{"product_id":"gesellmann-blaufrankisch-vom-lehm-2023","title":"Gesellmann Blaufränkisch vom Lehm 2023","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Land\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDeutschkreutz sits on the Hungarian border, a few kilometers from Sopron, and it is about as far from the Alpine picture of Austria as the country gets. This is the edge of the Pannonian plain. Mittelburgenland, roughly 2,100 hectares of vines, goes by the nickname Blaufränkischland, and the grape defines the district. Low hills shelter it on three sides, the Ödenburger Gebirge to the north and the Günser uplands to the south, while the east lies open to Hungary. Days run warm and dry, nights cool off, and that gap stretches ripening well into autumn. The soil gives this bottling its name. Vom Lehm means \"from the clay,\" and the fruit comes from heavy, deep, calcareous clay in Gesellmann's Deutschkreutz sites. Clay holds water through dry summers and pushes Blaufränkisch toward more weight and darker fruit.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Wine\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOne hundred percent Blaufränkisch, hand-harvested, fermented on the skins with full malolactic conversion, then raised for 11 months in large wooden casks rather than the barriques used for the estate's top cuvées. That choice shows in the glass: the big cask lets the wine breathe without stamping vanilla or toast on the fruit, so the clay and the grape carry the flavor. Dark ruby color, cherry, blackberry, cassis, licorice and a whiff of clove, then the peppery spice that marks Blaufränkisch from Mittelburgenland. The tannin is dense, the acid keeps it moving, and the finish is clean. The 2023 vintage in Burgenland opened after a very dry winter, brought local hail and early mildew pressure, then turned warm; red growers picked fully ripe grapes with mature tannin.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe People\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Gesellmann estate first appears in the records of Deutschkreutz in 1719. Its modern shape came from Engelbert Gesellmann, who in the 1980s planted international varieties, brought French barriques into the cellar and launched the Opus Eximium blend in 1988, when Austrian red wine barely registered abroad. His son Albert, born in 1970, worked in California, including at Cuvaison, before taking over. Albert and his wife Silvia now run the 50-hectare estate, and under them the focus has swung back toward Blaufränkisch and the individual sites. Organic conversion began in 2011, and the wines have been certified organic since the 2015 vintage. Vineyard work is done by hand, and some of the family's vines are around 90 years old. Vom Lehm is the estate's everyday answer to what local clay does to the local grape.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFood Pairing\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePaprika-Roasted Chicken Thighs with Creamy Mushroom Spätzle\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe savory spice and peppery character of Blaufränkisch are a natural match for paprika-roasted chicken, while mushrooms play into the wine’s earthy side. Fresh acidity cuts through the creamy spätzle and crispy chicken skin, keeping the whole pairing balanced. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eFind the full recipe on our blog.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Dobratsch","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51373913440479,"sku":null,"price":36.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0439\/7436\/1248\/files\/P9120268.jpg?v=1789272793","url":"https:\/\/denverwinemerchant.com\/products\/gesellmann-blaufrankisch-vom-lehm-2023","provider":"Denver Wine Merchant","version":"1.0","type":"link"}