Blaufränkisch Hochegg, 2021

Blaufränkisch with an almost bloody, iron-rich edge, from red slate on a steep Styrian hill. Dark cherry, spice and lively acidity.

Karl and Eva Schnabel farm five hectares on the steep slopes of the Sausal, an outcrop of ancient slate and schist in Südsteiermark (South Styria), a white-wine region where red growers are rare. No chemicals have touched these vines; they're sprayed with home-brewed nettle, horsetail and yarrow teas. Hochegg is the parcel with heavier, iron-rich red slate. Left on its skins right through fermentation, aged in old oak, bottled by hand with no sulphur. Black cherry, blackberry and spice, lively acidity and that iron-tinged minerality.