Paul Achs Ungerberg Blaufrankisch, Burgenland, Austria

點(diǎn)擊次數(shù)：3473

From a sandy, chalky site closer to the lake, Achs’s 2006 Blaufrankisch Ungerberg emphasizes an ester-rich, distilled fruit aspect to its blueberries and blackberries and an aura of smokiness. Strikingly saline, iodine-laced, and pungently mineral, this is one of those not infrequent Blaufrankisch that reminds me a bit of Carignan from Roussillon. For sheer density and mineral mystery this is the most impressive of Achs’ 2006 collection, but Altenberg has the edge in purity and ripeness of fruit. All of these 2006 Blaufrankisch are just on either side of 13% alcohol.Paul Achs has developed a reputation as one of Austria’s top red wine vintners, and it was high time I paid him another visit. Like many vintners – not only in Austria – Achs is moving in the direction of 500 liter barrels and away from barriques, which considering the explicit, extraneous oak imprint on some of his past wines (including his 2006 Pinot Noir), strikes me as sensible. He has also embraced biodynamic viticultural methods. A number of his 2007 wines – both white and red – were sligthly reductive, tart, and tight last June, but it is early days to assess the reds in particular, the simplest of which he planned to bottle just prior to harvest 2008. (Ach’s 2007 Blaufrankisch Ungerberg looked to be the star of the vintage here.) Unfortunately, I did not have chance to taste Ach’s less-expensive 2006 reds. His upper-end 2006 reds were all bottled several months earlier than in past years – he said they showed well early and he preferred to try to capture that.Importer: Vin Divino, Chicago, IL; tel. (773) 334 6700

Achs’s 2003 Blaufrankisch Ungerberg exudes aromas and juice of strawberry and raspberry. This superbly successful wine is rich and mouthfilling, its red fruits deployed with liqueur-like intensity and richness and accented by walnut oil, black pepper, brown spices, and wet stone. For all of its ripeness and alcohol (14%), this wine preserves admirable clarity and juiciness of fruit and displays remarkable elegance. I suspect as well that it will nicely reward at least 6-8 years in one’s cellar. Importer: Vin Divino, Chicago, IL; tel. (773) 334 6700