Tasting Roland Velich’s old-vine Blaufränkisch (BLAU-fren-kish) is a religious experience—one that instantly convinces even the most savvy and sophisticated wine drinker that Austria is far more than light, crushable Grüner Veltliner in screw-cap liter bottles.

Roland, the visionary behind Weingut Moric, has made it his life’s work to elevate Blaufränkisch (a.k.a. Lemberger) to the level of world-class Pinot Noir. 

We took immediate note of his 2015 library release (2022 is the current release!) of the “Lutzmannsburg” Alte Reben after just one whiff. One taste later, we knew this had to be offered to our most loyal clients. It’s one of the most transparent wines you’ll encounter—on par with Grand Cru Burgundy or Cru Barolo—expressing authenticity, restraint, and terroir in every sip.

We taste a dizzying array of wines from all over the world, but this cuvée—sourced from multiple top-tier micro-crus with vines tipping just over 100 years in age—was a transformative experience. 

Attention Burghounds: tired of shelling out $250 to $500 for newly released Grand Cru Burgundy? Here’s your ringer for the cellar. Enjoy this wonder over the next five to seven years, or decant for an hour for immediate enjoyment.

You’ll be hard-pressed to find this highly regarded library release in retail channels, and our price on bottle one is the best in the nation.

Tasting this effort is stepping into the soul of Burgenland. The wine pulses with restraint, haunting purity, and terroir-driven elegance. Your palate will salivate over the amalgamation of black cherries, alpine flowers, worked leather, crushed black peppercorns, and Ceylon tea. The finish is ultra-generous, with silky, fine-grained tannins and layers of savoriness. It’s a testimony to greatness—and a reminder of why we’re in the business of sourcing extraordinary wines for extraordinary clients. Zum Wohl!

Press Accolades:

96 Points, Wine Advocate:

"Moric's 2015 Lutzmannsburg Alte Reben is deep, ripe and very concentrated on the nose, with aromas of a basket of dark and red fruits with thick skins, almost like a Port. Lush, ripe and intense on the palate, the 2015 vintage is a generous, full-bodied, intense and concentrated yet elegant, even pure and refined Blaufränkisch with ripe and tender tannins. The finish is salty, fresh and crisp, very aromatic and beautifully floral. The is one of the finest Lutzmannsburg wines I have tasted (August 2018)." - Stephan Reinhardt

96 Points, James Suckling:

“Great aromatic complexity, the notes of wild herbs and licorice beautifully complementing the black-cherry and elderberry aromas, but almost no perceptible oak makes this extremely enticing. The palate is rich as you would expect from this excellent vintage, but it also has great polish and poise; the finish is extremely long, silky and delicate. Delicious now this should be even better from 2018 and has a couple of decades ahead of it.”