Lutzmannsburg Alte Reben 2020

Wine Description for Lutzmannsburg Alte Reben 2020 by Moric

Colour & Appearance

Deep, saturated garnet with vibrant violet reflections – the colour of a wine that knows exactly what it is.

Nose

Whoever opens this wine now should bring patience – and a decanter. After sufficient air exposure, a complex, cool aromatic profile unfolds: black cherry, elderberry and blueberry form the dark fruit foundation, interwoven with clove, peat and damp forest floor. These are joined by ethereal herbal extracts, a whisper of liquorice and delicate violets. What truly captivates, however, is the deep, cool minerality that runs like a red thread through everything.

Palate

On the palate, the wine reveals its full stature: dense, concentrated, powerful – and yet possessed of a rare lightness of foot. The dark fruit condenses into essence, underpinned by deep spice and fine florality. The tannin structure is flawless, the structure imposing, the energy electrifying. A wine that simultaneously unites power and dance – broad-shouldered and vibrant in one.

Finish

Long, mineral, endless. The finish seems unwilling to end and leaves behind a cool, stony precision that resonates for a long time. This wine is only at the beginning of its journey.

Terroir & Origin

The Lutzmannsburg Plateau in Mittelburgenland, Burgenland, is a geological wonder: formed on a primordial volcano, it today bears layers of calcareous sandstone, loam, sand and clay – sediments of the former Pannonian Sea – over volcanic bedrock. A combination that writes depth and minerality into the grapes like few other soils.

Grape Variety & Vinification

Pure Blaufränkisch, selected from six parcels with vines aged 85 to 110 years. Approximately one quarter of the harvest is fermented as whole bunches with stems. Spontaneous fermentation in open wooden vats over three to four weeks, followed by eleven months of yeast ageing in 500 and 600-litre barrels with spontaneous malolactic fermentation, followed by a further twelve months of maturation in 500-litre barrels. No fining, no filtration, minimal sulphur addition – winemaking with consistent handwriting.

Food Pairing Suggestions

The depth and spice of this wine demands partners with character: pheasant terrine with elderberry chutney meets the wine on equal terms. Equally convincing: tuna tataki with avocado salsa or – for the adventurous – grilled aubergine with tahini and pomegranate, which beautifully mirrors the wine’s mineral coolness.

Special Features

Roland Velich and his winery Moric are regarded as pioneers of modern Blaufränkisch. The Lutzmannsburg Alte Reben is the centrepiece of the portfolio – a wine that demonstrates what this grape variety is capable of when terroir, vine age and craftsmanship come together. Drinking window: from 2026 onwards, ageing potential: 20+ years.