2014 Moric, Blaufränkisch “Reserve”

It’s hard to exceed expectations when you’re the standard-setter, but Roland Velich of Moric does exactly that with his “Reserve” Blaufränkisch. The 2014 Reserve is not merely the most serious Blaufränkisch we've ever tasted, it makes a case for the “nobility” of the variety—meaning, you don’t just judge it based on how it compares to other Blaufränkisch wines, but how it shows next to internationally significant varieties like Cabernet Sauvignon or Pinot Noir. It's a big statement, but this is a wine you could place on a table next to some real heavy hitters and it could very well come out on top. Hailing from the Burgenland appellation, running along Austria’s border with Hungary southeast of Vienna, with a diverse topography and a mix of soils, more primary rock and slate at higher locations and dense loams in the rolling hills that extend toward the Pannonian plain (a warming influence that is important in getting the late-ripening Blaufränkisch fully mature). Moric’s organically f