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IT A former croupier who rescued a grape variety: that is Roland Velich and his estate Moric. While Austria in the 2000s was chasing opulence, he dared to do precisely the opposite. With a Burgundian approach and ancient Blaufränkisch vines from Lutzmannsburg and Neckenmarkt, he created wines that James Suckling ranks among the top 9 estates in the world. The first Austrian red wine to achieve 95 Parker points came from his cellar. In 2023 he was named Falstaff Winemaker of the Year – the crowning achievement for a man who has definitively placed Blaufränkisch on the world map.
More about Moric
The Man Who Put Blaufränkisch on the World Map
Ski instructor, croupier, wine legend – Roland Velich's career path is anything but straightforward. After his unconventional journey, he brought the family winery to the top of Austrian producers together with his brother Velich, before striking out on his own in 2001. Moric – pronounced like "Moritz" – was his answer to the prevailing Austrian opulence of the time. While others relied on heavy oak and overripe fruit, Velich sought Burgundian elegance in Burgenland. His vision: to vinify Blaufränkisch as if it were Grand Cru Burgundy.
Volcanic Soils and Centuries-Old Vines
The secret of Moric lies in the 22.5 hectares of exceptional vineyard sites. In Lutzmannsburg, Velich's vines are rooted in a prehistoric volcano, whose iron-rich soils give Blaufränkisch an unmistakable minerality. The individual vineyard sites Kirchberg, Schwemmer and Maissner differ dramatically: from steep, chalky Kirchberg to the clay-rich Maissner plateau. What's special: many of the vines are 50 to 110 years old – genetic treasures from a time when Blaufränkisch had not yet been bred for yield. These old vines produce tiny yields, but concentrated wines of extraordinary complexity.
Biodynamics Meets Burgundian Cellar Technique
In the cellar, Velich practises radical restraint. Spontaneous fermentation in open wooden vats, 22 days of maceration, then 20 months ageing on fine lees in large, used oak. No fining, no filtration. The biodynamic management complements this minimalist approach – the vines should express their terroir unfiltered. His Lutzmannsburg Alte Reben tastes of wet limestone and black cherries, the Blaufränkisch Burgenland shows cool elegance rather than warm opulence.
Worldwide Recognition for Austrian Red Wine
The successes speak for themselves: In 2009, the Neckenmarkt Alte Reben became the first Austrian red wine to receive 95 Parker points. James Suckling listed Moric among the world's nine best wineries. Falstaff named Roland Velich Winemaker of the Year in 2023. Yet Velich doesn't rest on his laurels: with the Jagini project, he rescued the last old Blaufränkisch vines in Zagersdorf, and with "Hidden Treasures" he works with Hungarian winemakers. His Moric Reserve shows where the journey is heading: wines that clearly reveal their origin and have definitively catapulted Blaufränkisch into world-class status.