Feiler-Artinger Blaufrankisch Ried Ruster Umriss 2015, Burgenland Austria

Last year Criterion Wine Tours organised our first ever wine tour to Austria. On the first evening of the tour Kurt Feiler, winemaker at Feiler-Artinger in the pretty town of Rust, came to our hotel and gave us an excellent tasting of his wines during dinner. One of our favourites was the Blaufrankisch Ried Ruster Umriss – and we couldn’t resist bringing a bottle home. A red wine with sweet cherry/berry nose, silky tannins and medium body; just so lovely to drink which makes you want a second – and third – glass!

Blaufrankisch is one of the three main indigenous Austrian red varieties. The name means ‘blue Frankish’, which goes back to the Middle Ages when the name Frankisch was given to several high-quality varieties to indicate their superiority over the inferior Heunisch varieties. It’s grown widely in Central Europe, including Croatia, Slovenia and also Hungary where it’s known as Kekfrankos. In Austria, it’s the second most widely planted black grape and most of it is found in the relatively warm region of Burgenland.

Burgenland, about an hour south-east of Vienna, occupies a narrow strip of land that runs from the Danube River down to Steiermark in the south. On its eastern side is the border with Hungary, and to the west lies the most eastern foothills of the Alps. With its sunny, continental summers, it’s the country’s key red wine region.

Feiler-Artinger was founded in 1936 and Kurt is the 3rd generation. They have 30 hectares which is organically farmed.  The wines are imported into the UK by Austrian specialist Clark Foyster with the Ried Ruster Umriss 2015 available from them for around £21.00.