The 2005 Spitzerberg confirms the animal side of the vintage here, but now we have a clean, clear beef-bouillon-like impression mingled with the black fruit and black pepper. There is less flattering polish to the texture here than in the 2004, but nonetheless a good sense of stuffing and grip considering the context of the vintage. This walk on the dark side also takes you past various evidently mineral formations, with a finish full of head-scratching intrigue. I would plan on revisiting it over the next 2-3 years.Since 2002, Dorli Muhr (a local) and husband Dirk Niepoort, of Port fame, have been farming one of Carnuntum’s few traditional sites for Blaufrankisch, the Spitzerberg, where she had inherited and planted a small plot of vines. Niepoort fell in love with the Spitzerberg and its history as well as with the potential for Blaufrankisch. (“I think it’s the most elegant variety in the world, apart from Pinot Noir.”) The couple purchased additional acreage, and they have one contract for supplemental grapes. The early wines are already a revelation. The slope of the Spitzerberg reminds Muhr and Niepoort of the Cote d’Or and, accordingly, they have divided their production among three bottlings comparable to generic, village and premier cru. (There is also some Syrah, but thereby hangs a tale that will be told in these pages on another occasion.)Imported by: Martine’s Wines, Novato, CA; tel. (415) 883-0400