing with a basket press, the wine matures for 42 months in amphora and used 500-litre oak casks. Demeter-certified, and a founding member of respekt-BIODYN – the Heinrichs do nothing by halves.

Food recommendations

Built for the grand table: braised leg of lamb, beef goulash, duck breast with dark berries, roast wild boar or grilled steaks. Also a compelling partner for mature hard cheese.

Special characteristics

Prolonged amphora ageing is rare for Blaufränkisch – yet here it yields something equally uncommon: power without heaviness, structure without hardness, a red wine that allows its origin to be sensed quite literally in the glass.