Mt Bera Amphitheatre Shiraz Blaufrankisch 2019

Mt Bera Amphitheatre Shiraz Blaufrankisch 2019

  17:07    Stu.

---

Unsure of % of each blend here (based on label).

Whilst dense and dark in glass, it evokes a perfume of blue and red fruits - somewhat of a contrast.

Blaufrankisch always evokes a very 'blue' aroma, no exception here. The plummy Shiraz notes are also present, all up presenting a very attractive package in intro.

The palate is light, supple - without sacrificing depth and a tight grain of tannin. It's an impressive blend, something of an all-rounder. 92

Tasted on: Tuesday 31st May
Source: Sample
Price: $30
Alcohol: 13.5%
Closure: Screwcap
Website: https://mtberavineyards.com.au/

Follow me: http://twitter.com/TheVinsomniac

Read More

Hahndorf Hill "The Bluebood" Blaufränkisch 2013

Hahndorf Hill "The Bluebood" Blaufränkisch 2013

  09:45    Stu.

---

"Blue, I've got a question every time I hold you

Yeah, Blue, I've got a question every time I swallow you it's true"

~ 'Blue', The Verve

Still blue: blueberries, purple florals and blueberry compote. This Blaufränkisch from leading Adelaide Hills winery, Hahndorf Hill, evokes a very blue 'response', as I commented back on the 2010 instance.

Medium bodied, Pinot-esque in some respects, yet the fruit profile is very different, its own signature. Fine tannins and a pitch of acid give this wine excellent carry of flavour - versatile food wine. 93

Tasted on: Sunday 14th June, a Fruit to Root day
Source: Sample
Price: $40
Alcohol: 14%
Closure: Screwcap
Website: http://www.hahndorfhillwinery.com.au/

Follow me: http://twitter.com/TheVinsomniac

Read More

Hahndorf Hill "The Blueblood" Blaufränkisch 2010

Hahndorf Hill "The Blueblood" Blaufränkisch 2010

  13:12    Stu.

---

Synesthesia is an interesting study area.  I'm not suggesting I know anything about the subject, it's just that, with this wine a common theme for me was the smell 'blue'.  Can something smell of a colour?

It really is a delightful perfume.  Wild flowers, violets and bluebells - and more than once I was thinking of an English summer meadow; a cornucopia of fruits in the red and blue spectrum.  Further, a background hint of coffee - a consistent element from the 2009 version of this wine, augmented by some dried apricot.

Supple in the mouth, a mix of the aforementioned fruit; acid along the 'rails' and toward the back of the mouth, many a hint to the supposed shared lineage with Gamay.  It's a complex little number, yet tannin seems a little pared back this time, although the length is quite exquisite, bound up with a great acid line.  94 - Outstanding

Source: Sample

Price: $35

Alcohol: 14%

Closure: Screwcap

Website: http://www.hahndorfhillwinery.com.au/

Follow me: http://twitter.com/TheVinsomniac

Read More

Hahndorf Hill "The Blueblood" Blaufränkisch 2009

Hahndorf Hill "The Blueblood" Blaufränkisch 2009

  14:45    Stu.

---

Until recently I'd not had the pleasure of tasting Blaufränkisch - literally blue Frankish - and then in one of those moments of synchronicity I tasted an Austrian example and then most generously this sample from Hahndorf Hill.

I read that Blaufränkisch is so named in part because of its colour; the fränkisch part coming from a medieval attempt to classify grapes whose origins lay with the superior Fränks (fränkisch).  

I was told that it is a relative of Gamay, but have not been able to back this up other than to say that it is known as Gamé in Bulgaria. 

But enough etymology - what does it taste like I hear you ask? Spicy black cherry with a hint of coffee grounds lurking in the background.  It's brightly coloured; the palate smooth. Berries, red and black abound, textural in the mouth giving way to a good backbone of acid carrying a persistent line of spice.  Tannins are present, but not overt.  Paired well with a cauliflower and pumpkin curry.

So that's me, but the final word has to go to Pat Haddock: "Blauf Blauf, get it down your mouth!". 

Source: Sample

Price: $35

Alcohol: 14.5%

Closure: Screwcap

Website: http://www.hahndorfhillwinery.com.au/

Follow me: http://twitter.com/TheVinsomniac

Read More