WTN: Is the world ready for a $130 Blaufränkisch?

Prieler Blaufränkisch “Goldberg” 2005 -Neusiedlersee-Hügelland, Österreich 13,5% alc

I bring up the price of this wine for the simple reason of showing that Austrian reds are indeed serious business to Austrians and I guess those of us around the world who truly love grapes such as Blaufränkisch. I tasted this about 6 months ago and it was so completely shut down that I hardly knew what to think. Today it is an impressive wine to be sure (and it’s unfurling, even if very slowly.) If you are familiar with some of the flagship red cuvees from the better Austrian producers, you will have noticed a definite stylistic shift away from using too much oak, limited blending with international varieties, lower alcohol levels and generally towards more elegance. This wine is impressive in that it stays within those parameters. Blackberry fruit, charcuterie, lavender, aloe, dark chocolate, sweet red pepper with fine tannins (like Gevrey-Chambertin) -in fact, this has a remarkably Grand Cru Burgundian texture (especially in oak treatment terms -this sees two years in barrique without tasting like it.) Great stuff. $130 great has to be decided after much more cellar time. -BH

I'm ready for such a wine, but only if someone else opens it for me. (Bar Chave and maybe one or two other producers, I don't see myself paying those sorts of pricetags for a wine any time in the not-too-distant future.)

That said Bill, have you tried any of the higher end Moric Blaufränkisch bottlings? I know they have a few bottlings in the $90-110 range, have read some great praise for those wines from the likes of David Schildknecht and Eric Asimov though they aren't on my to-buy list any time soon.

That said Bill, have you tried any of the higher end Moric Blaufränkisch bottlings? I know they have a few bottlings in the $90-110 range, have read some great praise for those wines from the likes of David Schildknecht and Eric Asimov though they aren't on my to-buy list any time soon.

I have not tried them, Salil. I'll try to get around to them if my wife ever lets me. Like you, I probably won't hold my breath on that happening.

Cheers,
Bill

the world, possibly. Me, no.
For right or wrong, when I spend that much (RARE!), stick to known commodities.

I doubt the world is ready for this but they probably don't need the whole world's attention (or mine) to sell out their production.

This is a good question.

The Moric range is regularly on show at an importer in Belgium and I could have tasted them again yesterday but decided against the 170km round trip as most of the exhibitors were the same as in November. My notes from then are on the first page of the Austria WF thread. The only cuvée which I might consider buying was the nice and somewhat Burgundian entry level one (c.€17). I thought that neither of the two posh ones (€50-60) had got their new oak treatment right in spite of some lovely fruit. They were 2003s and maybe the recent vintages are better but the fact that such an old vintage was still being promoted suggests that there is no rush in Belgium to buy them.

I would be prepared to buy one or two of these posh bottles experimentally at half the price or less. Fat chance of that though because, if Prieler and Moric can move these probably small quantity wines at pretentious prices to well healed Austrians, they are commercially wise to do so.

the world, possibly. Me, no.

With this I agree. I spent $45 on a bottle this weekend and am still feeling bad for doing so.