Weninger Weinland Blaufrankisch 2021

Blaufrankisch is central Europe’s signature red grape, one capable of many different faces. Some are impressively structured and capable of significant cellar age. Some are crunchy and fresh and come in liter bottles. This one lives somewhere in the middle, with a blooming nose of berries black and blue, dried flowers, orange peel, and earth made of clay. The palate is fleshy yet taut thanks to a backbone of acidity and a substratum of tannin. Flavors of black and blue berries orbit around a core of pepper and potting soil. The Weninger family are masters of this grape, thoughtful grape growers and imaginative winemakers, and one of the best wineries in eastern Austria’s Burgenland for three generations. They make every sort of Blaufrankisch, but this one is their everyday offering, welcome at any meal featuring root vegetables, grilled meats, or ham. Curiously, it carries the general Weinland title because the Austrian DAC tasting panel judged their wines “atypical” for the region. If