Region: Mittelburgenland, Austria
Composition: 100% Blaufränkisch
Background: I got this bottle as a free 'thank you' from a wine club I am in, so it was one of those surprise bottles for me. You (or at least I) don't see a lot of Blaufränkisch around, and you certainly don't see a lot of people (at least here in California) advertising it. My friends never say "Oooh, I could really go for a Blaufränkisch right about now!" and I rarely see it on the list at restaurants or wine bars. What is it, anyway? I read up a little on it (thank you, Jancis Robinson) and found out that it used to be considered a clone of Gamay, which is pretty strange, given its characteristics, but people came to their senses and probably did some testing and figured out it isn't.
Blaufränkisch is widely grown in Austria and also planted in Germany (where it is known as Limberger), Hungary (where it's called Kekfrankos, and is blended with other grapes to make Egri Bikaver, "The Bull's Blood of Eger") and in Washington state here in the U.S. (where it is referred to as Lemberger). "Blaufränkisch" means, literally, "Blue Franconian", and the name dates back to the era of Charlemange, when good-quality wines were labelled "Fränkisch" and cheaper wines "Heunsch". Oh, if only it were that simple today.
Iby is located in Mittelburgenland (as you might guess by the name, an area in the center of Austria), in the town of Horitschon. The vineyard the grapes came from is "Hochäcker", in case the label made you wonder. Iby grows only red varietals on the 50 acres of land they own and are a member of a group called "Verband Blaufränkischland", which is a regional group devoted to getting the best wine possible from the grape. In order to do that, the VB have laid down some rules as to how to grow and handle Blaufränkisch, acting as a local appellation control group. Whatever they are telling people to do with these grapes, it's along the right lines, because this wine is pretty good!
Notes: I've never had this varietal before, but it is like a lighter version of Syrah, or maybe Cabernet Sauvignon. It's a medium ruby-blue-red in the glass, and has a nose full of red berries and forest floor and some smoky spice. It's got some serious acid on it, but it's also full of red fruit, like cherries, along with more of that smoky spice, and the acid ends up being not overpowering at all. Acid notwithstanding, it's very soft in the mouth, and has dusty tannins and a long, soft finish. Overall I don't think it is overwhelmingly complex, but it is a solid wine, pleasant to drink, and pairs nicely with food, which was, in this case, some Epoisses de Bourgone, St. Nectaire, and Parrano that I had around, along with some Meyer lemon and rosemary bread (dinner of champions, let me tell you). Once it sat out and got some air (an hour or two) it started to develop a decidedly leathery/tobbacoey finish, which I thought was pretty interesting.
Cost: $14
Overall: B+
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