Schiefer’s 2006 Blaufrankisch Szapary is named for the steep slope of quartzite- and iron-rich schist (or, as German speakers would simply say, “Schiefer”), that Schiefer thinks is the best in the Eisenberg area, and in which he has three parcels, one of which he planted just under a decade ago. (A Germanic form of this vineyard name – utilized by Franz Weninger for his bottling – is Saybritz.) Open-top fermented, this wine is matured in 300- and 500-liter barrels – although Schiefer is now tending away from anything as small as 300s. Bright, sappy blackberry and cherry and bitter-sweet herbal concentrate are met by salty, peaty, crushed stone notes in a truly palate-saturating communion. This has a cut and clarity, a cling and invigoration you won’t often encounter in a red wine. I wrote extensively in issue 177 about Uwe Schiefer and his remarkable and distinctive Blaufrankisch from the once-famous Eisenberg area on the Hungarian border in South Burgenland. His 2006 collection almost certainly represents the best of his eight to date, hence some of the most exciting red wine ever produced in Austria. Despite his relatively brief history, Schiefer’s conception of Blaufrankisch as a wine with site-sensitivity and finesse comparable, and best handled in a manner akin to that of Burgundian Pinot Noir and not a wine of, as he puts it, “tannin and power,” or one best marked by small toasty barrels, has begun to resonate within Austria, not least in the exciting Moric wines of Roland Velich (the 2006s of which are reviewed in this report).Importer: Weygandt-Metzler Importing, Unionville, PA; tel. (610) 486-0800