Carnuntum in Austria is an obscure wine region, even in professional and connoisseur circles. The Romans two millennia ago were farming more than 1,000 hectares of vines on this little limestone hill. It was also the site of the largest gladiator school outside of Rome, boasting many of antiquity’s greatest fighters.

Today it’s working back toward its glory days by becoming one of Austria’s great red wine regions. Its top subzone, Spitzerberg, is covered in less than 100 hectares of vineyards farmed by only 10 growers — but those underdogs hold their own in the global wine arena with a secret weapon: Blaufränkisch.

Its ability to translate terroir makes Blaufränkisch Austria’s version of Pinot Noir, but with its own distinct perfume and spice, reminiscent of Chinese Five Spice. With vibrant acidity and fine-grained tannic structure, it has been compared to many of the world’s most famous other grapes, depending on where it is planted. On limestone it brings to mind a dense Nebbiolo or Pinot Noir, Syrah on schist or gneiss, Merlot on clay, and to Cabernet Sauvignon on gravel. 

In reality, it’s related to none of those, with DNA testing showing descendants from even more obscure Slovenian grapes. Yet the comparisons help to give an understanding of its potential. 

As with the best Pinot Noir, the farming with Blaufränkisch has to be handled with care. The site or rootstock need to limit the variety’s natural vigor, and the winemaking begs a deft touch — avoiding the heavy hand of new oak, which dampens the delicate perfume. 

One of those sites that has a particularly poignant expression is that of the Spitzerberg, German for “Pointy Mountain.” This “Mountain” is a 300-meter-high eroded edge of the shoreline from an ancient sea. Here the warm, dry, and sunny climate helps the early budding and late ripening Blaufränkisch to ripen fully, softening out the tannins, while the harsh winds whipping across the Pannonian plain from the east keep the acidity refreshing and brisk. The fossilized limestone soils plus the heat put the wine along the Barolo spectrum, meaning complex, red fruited, and with plenty of aging potential.

Dorli Muhr is the reigning champion of this hillside and has worked tirelessly to re-establish her family’s old Spitzerberg plots with an eye toward quality. Her vines are 50-plus years old and farmed organically and then vinified with traditional techniques. This includes foot stomping the grapes, withholding additives — even sulfur — allowing fermentation to commence spontaneously, and then aging for two years in old neutral barrels. This is a gem of a Blaufränkisch that crystalizes the unique terroir of Carnuntum.

The Dorli Muhr wines aren’t the only ones to look out for, either. Everyone on the pointy mountain has their eyes on the prize and is bringing the region up as a whole. The value to be had from obscure regions with classically produced wines are unbeatable. Keep an eye out for those from Glatzer, Netzl Franz & Christine, and Markowitsch as well.