2013 Blaufränkisch

When I drove into the courtyard, I saw sheep prancing through the vineyard. “They are part of the environment,” said Josef Umathum as I stepped out of the car. One of Austria’s most well-liked wine personalities, he is known affectionately as Pepi. An intellectual, a philosopher and a quiet man of words, he has always been quick to recognize and support new talent among his peers. One of his quips that I remember from my last visit was that “vines have memories,” a tribute to his belief in the intelligence of nature. Not surprisingly, all of his wines are organic and certified as such by Demeter. Generally, he releases his single-vineyard reds only three years after harvest. Even then, they are closed and a touch earthy, but they evolve extremely well, generally only blooming when they are no longer to be found in the retail marketplace.

Josef Umathum is one of Austria's most popular wine personalities--known affectionately as Pepi. An intellectual, a philosopher and a quiet man of words, he has always been quick to notice new talent among his peers and support them, which has given him the lasting respect of those that he has discovered. One of the quips that I remember from my last visit was "vines have memories," a tribute to his belief in the intelligence of nature. Not surprisingly, all of his wines are organic and certified as such by Demeter. As he generally releases his single-vineyard reds only three years after harvest, the wines below will only be in the market sometime next year. While young, they are always closed, always a touch earthy and, to phrase it mildly, not everyone's cup of tea. They evolve, though, extremely well and may well turn out better than portrayed below. (www.umathum.at) Also recommended: 2012 Pinot Gris (85), 2012 Rosa (87).

Josef "Pepi" Umathum has not only modernized and expanded his winery in recent years, he has also introduced a set of wines from his new seven-hectare Kirschgarten vineyard in Jois.This vineyard, located on the west side of Lake Neusiedl, offers Umathum a completely different terroir than his vineyards in Frauenkirchen, on the east side of the lake.These primary rock terraces, which once belonged to the Empress Maria of Hungary, feature crystalline soils with quartz and slate content that are ideal for blaufrankisch and pinot noir.Umathum acquired the property in 2000, but first had to remove the overgrowth from this long-dormant site; low yields and the steep slope had frustrated previous generations of vintners.His first set of wines from these vines is unique, as this is the only vineyard in Burgenland with soil rich in schist, suggesting that all of Umathum's efforts to rescue this old site were worthwhile. (Vin Divino, Chicago, IL) Also recommended: 2004 Pinot Gris (87), 2004 Blaufrankisch (87).

Not since my report in Issue 87 have I had an opportunity to revisit Josef Umathum, now one of the many leading Burgenland vintners to boast an impressive new winemaking facility. Umathum is also by no means the only Burgenland vintner to have taken on ambitious new projects. His recent rebuilding and replanting of the only traditional terraces-and the only slate, mixed with quartzite-anywhere along the Neusiedlersee, at Jois, may prove to be among the most exciting of these. (Vin Divino) Also recommended: 2003 Sankt Laurent, 2002 Hallebuhl (1 star), 2002 Zweigelt, 2003 Zweigelt Reserve, 2002 Chardonnay Trockenbeerenauslese.