2019 Blaufrankisch Lutzmannsburg Alte Reben

Velich's 2019 Lutzmannsburg Alte Reben includes the three crus Kirchberg, Maissner and Schwemmer but also other plots that are too small to be bottled alone. The vines are up to 100+ years old, and the nose of the 2019 is fabulous in fruit ripeness, intensity, finesse and natural expression. This bouquet is fully present: very elegant, pure and fresh, with black, ethereal pepper notes, dark and dried fruit as well as discreet leather aromas and the pure finesse and spiciness of limestone. Black tea leaves and alpine flowers complete the fascinating and complexly composed set. On the palate, this is a generous, silky textured, refined and fresh, very elegant but substantial cuvée with a long, saline and wonderfully tart finish due to fine tannins and the intertwined, almost crystalline, in any case very fine and saline, acidity. The finish is enormously complex and tensioned, savory, fresh and still tart, showing more structure than flesh, but taste the wine in five or six years and be ready to be surprised. All austerity will be history then. This wine has so much intensity and energy that buyers can count on, even though there are some animal nuances at this stage. 13.5% stated alcohol. Diam cork. Tasted in April 2023.

Although this is already fragrant, the bouquet only hints at the enormous depth of this super-elegant blaufrankisch red. So graceful and refined, it redefines what the red wines of this grape can be. The giant structure is buried underneath a mountain of ripeness. Then the finish hits you like a lightning strike. Enormous aging potential. Drink or hold.