Marcus Hofschuster is Editor-in-Chief and Lead Taster of Wein-Plus, a leading European on-line wine guide, based in Germany. Marcus Hofschuster is the man behind the reputation that Wein-Plus has gained over the past 2 decades. All wines are tasted blind. Marcus Hofschuster uses the 100 points scale.
From time to time, Marcus Hofschuster summarizes his tasting results in a "BEST OF" list. This time, he published a list summarizing his tasting results with regard to German Lemberger, mostly from the 2018, 2017 and 2016 vintages.
Lemberger is the German name of the grape called Blaufränkisch in Austria and Kékfrankos in Hungary.
It is a dark-skinned variety of grape used for red wine. It s a late-ripening variety, produces red wines which are typically rich in tannin and may exhibit a pronounced spicy character.
The grape is grown across Central Europe, including Austria, Czech Republic (in particular southern Moravia where it is known as Frankovka), Germany, Slovakia (where it is known as Frankovka modrá), Croatia, Serbia (frankovka), Slovenia (known as modra frankinja), and Italy (Franconia). In Hungary the grape is called Kékfrankos (also lit. blue Frankish) and is grown in a number of wine regions including Sopron, Villány, Szekszárd, and Eger (where it is a major ingredient in the famous red wine blend known as Egri Bikavér (lit. Bull's Blood) having largely replaced the Kadarka grape). It has been called "the Pinot noir of the East" because of its spread and reputation in Eastern Europe. In America this grape is grown in Idaho, Pennsylvania, Washington State and the Finger Lakes region of New York, where like in Germany it is also known as Lemberger, Blauer Limberger or Blue Limberger.
DNA profiling has shown that Blaufränkisch is a cross between Gouais blanc (Weißer Heunisch; male parent) and Blaue Zimmettraube (female parent; the offspring of Blauer Gänsfüsser). Historical ampelographic sources have provided very solid evidence that the geographic area of origin of the variety is Lower Styria (today Slovenian Styria).
In Germany, there are 1,729 hectares of Lemberger, primarily in the Württemberg wine region around the town of Stuttgart. The German name Lemberger derives from the fact that it was imported to Germany in the 19th century from Lemberg in Lower Styria in present-day Slovenia and then in the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
BEST of Lemberger: Vintage 2018
88WP Lassak
88WP Häder, Haidle
87WP Fellbach “Alte Reben”, Aldinger
BEST of Lemberger: Vintage 2017
92WP Mönchberg Gehrnhalde GG, Karl Haidle
92WP Herrenberg GG “Spermen R”, Seeger
91WP Mönchberg Berge GG, Karl Haidle
90WP Lämmler GG, Aldinger
90WP Lämmler GG, Heid
90WP Michaelsberg GG, Ernst Dautel
90WP Ruthe GG, Graf Neipperg
90WP Lämmler GG, Rainer Schnaitmann
90WP Altenberg, Knauß
89WP Berg GG, Jürgen Ellwanger
88WP Herzogenberg GG, Wöhrwag
88WP Goldberg, Heid
88WP Bönnigheim “Gipskeuper”, Ernst Dautel
88WP Mönchberg GG, Herzog von Württemberg
88WP Heller Berg “G”, Roth
87+WP Lassak
87WP Berg, Aldinger
87WP Nierstein, St. Antony
87WP Herzogenberg, Wöhrwag
87WP Verrenberg GG, Fürst Hohenlohe-Öhringen
87WP Stein “R”, Bürgerspital
87WP Pfaffenhofen “Felix”, Wachtstetter
BEST of Lemberger: Vintage 2016
90WP Roter Berg, Graf von Bentzel-Sturmfeder
89WP Löwenherz, G.A. Heinrich
89WP Spitzenberg GG, Wachtstetter
89WP Altenberg, Knauß
88WP Wartberg GG “Sonnenstrahl”, Kistenmacher-Hengerer
88WP Lämmler GG, Fellbacher Weingärtner
88WP Lämmler “Edition P”, Fellbacher Weingärtner
88WP Stein “R”, Bürgerspital
88WP Kiliansberg, Patrizierhof - Grebner
88WP Hohenberg “Ernst Combé”, Wachtstetter
88WP Oberer Berg GG “Der schwarze Löwe”, Graf Adelmann
87WP Schlosswengert GG, Schloßgut Hohenbeilstein
87WP Goldberg “Edition P”, Fellbacher Weingärtner
87WP Wachtkopf **, Steinbachhof
87WP Verrenberg, Fürst Hohenlohe-Öhringen
87WP Eilfingerber GG, Herzog von Württemberg
87WP Stiftsberg, Kistenmacher-Hengerer
87WP Stiftsberg “G.A.”, G.A. Heinrich
87WP Held, Gabel
87WP Wachtkopf ***, Steinbachhof
87WP Neipperg, Graf Neipperg
BEST of Lemberger: Older Vintages
89WP 2013 “Hades”, Sonnenhof
89WP 2013 “XR”, G.A. Heinrich
88WP 2015 2015 “Vinitiative”, Lauffener Weingärtner
88WP 2015 “Felsen”, Kusterer
87WP 2015 Wachtkopf “S”, Sonnenhof
87WP 2015 “Steillage”, Kusterer
87WP 2015 Wanne “SL”, Bernhard Ellwanger
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