Last year Robert Parker had a little rant about things he doesn’t like in the wine world. It was quite funny, but also – in my opinion – misguided. In it he dismissed Blaufränkisch (including with it Savagnin and Trousseau and a host of other varieties) as being ‘godforsaken’. Yes, really!  He may have been reviewing wines for 35 years and be much more famous and important than me, but I would suggest that in this case he is wrong and I am right. It’s a brilliant grape variety.

And this is just an incredible wine. ‘Liebkind’ translates as favoured child, but it means more than that – it’s like the ‘apple of my eye’, and can be applied just as much to a favoured motor car or vineyard as it can a child. I’ve also included a note on a cask sample of the 2013. Alas this is only made in tiny quantities, but I’m a rubbish wine writer, writing about things few will probably taste. But it’s such an amazing wine it deserved a write-up. The other Muhr-van der Niepoort Blaufrankisch wines are also superb, including the old vine Spitzerberg.

Muhr-van der Niepoort Liebkind 2012 Carnuntum, Austria
This is from young Blaufränkisch vines planted in a fantastic spot on the Spitzerberg that’s almost pure limestone. These vines really struggle, have very small berries, and this single hectare yielded just a ton of grapes in 2012. It’s just so floral, pure and vivid with keen acidity and detailed black cherry and raspberry fruit. So pure and vital with good structure. Quite profound. 95/100

Muhr-van der Niepoort Liebkind 2013 Carnuntum, Austria (cask sample)
Intensely aromatic and fresh, with amazing acidity and focus. Grippy and tannic with amazing presence. 94-96/100

UK agent is Indigo Wines

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