The American market for European wines has been dominated by France, Italy, and Spain for a long time, so it’s not too surprising that Germany has been in the background for many wine lovers, despite its very long history of producing highly acclaimed wines. We do our part though to champion these in our Daily Discoveries, but the vast majority of our selections are white, and when we do include a red it is almost always Spätburguner (aka Pinot Noir). So today’s savory, spicy, silky Blaufränkisch is definitely a departure, but a decidedly delicious one. Not surprisingly it hails from Baden, where most of Germany’s top Pinots are also found, and also unsurprisingly it is made by the iconic estate of Burg Ravensburg. With almost a thousand years of winemaking history, these guys know a thing or two about coaxing every ounce of terroir and complexity from their vines. The value here is outstanding, so let’s get to know Blaufränkisch!
The year ‘1251’ is prominently displayed on each and every Burg Ravensburg label, and why shouldn’t it be? There aren’t many estates in the world—and far fewer vineyards—that draw on this much history. Yet, shockingly, the family itself goes back even further, having been locally documented as Barons back in 931 AD. The current proprietor, Heinz Heiler, has continued this nearly 800 year history of excellence, and he is joined by winemaker Claus Burmeister, who was basically raised in the ancient cellar, as his own father was head winemaker when Claus was growing up.
It almost goes without saying then, that the Burg Ravensburg team is intimately acquainted with their land and its terroir–they have an enormous amount of generational knowledge to pull from! They are truly icons in the region of Baden. Located in the southwestern corner of Germany, near the border with France’s Alsace to the west, and Switzerland to the south, this bucolic countryside is both warmer and drier, and therefore the most regarded region for red wines in the country. Sulzfeld, the Ravensburg hometown, is less than 10 miles from the Rhine river (the border with France) and features steep hills with pockets of deep limestone–perfect for making complex, elegant wines. Blaufränkisch, a famously thick-skinned variety, arrived here from Austria about 150 years ago.
Following the strictest organic practices, the Ravensburg team hand-picks their Blaufränkisch after making several passes through the vineyard. Only ripe, unflawed grapes make it into the winery, and even then, grapes are sorted yet again. Afterwards, a six-day cold maceration allows for added extraction and flavor before a long fermentation. All the while, whenever the juice moves from location to location, it is done so by gravity only. No pumps here! The wine ages in neutral oak barrels before bottling without filtration.
Blaufränkisch is grown throughout central Europe, and has many pseudonyms, but in most cases it is made into a dark, sturdy, tannic wine with pronounced spiciness. However, the special Sulsfeld terroir and the winemaking skills at Burg Ravensburg produces a more elegant, silky, and red-fruited version of this workhouse grape. Bing cherries and wild blackberries and raspberries are in abundance, along with notes of plum skin, graphite, iodine, smoked paprika, dried mushrooms, and damp earth. Serve a hearty lamb stew or anything off the grill.
