Grape Guide
Blaufränkisch
RedBlaufränkisch is a late-ripening black grape of Central Europe, bred naturally from Gouais Blanc and Blaue Zimmettraube. It gives dark, peppery, high-acid reds, best known from Burgenland in Austria, and grown as Kékfrankos in Hungary and Lemberger in Württemberg. Styles run from juicy and unoaked to structured wines that reward a decade in bottle.
Key Characteristics
- Cross of Gouais Blanc (male parent) and Blaue Zimmettraube (female parent); probably born in Lower Styria
- Early budding but late ripening, so it needs a warm growing season to reach full maturity
- Vigorous and productive; quality depends on restraining yields
- Susceptible to downy and powdery mildew, and to spring frost because of early budding
- Parent of Zweigelt, Blauburger, Acolon and other modern crossings
Typical Flavors
Major Regions
Burgenland (Austria) · Mittelburgenland DAC · Leithaberg DAC · Eisenberg DAC · Sopron and Szekszárd (Hungary) · Württemberg (Germany) · Lower Styria (Slovenia)
Also Known As
Lemberger (Germany · North America) · Limberger (Germany) · Blauer Limberger (Germany) · Kékfrankos (Hungary) · Nagyburgundi (Hungary) · Frankovka (Czech Republic · Croatia · Serbia) · Frankovka Modrá (Slovakia) · Modra Frankinja (Slovenia) · Franconia Nera (Italy) · Borgonja (Croatia) · Burgund Mare (Romania) · Gamé (Bulgaria)
Overview
Blaufränkisch is a deeply coloured red grape with firm acidity, moderate to high tannin and a savoury, peppery profile. The fruit sits in the black cherry, blackberry and bramble range, often with a violet or graphite edge, and in cooler or slate-based sites a taut, mineral finish. Unlike many warm-climate reds it keeps its freshness at full ripeness, which is why it handles both large old oak and a measured amount of new barrique. It is the signature red of Burgenland and the dominant dark grape of Hungary, where it is called Kékfrankos, and it is the second most planted red variety in Austria behind Zweigelt. Wines made from low yields on slate, limestone or iron-rich clay can age for fifteen years or more, while lighter examples from young vines are bottled early for their crunchy red-berry fruit and are best drunk within a few years.
Origins & History
During the Middle Ages, growers in German-speaking lands applied the word Fränkisch (Frankish) to vines they considered of high quality, setting them against the humbler Heunisch (Hunnic) types. The name Blaufränkisch itself has no documented use before an exhibition held in Vienna in 1862, and the ampelographic commission that met at Colmar in 1875 adopted it internationally. Lemberger and Limberger, the German names, surfaced late in the nineteenth century and come from two Austrian places the grapes were shipped from: Lemberg in Styria and Limburg, close to Maissau in Lower Austria. Hungary's Kékfrankos is a direct translation of the German name, first recorded in 1890. For many years only half of the parentage was known. Gouais Blanc (Weisser Heunisch) was established as one parent, which also ties Blaufränkisch to Gamay Noir, since Gouais Blanc sired that variety as well. Names such as the Bulgarian Gamé and the Croatian Borgonja (meaning Burgundy) led growers to regard the vine as a clone of Gamay or Pinot, a mistake that DNA profiling later put right. In 2016 the missing female parent was identified as Blaue Zimmettraube, which is itself a seedling of Blauer Gänsfüsser, and Zimmettraube was formerly grown in Lower Styria; it was rediscovered as lone vines in Rheinhessen and, under the name Sbulzina, in Friuli. The two parents were cultivated side by side in Lower Styria, now part of Slovenia, so that region is the most probable birthplace, although the point remains open. As a parent, Blaufränkisch has proved highly productive. Pairing it with Sankt Laurent gave Zweigelt and André, and pairing it with Blauer Portugieser gave Blauburger. German and Austrian breeders also drew on it for further crossings, among them Reberger, Heroldrebe, Cabernet Mitos, Cabernet Cubin and Acolon.
Viticultural Characteristics
Blaufränkisch buds early and ripens late, a combination that exposes it to spring frost and requires a long, warm growing season; in marginal years in cooler sites it can retain green, pyrazine-like notes if cropped too high. Vigour is high and yield potential is generous, so quality producers rely on green harvesting, restrictive pruning and low-vigour sites. Downy and powdery mildew are the main disease threats, and canopy management for airflow is standard. The grape performs best on slate, mica schist, limestone and iron-rich clay, where drainage and stony soils limit vigour. Sites near Lake Neusiedl gain from the lake's moderating influence and long autumns, while cooler hillside parcels deliver the finest acidity. Its high natural acidity allows picking at full phenolic ripeness without losing balance.
Wine Styles & Characteristics
Most Blaufränkisch is vinified dry. The simplest wines are fermented and aged in stainless steel or large neutral oak, bottled young and valued for juicy cherry fruit, bright acidity and peppery lift. Reserve-level wines come from lower yields and spend one to two years in large casks or used barriques, gaining spice, cedar and firm tannin, and can drink well for ten to twenty years. Sites on slate and limestone tend to give lean, mineral, finely tannic wines, while heavier clay produces broader, darker and spicier examples. In Hungary the grape is the backbone of Bikavér blends, supported by varieties such as Kadarka and Cabernet Franc. In Württemberg it is usually made as a full-bodied dry red, often barrel-aged, while in Slovakia and Croatia it tends toward a lighter, fruitier style intended for early drinking. Rosé and sparkling versions are minor.