Moric Blaufränkisch Burgenland Reserve 2020

Moric is the work of Roland Velich, who set out to show that the native Austrian Blaufrankisch can stand with the great structured reds of the world. The estate is in Burgenland, and the wine is farmed organically. Velich deliberately moves away from the over extracted, heavily oaked style the grape has often been given, aiming instead for freshness and detail. Burgenland's soils mix limestone, slate and schist, which lend Blaufrankisch its firm acidity and mineral, peppery character, while the warm Pannonian climate near Lake Neusiedl gives ripeness without heaviness. This Reserve ages 24 months in oak barrels, where slow oxygen exchange settles the tannin and adds gentle spice without dominating the fruit. The colour is deep ruby. The nose shows sour cherry, blackberry, red currant, black pepper, dried herbs and a cool, stony note. The palate is medium to full bodied, with bright acidity, firm, fine grained tannin and a long, savoury, mineral finish. This is a serious, food driven red built to age. Serve at 16 to 17 degrees and decant if young. It is excellent with beef, game and lamb.