Old bush vines from grandma's steep south-facing slope in the Eisenberg meaning iron mountain, which is prevelant in the soil. The well-draining blue-green slate substrate offers freshness and the calcareous, clayey-loam top soil brings the Vosne to mind. Blue fruit, wild spicy peppers and herb, tingly acidity, minerality from the limestone and the slate bring to mind Nebbiolo and Syrah simoultaneously, very intense structure but a lighter body (less extraction) than previous vintages and silky tannins that roll around your tongue and stick to your teeth. Violets and a sanguine exotic perfume linger for several minutes, a stellar example of site and region.
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We are a little infatuated with the wines of Weninger around here. Every single wine from Franz is a little dollop of terroir in a bottle. Most people assume all Blaüfrankisch just tastes like, well, Blaüfrankisch. And for the majority of mass-produced wines imported to the US, that's true. But the real truth is, in the hands of a master, there are few grapes as capable of transmitting terroir in such a focused manner.
When Franz took over the family estate a decade ago, he quickly made a series of changes: He stopped using purchased fruit, converted their vineyards to biodynamics, stripped away excessive winemaking techniques and new oak, and (most importantly) bottled each of the best sites individually.
All of this is a reflection of Franz Weninger's own obsession with showcasing the distinctive value in each of his beloved vineyards. With a 50-hectare checkerboard of limestone, clay, gravel, mica-schist, gneiss, iron and volcanic basalt, he doesn't lack for choice. And while he's not the first of his compatriots to explore his wealth of indigenous grapes and soil types in this fashion, he is making the most compelling case for their place on the world stage—and in your cellar.