The Muhr-Niepoort 2006 Carnuntum represents their second wine, fermented with a high percentage of whole clusters and minimal extraction, but comes entirely from the Spitzerberg. Superb purity of bitter-edged black fruits and a silken-texture yet vivacity mark this as a wine perfect for present consumption, yet there is really no telling yet how it will mature. (I have not had a chance to revisit the excellent 2004.) Pepper, herbs, and smoky pungency contribute to the complexity here just as in the 2004, but this outstanding value shows an extra measure of refinement and sheer length. The Dorli Muhr - Dirk Niepoort collaboration about which I wrote in issue 177 has resulted in a pair of 2006 wines that definitively demonstrate – if there were still doubt – the potential of Blaufrankisch in the once-celebrated Spitzerberg , just south of the Danube and near the Hungarian frontier. It’s easy both in the glass and in the vineyard to comprehend Niepoort’s tendency to see these wines as Burgundian in inspiration. “What makes Blaufrankisch great here is the lightness and elegance of it,” he asserts, “but I don’t claim that it tastes similar to Pinot Noir.” The property Muhr and Niepoort are developing on the Spitzerberg included young parcels of Syrah and Merlot, yielding surprisingly impressive raw materials, whose 2006 marriage – dubbed Rote Erde – I have not yet tasted.Imported by: Martine’s Wines, Novato, CA; tel. (415) 883-0400