Velich’s 2006 Blaufrankisch Neckenmarkter Alte Reben delivers the predictable aromas and flavors of concentrated black fruits, along with sweetly smoky suggestions of machine oil and Szechuan pepper, as well as pungently smoky Lapsang tea. Here, the animal and mineral aspects seem to merge into a concentrate of soy, sea water, and beef stock. Rich and silken-textured, this wine’s tannins are so refined as to have melted away. A deep, low-toned, multi-dimensional, rolling finish washes over the palate, leaving behind invigorating brightness of fruit, subtle fruit pit bitterness, and a shimmering diversity of mineral suggestions that one feels must somehow reflect this wine’s origins in the Urgestein upper elevations of Neckenmarkt. I would tentatively plan on following this for a decade, but as to having some in your cellar to follow, that plan ought not in the least be tentative!Roland Velich’s Moric project (about which I have written extensively in issues 160 and 177) becomes more exciting by the year, and the 2007 and 2008 vintages will each mark the inception in bottle of new wines involving the re-discovery of forgotten sites and old vines, including a joint Blaufrankisch project with Hannes Schuster in Zagersdorf, whose 2007 debut was quite exciting from cask. Also beginning with the 2007 vintage, incidentally, Velich tentatively envisions a regional blend incorporating some Zweigelt as his introductory level wine.Importer: Winemonger, Los Angeles, CA; www.winemonger.com