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Wenzel, “Wild & Free: Franky” Red Blend

Burgenland, Austria 2019 (750mL)
$25.00
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Fruit
Earth
Body
Tannin
Acid
Alcohol

Wenzel, “Wild & Free: Franky” Red Blend

Rarely, if ever, have I encountered a wine so aptly named: “wild and free” is exactly how we all felt after tasting this primal, perfumed, irresistible red from Michael Wenzel.


t’s a blend of Blaufränkisch and Pinot Noir that played like music for me, combining the raw, dark-toned crunch of Steppenwolf’s “Born to be Wild” and the flower-power aromatics of Cream’s “I Feel Free.” Honestly, I could see myself drinking this and only this for the foreseeable future. It perfectly encapsulates everything that is so appealing about “natural” wine—the rawness and immediacy—without any of the flaws that often sink wines in this category. Wenzel is a relentless experimenter and a dedicated practitioner of organic viticulture, and with “Wild and Free” he set out to evoke the lightweight, low-alcohol, chillable reds his winemaking family long enjoyed with lunch. It succeeds at that, but it will be just as good with dinner, too—pure and juicy, mouth-watering and mineral, this is a talented winemaker’s all-purpose “house” wine. Get some on your table as soon as you can!


Wenzel’s winery and approximately 10 hectares of vineyards are in Rust, in Austria’s Burgenland region, close to Lake Neusiedl and the border with Hungary. It’s part of a broad, warm, central European lowland area known as the Pannonian Basin, mostly composed of sandy, loamy gravel. Wenzel, who draws on 12 (!) generations of family winemaking experience in the area, is dedicated not just to dry-farming (i.e. no irrigation) but to doing all vineyard work by hand. His are true-blue “farmer wines” that are nevertheless impeccably crafted and clean.



“Wild & Free” is Wenzel’s moniker for a broader product line that includes today’s wine, called “Franky.” It is crafted using the most natural techniques and the least adornment possible: fruit is organically farmed; only wild yeasts are used to initiate fermentation; aging is carried out in amphora and tanks; and sulfur is added only at bottling, in the most minuscule quantity. Maceration on the grape skins during fermentation is kept deliberately short, resulting in mild tannins and a more primary fruit character. It is designed for immediate consumption, and we are more than happy to oblige!



In the glass, the 2019 “Franky” shows off the inky garnet core typical of the Blaufränkisch variety (70% of this blend), and a healthy dose of its ‘black and blue’ fruit component. But the Pinot Noir component lends aromatic lift and length, elevating this wine from merely juicy and lip-smacking into more ethereal territory. Every wild berry aroma you can think of seems to jump from the glass, along with pomegranate, violets, herbs and spices, orange zest, black pepper, and underbrush. It is medium-bodied and tangy, with barely perceptible tannins and lots of appetite-whetting freshness—a wine begging for a chill, some grilled sausages or burgers (or both) off the grill, and a backup bottle readily at hand. This wine is going to inhabit your consciousness long after it is gone, like the rock classics of yore. Enjoy it—I know you will!
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Country
Austria
Region
Burgenland
Sub-Region
AustriaNeusiedlersee
Soil
Loam, Sand, Gravel
Farming
Organic
Blend
Blaufränkisch 70%, Pinot Noir 30%
Alcohol
12.0
OAK
None
TEMP.
55
Glassware
Burgundy Stems
Drinking
Now
Decanting
Optional
Pairing
Sausage & Peppers

Austria

Northeastern Austria

Weinviertel

Considered by most to be the oldest growing zone in Austria, Weinviertel is also, geographically, the largest in the country and covers the vast, northeastern expanse of Lower Austria, stretching from the western border of Slovakia, following the Danube inland and veering up to the southern border of Czechia. Its name, which translates to “wine quarter,” reflects the region’s rich, ancient wine heritage and, according to the Weinviertel DAC website, there are “7,000 years of artifacts to prove it.”

Northeastern Austria

Wachau

Austria’s Wachau appellation is the country’s most acclaimed region. About an hour northwest of Vienna along the Danube River, the vista of the steep, terraced vineyards of the Wachau creates a magnificent landscape akin to a verdant, ancient amphitheater—it is a UNESCO World Heritage site, after all. With rich and unique soils here of löess and gneiss, which lend vivid minerality to the wine.

Eastern Austria

Burgenland

The Burgenland appellation, running along Austria’s border with Hungary southeast of Vienna, has a diverse topography and a mix of soils, with more primary rock and slate at higher locations and dense loams in the rolling hills that extend toward the Pannonian plain.

Southeastern Austria

Steiermark

The region of Styria (Steiermark) is in southeastern Austria which sits near the border with Slovenia. This area is studded with long-extinct volcanoes whose deposits are a key component of the local soils and the vineyards benefit from a classic Austrian push-pull of cool Alpine air and warmer “Pannonian” currents from the east.

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