2011 Blaufränkisch Goldberg

“Rains in early September caused us major problems,” explained Georg Prieler when I asked about the 2014 harvest. “We brought in barely half of a normal crop. Fortunately, we had a run of three excellent vintages before that.” Prieler is known in Austria for his Pinot Blanc, which represents almost a third of his production, but consumers tend to focus instead on Blaufränkisch when they see this label. I particularly appreciate Prieler's respect for each vineyard’s individuality, as he makes two excellent interpretations of Austria’s leading red variety at the high end: the Marienthal has a chalky accent while Goldberg is slate. The bottom line, though, is that you can drink everything from this cellar.