Alice & Roland Tauss Blaufränkisch Opok

A bouquet of dried flowers, smooth, almost creamy. Consistent flavor across the palate. Muted nose. A whisper of maple. Some mushroom, and a hint of iron ore. In its prime drinking mode: the initial fruit notes have receded into the background, leaving a terroir driven experience of mushroom stew and cast iron roasted chestnuts. Long finish.

On day 1 it's bretty beyond my tolerance level. It needed 24 hours in the fridge and some oxygen to blow off. Once the cardboard and musk is gone, I'm left with crunchy black fruit, black pepper, fresh mint, and some residual barnyard. Honestly the smell reminds me a lot of cool-climate Syrah. The palate has lots of tannin and acid that claw their way past your mouth. The austere mouthfeel and the huge amount of initial brett makes me …