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NOTES
Roland Velich has a vision for Burgenland's native grape, Blaufränkisch. He wants to produce Blaufränkisch wines with all the depth and complexity of the best red Burgundy. To be clear, Roland doesn't wish to replicate Burgundy in Austria. However he sees the Blaufränkisch grape as somewhat similar to Pinot Noir in terms of potential. This drive for supreme red wine, led the Velichs to purchase a winery in Mittlelburgenland the heart of Blaufränkisch country. Roland also wanted to experiment with vines from different sites within this region - so he sought out quality growers. He now purchases grapes, based on location, vine age and grape quality, rather than weight, from several small growers. Through this experimentation "Moric" wines were born.
MORIC Blaufränkisch wines come from two very different sites. "Neckenmarkter" wine comes from relatively high elevation, hillside vineyards, while "Lutzmannsburger" wine is produced from vines grown in volcanic soil on top of a sun-collecting plateau. Within both sites, there are some seriously old vines. A few of the Neckenmarkter vineyards are close to 85 years old, while some Lutmannsburger vines clock in at 100 years. Now that's old vines. Not only is there great difference in wine from the two sites; but there is also significant differences between younger vine bottlings and old vine bottlings of the same sites.
In 2006 David Schildknecht, the Austrian specialist for Robert Parker's Wine Advocate first tasted Roland Velich’s wine for the Wine Advocate and rewarded it with the top score ever achieved for an Austrian red wine. He describes Roland Velich and his Moric wines this way:
"Roland Velich is no longer working with his brother Heinz at the family estate in Apetlon, but is pursuing his own dream, working with old vines in the heart of “Blaufrankisch country” – Mittelburgenland, specifically Lutzmannsburg and Neckenmarkt. (Only his winery is located in Grosshoflein.) His are wines in a style you will not encounter anywhere else in Austria: Blaufrankisch vinified as if it were Grand Cru Burgundy, and from hillsides (including terraces) and pre-clonal vines the like of which you will not find being cultivated in most of Mittelburgenland. One sip is an Oz experience (and I don’t mean Aussie, mates!). From his dreams, to his vines, to his vinification, to his retro label, Velich is in a world of his own. He calls his project “Blaufrankisch Unplugged” (Moric – pronounced like “Moritz”).
TASTING NOTES
Lutzmannsburg, with its even older vines of up to 110 years of age, sits on a warm plateau that hardly ever finds a moment of cooling. The soil a mix of loam and loess on top of a volcanic layer beneath that retains heat as well as the water, creating a wine that is almost contrary to the style of the Neckenmarkter in that it is smoother, silkier, riper and warmer in its character, with a spicy terroir note. Plump, dense, mouthfilling, savoury, but at the same time supremely elegant. There really is so much to like here…
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