The second release of red from the Leitha Hills above Eisenstadt, Velich’s brightly-fruited 2006 Blaufrankisch Sankt Georgener seems to fit this diminutive vineyard’s breezy, chalky hillside location. A fascinating and pentrating nose of black raspberries, cherries, pistachio, and citrus oils is delivered at almost ethereally distilled fruit intensity. Sappy, faintly oily in texture, and loaded with inner-mouth esters, this wine’s bitter-sweet, subtly-tart black fruits are tinged with invigorating medicinal-herbal pungency, and joined in a tenaciously-clinging finish by notes of citrus zest, white pepper, bitter cherry pit, chalk, and iodine. There is not an ounce of fat on this athletic wine’s body, and its performance is as polished and refined in structure as it is energetic and extract-rich. I suspect it will age well for 7-9 years, but must base that suspicion on intuition. 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