The Schiefer, Blaufranksich, "Reihberg", 2004 is the most expensive bottle of red wine I have tasted from Austria. It is also the best. Uwe Schiefer, a former sommelier from Vienna, ticked off several local growers in Austria's Sudbergenland when he swooped in and bought a big chunk of the best parcel in the region, the Eisenberg vineyard. A true perfectionist, Schiefer separately bottles a cuvee from the top lieu dit within this famed vineyard. The sub-plot is called 'Reilberg.' Most of the wines I have tasted made from the Blaufrankisch grape are deep, dark and very fruity, but the wines made by Schiefer are different animals. The basic Eisenberg bottling is full of black fruits, but it is also very elegant in the mouth. The more sophisticated Reilberg cuvee shows piercing minerality on the finish, as though it was squeezed from the slate that dominates this piece of land. While the flavors in this wine are not overly complex, they are very long and persistent. I would probably not buy this bottle at the suggested retail price of $70, but it would be tempting.
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