Joelle Thomson gets to know the intriguing new
Blaufränkisch from Hans Herzog…

The launch of New Zealand’s first Blaufränkisch may not bring every wine lover to their knees, but many will be curious to know what on earth this $86 wine tastes like, especially as it’s made from a late-ripening grape grown in a region known for its cool climate wines.

Swiss-born, Marlborough-based winemaker Hans Herzog has long been growing a diverse range of heat-loving grapes in this historically cool climate wine region. Herzog’s menagerie of Marlborough wines includes Cabernet Sauvignon, Montepulciano and Viognier, so if anyone in the South Island was going to make a Blaufränkisch, it would have to be Herzog.

Although, perhaps, the other likely contender could be the Austrian-born, Nelson-based, Hermann Seifried. Both Herzog and Seifried have delved into the world of quirky red wines made from grapes that are well-known only in certain parts of Europe.

Blaufränkisch is the second most planted grape in Austria, and while it may not be a household wine varietal in this country, this first one from Herzog is exceptionally good: deep ruby in colour, full-bodied, smooth and incredibly concentrated in flavour with black fruit aromas and impressive firm structure without being grippy.

When Herzog first began making wine from this dark-skinned grape variety, he thought he was making Zweigelt (a red grape variety made from crossing Blaufränkisch and St Laurent grapes) but years of observation suggested otherwise.

Certain grapes in his small, entirely hand-tended Marlborough vineyard seemed to behave differently from the Zweigelt he was making. Some rows of his “Zweigelt” began to bud earlier and ripen far later than other Zweigelt grapes that he grew, leading him to experiment with these particular vines by taking the healthiest specimens and grafting them onto other rootstock in order to see what would happen.

The result is in the bottle of the first Blaufränkisch ever made in New Zealand, launched by Hans and his partner in wine and life, Therese, this year.

Prior to producing the wine, the couple had the vines DNA-tested to confirm the identity of the grape variety. This was made official by the Plant Identification Lab and Foundation Plant Services at the University of California Davis campus, which confirmed the vines were Blaufränkisch, which is also known as Lemberger.

It’s unlikely that this quirky red wine will ever be a major player on the New Zealand wine scene, but its interesting story, high quality and delicious flavours all serve to remind us that variety is the spice of wine and of life.

How it was made
Hand-picked Blaufränkisch grapes were grown on shallow gravel and sandy soils at the Herzog vineyard in Marlborough. The grapes were planted in 1996 and the first vintage of Herzog Blaufränkisch as a stand-alone varietal wine was made in 2019. Just two barrels were produced, which made 546 bottles. Order at herzog.co.nz

Joelle Thomson is a journalist, wine writer and author.

joellethomson.com