A dry Blaufränkisch from Burgenland that unites Burgundian finesse with deep minerality from prehistoric volcanic soils – a top wine from vines up to 110 years old.
Bottler: Winery Moric, Kirchengasse 3, A-7051 Großhöflein / Austria
In the glass
Colour
Dense, luminous cherry red with intense violet reflections and youthful radiance.
Nose
A profound, Mediterranean-tinged nose of morello cherry, blackberry and currant, carried by thyme, rosemary, bay leaf, black olives, juniper and black pepper; complemented by cool notes of mint and eucalyptus as well as fine hints of pistachio and almond.
Palate
Powerful and concentrated yet astonishingly light-footed – a taut, vertical fruit line, stony minerality at the core, and a salty, long, almost weightless finish with umami depth.
Character
A Blaufränkisch of exceptional clarity and tension that relies not on power but on origin, spice and finesse – with great ageing potential.
Pairing
Robust, spiced dishes such as herb-crusted loin of lamb, duck breast with dark cherries or mushroom dishes with thyme and rosemary.
Notes
The old vines (50–110 years) are rooted in iron-rich volcanic soils in Lutzmannsburg; spontaneous fermentation in open wooden vats and around 20 months of maturation on the fine lees in used wood – unfined and unfiltered – allow the terroir to speak without any filter.
Tasting note
Colour & appearance
Dense, luminous cherry red with intense violet reflections and youthful radiance.
Nose
Profound, almost Mediterranean: morello cherry, sweet cherry and blackberry form the foundation without ever seeming sweet or opulent. Above this lies an intense spiciness of thyme, rosemary and bay leaf, accompanied by black olives, juniper and black pepper. Cool notes of mint and eucalyptus open up over time, while fine hints of pistachio and almond lend the bouquet a nutty counterpoint. A wine whose nose recalls Priorat rather than classic Burgenland – origin instead of fruit.
Palate
Pressure and concentration meet remarkable lightness. The fruit has substance yet remains on a taut, razor-sharp line; the wine develops vertically rather than broadly. Stony minerality stands at the centre, surrounded by herbal spice, fine umami hints and a cool, almost ethereal tension. Nothing is heavy, everything is precisely drawn.
Finish
Long, salty and almost weightless – a finish carried by stone and spice that reveals the great ageing potential of this vintage.
Terroir & origin
Lutzmannsburg in Burgenland: here the vines are rooted on a prehistoric volcano whose iron-rich soils lend Blaufränkisch its unmistakable minerality. Many vines are 50 to 110 years old – genetic treasures from an era when the variety had not yet been bred for yield. Tiny yields, but concentrated, complex grapes.
Grape variety & vinification
Blaufränkisch, vinified by Roland Velich with a Burgundian approach: spontaneous fermentation in open wooden vats, 22 days of maceration, followed by 20 months on the fine lees in large, used wooden casks – without fining, without filtration. The estate is farmed biodynamically.
Food recommendations
Ideal with rack of lamb with Provençal herbs, beef fillet with black olives or duck breast with juniper jus. Braised aubergine with thyme also beautifully mirrors the wine’s Mediterranean spice.
Special features
Roland Velich, once a croupier and now Falstaff Winemaker of the Year 2023, is regarded as the man who put Blaufränkisch on the world map – James Suckling counts Moric among the nine best wineries worldwide. This wine shows why: it relies not on power, but on tension, origin and finesse. A Blaufränkisch that spells out its volcanic origins in every sip.
