Esterházy’s effervescent Blaufränkisch trilogy

100% Blaufränkisch

Esterházy’s commitment to origin is absolute. It has conducted detailed soil analyses and individual cultivation concepts for each of its 21 organically cultivated vineyards. It has experimented with different ageing vessels to find the perfect match for each wine. And in the course of this work, the Esterházy team became increasingly convinced that only Blaufränkisch was capable of fully expressing its singular terroir in sparkling form.

The result is a trilogy of Austrian Sekts that pay homage to Esterházy’s love of Blaufränkisch: Grosse Reserve Blanc de Noir Brut Nature 2019, Reserve Rosé Brut 2020 and Brut NV. Only a few producers make sparkling wine from Blaufränkisch – it is rarer still to possess both the sites and expertise to craft a whole sparkling wine pyramid from it.

Sparkling wines of origin

It is not just the native grape variety itself that gives Esterházy’s sparkling wines their wonderful liveliness and minerality but also the limestone soil of their Leithaberg vineyards. The village of Grosshöflein, with its the south-east facing position at the foot of the Leitha Range, is where black earth and the famous Leitha limestone meet, giving the wines both strength and elegance.

The first vintage of the sparkling wines was 2019 but Grosshöflein has long been appreciated by the noble Esterházy family for its top-quality wines, with Count Nikolaus Esterházy choosing to make it his summer residence in the 17th century and reportedly showing off the vineyards to guests. His descendant, Prince Anton I Esterházy, liked to celebrate after the hunt in a small lodge near the prized Herrschaftsbreite vineyard.

Today the Herrschaftsbreite vineyard is once again being celebrated, chosen as the only source of all the Blaufränkisch grapes for Esterházy’s top sparkling at the apex of the Sekt Austria quality pyramid: the Grosse Reserve Blanc de Noir Brut Nature. The 20-year-old vines root into deep, calcareous soil with weathered, fine limestone, which gives the wine a taut, sleek character.

After hand-picking the grapes are “white pressed” and undergo traditional bottle fermentation with 36 months on the lees and zero dosage, giving it a pale colour and delicate mineral flavour with fine yeasty notes.

The Reserve Rosé Brut 2020 offers a wonderfully elegant interpretation of Blaufränkisch from the village of Grosshöflein. The Rosé Sekt receives just as much attention from Esterházy’s cellar team, from the quality of the handpicked, organic grapes used for the base wine to the 24 months of ageing on the lees. The result is a graceful Sekt with flavours of blackberry, rosehip and cranberry.

The NV Sekt Brut rounds out this trio of distinctive Blaufränkisch sparklers. Like the Grosse Reserve, the base wine is pressed white and fermented in stainless steel before spending nine months undergoing a second fermentation in bottle. Fresh apple and citrus flavours are apparent in this refreshing yet elegant Sekt with a fine mousse.

Three Sekts, one vision  

The three Sekts demonstrate once again Esterházy’s flair for interpreting – and reinterpreting – wines of origin from Leithaberg. Just as it has done since it began cultivating single-varietal wines in 1758. Esterházy’s princely ancestors would doubtless wholeheartedly approve of these sparkling originals.

Overview of Esterházy Blaufränkisch Sekts

Grosse Reserve Blanc de Noir Brut Nature 2019 

100 % Blaufränkisch | 36 months on the lees | zero dosage 
Citrus, minerality with a fine yeasty note
Food recommendation: Oysters, veal, oyster mushrooms

Reserve Rosé Brut 2020 

100 % Blaufränkisch | 24 months on the lees | Dosage 6 g/L
Blackberry, rosehip and cranberry
Food recommendation: crayfish, goat's cheese salad

Brut NV 

100 % Blaufränkisch | 9 months on the lees | Dosage 6 g/L
Apple, citrus and carambola
Food recommendation: antipasti, poultry and the classic Piemontese dish Vitello Tonnato