.png)
Esterházy Blaufränkisch Leithaberg DAC
At a Glance
Producer: Esterházy
Region: Leithaberg, Burgenland, Austria
Grape: 100% Blaufränkisch
Vintage: 2023
Alcohol: 13%
Pronounced: ESS-ter-HAH-zee BLAU-fren-kish LYE-tah-bairg
Why This Wine?
This was my first sip of Blaufränkisch. My closest comparison would be a cool-climate Syrah crossed with Pinot Noir. It has dark fruit, black pepper and savory spice, but it also has the freshness and lively acidity we love from Pinot Noir.
It has structure, but it isn’t heavy. The fruit is ripe without becoming overly rich, and the pepper gives the wine lift. This feels like a lovely fall red.
What To Look For
Esterházy describes this wine as showing black cherry and dark berries with pepper, delicate herbs and a little licorice.
I could definitely pick up the berries and black pepper, but I'm happy to report I didn't get much licorice (I'm a hater). But really – I often get a hint of licorice with black pepper. So, maybe it's there and I just choose to ignore it.
What Is Blaufränkisch?
Blaufränkisch is one of Austria’s most important red grapes, particularly in Burgenland.
In Hungary, the same grape is called Kékfrankos, pronounced CAKE-frahn-kosh. In Germany and parts of the United States, it may be labeled Lemberger.
The grape is generally associated with:
Black cherry and dark berries
Black pepper
Savory or herbal notes
Lively acidity
Medium to firm tannins
A strong ability to reflect where it is grown
Blaufränkisch can become a fresh, relatively light red or a much darker, more structured wine capable of aging.
We already know it can survive being turned into a 16% Amarone-inspired experiment.
I’m still thinking about (& now salivating) over that one.
Where Is Leithaberg?
Leithaberg is in northern Burgenland, near Austria’s border with Hungary.
The vineyards lie between the Leitha Mountains and Lake Neusiedl. Warm conditions help the grapes ripen, while cooler air from the hills helps them retain acidity.
Two important vineyard soils here are limestone and mica schist.
Mica schist, pronounced MY-kuh shist, is a layered metamorphic rock containing mica—the shiny mineral that makes rocks sparkle. It fractures easily, giving vine roots cracks and channels to follow.
Wine descriptions often connect limestone and schist with minerality, tension and freshness.
Leithaberg is known for wines with ripe fruit, acidity and a savory or mineral quality.
This is increasingly becoming my kind of red wine.
What Does DAC Mean?
DAC stands for Districtus Austriae Controllatus.
The useful translation is that the wine follows rules established to represent a particular Austrian region.
For a red wine labeled Leithaberg DAC, Blaufränkisch must be the central grape. The wine must be dry, and the oak should support the wine rather than dominate it.
So “Leithaberg DAC” tells us more than where the grapes were grown. It means the wine is intended to represent Leithaberg.
The Esterházy Projekt 18 Amarone wine was deliberately made outside those traditional expectations.
This bottle comes back to them.
About Esterházy
The Esterházy family was one of the great aristocratic families of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
The estate has records of wine production dating to 1652. The year 1758 on its labels refers to its oldest surviving cellar records.
Joseph Haydn worked for the Esterházy princes for nearly 30 years. Part of his compensation was reportedly paid in wine.
I'm for it!
Today, the winery farms 65 hectares across 21 vineyard parcels in Leithaberg. The vineyards have been certified organic since the 2023 vintage.
Esterházy makes traditional regional, village and single-vineyard wines. It also makes tiny Projekt wines using ideas that do not fit neatly within regional convention.
This gives us two very different sides of the same winery.
The Amarone-style Blaufränkisch asked what would happen if they pushed the grape as far as they could.
The Leithaberg asks what happens when they let the grape and the region speak more plainly.
Pair With
Try it with sausage, pork, roasted chicken, mushrooms, goulash, burgers or a charcuterie board.
The acidity should cut through richer foods, while the pepper and dark fruit can handle smoke and seasoning.
It has been suggested to serve it slightly cool—not cold, just below normal room temperature. I have been too lazy (or impatient) to give that a try.
Mostly, I want to taste it beside the memory of that enormous, strange, crazy-delicious Projekt wine.
Same grape. Same winery.
Hoping to make that happen at our next wine tasting event!
Comments