Tasting Notes: Rosados of Navarra and Rioja

Tasting Notes by Elizabeth Gabay

AUSTRIA
2012 Ried Weinberg, Weingut Wachter-Wiesler, Eisenberg, Burgenland, Austria
Old vines planted on steep, slate soils in the southern part of Burgenland near the Hungarian border. The wine is fermented in large vats of French and Hungarian oak. Dark crimson red with lush, black fruit aromas. On the palate, opulent black mulberries and salted black plums with supple black velvet tannins seamlessly integrated with the ripe fruit. Full bodied with very elegant freshness and long acidity.

2013 Ried Jungenberg, Weingut Altenburger, Leithaberg, Burgenland, Austria
On the northern shores of lake Neusiedlersee on limestone and slate soils, this wine is made with old vines with minimal intervention, spontaneous fermentation and unfiltered. The dark red colour is only just taking on some more mature mahogany notes. Complex aromas with fresh floral and herbal (dill and curry plant) notes. The fruit has taken on mature honeyed ripeness and soft black fruit layered with complex levels of powerfully long, fresh acidity, dark fruit, inner depth, black inky minerality and mouth coating gritty tannins.

Reserve Ried Mitterberg 2019, Weingut Gager, Mittelburgenland, Austria
From a top vintage with low yields and concentrated fruit and well able to handle 24 months in new oak. Mid-depth, purple-red with dry herbal aromas. On the palate, very dark black, intense fruit, purple plums with savoury herbal notes and deep dark velvet tannins. Mouthwatering acidity, voluptuous and the classic mix of both dark blue fruit and red berry crunchiness.

HUNGARY
Zoltan Nemeti 2021, Matra, Hungary
A real garage wine in a region better known for high volume production, Zoltan shows the potential of the cooler climate and rich volcanic soils in his Kékfrankos. A pure expression of the fruit with spontaneous fermentation in an open vat, hand maceration and ageing in a breathing tank. Intense dark ruby colour. Beautifully enticing aromas of inky minerality and blue flowers. Fine silky tannins, mouthwatering blueberry fruit and long acidity. Supple powerful, full bodied and amazingly deep blue plums, mulberries and sour cherries.

2017 Grand Bleu, Nimrod Kovacs, Eger, Hungary
From the highest vineyards (500m) in Hungary on the steep limestone slopes of Nagy Eged, the vineyards here produce intense concentrated wines. Nimrod is a big Jazz and Blues fan and the name refers to both the variety and his love of music. Aged in 80% new and 20% used barrels for 30 months. Still a youthful dark purple red, very fine, long fresh acidity and fine tannins. Very blue fruit, mineral, lean elegance and at the same time big, bold concentration.

2023 Kékfrankos , Unfiltered Szekretar, Szekszárd, Hungary
This small family estate with a number of small parcels makes this wine from a single vineyard on Kerekhegy in southern Szekszárd, on loess and red clay soils, with spontaneous fermentation and unfiltered. Vibrantly fresh acidity balances the very ripe, fresh blueberry fruit. There is a concentrated depth of rich, dark fruit notes, plums and mulberries and finely elegant minerality which perfectly restrains the ripeness. Beautifully textured, with the loess soils contributing some supple tannins.

2021 Classic, Stiegler, Sopron, Hungary
On the border with Austria and the heartland of Blaufränkisch production, this wine comes from the Sper Steiner parcel on mica schist soils. The wine is fermented in open vats. This wine is all about texture and less fruit forward than many other wines. The dark fruit is softly silky and voluptuous, sexily contrasting with roughly textured black velvet. The ripeness of the dark fruit is cut by some mouthwatering salinity.

ELSEWHERE
Steige 2021, Weingut Lassak, Wurttemberg, Germany
Wurttemberg is one of the warmer wine regions, making it good for red wines. Stefanie & Fabian Lassak work with old vines on steep limestone slopes and low yields to craft this wine. Spontaneous fermentation, long ageing in 600l barrels and no filtration have created this very perfumed, spicy wine with Syrah like notes of incense and blue flowers. Long, vibrantly fresh acidity, grainy tannins, Dark blue fruit and fine minerality.

Single Vineyard 2021, Jan Stavek, Moravia, Czechia
Jan Stavek runs a small family vineyard in Moravia near the Austrian border and makes wine with a combination of local tradition and intellectual curiosity – he has a doctorate on rosé winemaking. This wine has a beautiful purity of fruit with elegant blue fruit and black, inky aromas, seamlessly developing an elegant palate with a saline freshness, intense black fruit and textured tannins.

Alter Nativa 2015 (magnum), Slobodne, Southern Slovakia
Sisters Katarina and Agnes Lovecka and Katarina’s husband Miso Kuropka took over their family estate after the fall of Communism and have created a beautiful biodynamic vineyard creating some very expressive natural wines. This Frankovka is made in qveri to create rich ripe wines, Aromas of strawberries and cream and a leafy freshness continue on the palate with vibrantly youthful and pure strawberry fruit, long fresh floral acidity.