Mandatory Blaufränkisch post!

I had the 2019 Ried Weinberg Blaufränkisch in Autumn last year and it quickly became one of my bottles of Blaufränkisch I had thus far. Therefore, it was a no-brainer that I had to try more bottlings from Wachter-Wiesler. This one comes from the vineyard neighbouring Weinberg, Ratschen. Compared to the clay and loam heavy soils of the former, Ried Ratschen has a sandier soil that results in a more vibrant style of wine. After harvest, the wine was fermented spontaneously and then aged for over two years in large oak vessels.

I aerated the wine for about 2 1/2 hours. In the glass, the wine presented itself with a slightly transparent ruby colour and a garnet rim. At first, fruity nuances showed in the glass, think of red cherry, forest berry and lingonberry. Savoury nuances took over afterwards, here I smelled herbal nuances, forest floor, cured meat and some well integrated bretty aromas. On the finish, the wine gave me some citrus zest and crushed stones. The same pattern can be observed on the palate, at first an intense punch of crunchy red fruit, then savoury/mineral nuances take over. The acidity is very fresh and gives the wine great drinkability, fine tannins add structure. The finish is of great length and complexity, showing red cherry, forest floor, meat and savoury herbs.

This is phenomenal stuff, a very elegant and complex Blaufränkisch that still has a playful side to it. Despite being so close to the Weinberg vineyard, Ratschen showed red fruit instead of dark fruit and felt more ethereal. Here, Blaufränkisch shows again how site and terroir sensitive it is (both wines are also from the same vintage). Reihburg and Saybritz are next on the list!