Weingut Moric Ried Maissner 2020

Moric is Roland Velich's project in Burgenland, and one of the estates most responsible for restoring Blaufrankisch to serious conversation. Instead of treating the grape as a simple, fruit-driven red, Velich approached it with the sensitivity usually reserved for Burgundy: old vines, specific villages, restrained extraction and aging that emphasizes structure over gloss. The wines come from places such as Lutzmannsburg and Neckenmarkt, where limestone, schist and old vine material give Blaufrankisch depth, spice and nerve. Moric's best bottles are savory and transparent, proving that Austria's great red grape can be both intellectual and deeply pleasurable.