Austria's Finest Red

It may be a bit tricky to pronounce, but Blaufränkisch has made a name for itself, as Austrian producers explore its potential for quality wines. Stephen Brook introduces a native grape that deserves to have global recognition.

- Stephen Brook

BLAUFRANKISCH – IT DOESN’T exactly trip off the tongue, does it? No wonder that in the 1990s many Austrian wine estates decided to focus instead on international varieties such as Merlot. Today, however, international varieties are in retreat, as Austrians begin to concur that Blaufränkisch is their country’s finest red. 

It’s not exclusive to Austria. in Hungary – which was of course Austrian until 1920 – it’s known as kékfrankos, and in southern Germany as Lemberger. But the finest expressions of the variety do emerge from Austria, and more specifically, from the Burgenland region southeast of Vienna and hugging the Hungarian border.

As well as its name, Blaufränkisch is hampered, from a marketing and popularity viewpoint, by its lack of clear varietal identity. in this it’s not alone, and grapes such as syrah or Chardonnay also come in many guises. it’s responsive to soil types, and in the Burgenland these vary from limestone to loam to schist. There are also stylistic variations under the control of the grower and winemaker. Picked early, Blaufränkisch can deliver bright, zesty sour-cherry aromas and flavours that bear some resemblance to Sangiovese. Picked late, it produces a weighty, powerful wine with a character that can be further enhanced by oak-ageing. So it’s perfectly reasonable for producers to release a range of Blaufränkisch wines, from fresh and fruity to more complex and individual styles from single vineyards. Others see it as a blending variety.