The 2006 Point is Kollwentz’s Blaufrankisch from 35 year old vines in a chalk-clay site that Kollwentz claims enjoys the earliest bud break and ripening in Austria. Intriquing floral notes and a hint of chili pepper accompany the aromas and flavors of ripe blackberry on display here, and the spice of oak and pepper and spice inherent in the fruit marry effortlessly. The wine’s tannins and finish concern me more, as I find some extraneous woodiness. Still, this intensely-concentrated wine displays ample sap and juiciness on the palate and it will be most interesting to follow it into bottle, from which it should remain robust for a decade. I tasted the Kollwentz 2006 Steinzeiler – Blaufrankisch from schist and chalk, with a bit of Cabernet and Zweigelt – entirely from un-assembled lots in barrel, and while some of its dramatically-concentrated, vividly mineral-tinged, bitter black fruits struck me as already being slightly dried out by wood tannins, I cannot yet hazard a more detailed assessment. The Kollwentzes – Andi and father Anton Kollwenz – produce some of Austria’s most celebrated and expensive wines, and one would be hard-pressed to find two more conscientious or engaging vintners with whom to discuss their craft. I continue however to take highly variable satisfaction in the wines at this address, their reds and their single-vineyard Chardonnays often striking me as a bit stiff and overly-oaky, whereas the purity and longevity of their nobly sweet wines consistently impress, and I find their Sauvignon one of the world’s best (albeit little known outside Austria).Importer: Vin Divino, Chicago, IL; tel. (773) 334-6700